Holmgren Opens U.S. Amateur Inside Top-10; Hitchner in Contention With a 71

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  PINEHURST, N.C. – Carding a 2-under par 70 Monday, former Minnesota Golf Association Amateur champion Van Holmgren sits inside the top-10 following the opening round of play at the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.
 
Holmgren, who will begin his junior season at North Dakota State University this fall, played his first 15 holes on the historic No. 2 course at 3-under par before slowing with a double-bogey at the par-4 16^th. Rolling in birdie on his final hole of the opening round, Holmgren posted a 2-under 68 and sits tied for eighth ahead of Tuesday’s final round of stroke play.
 
The former Wayzata High School standout has claimed four top-5 finishes this season, including a runner-up finish at the MGA Amateur and a third-place finish four days later at the Minnesota State Open.
 
Derek Hitchner, a Minneapolis native and soon-to-be sophomore at Pepperdine University, carded an opening-round 1-over 71 and will begin the second round of stroke play Tuesday tied for 41^st. Also playing the No. 2 course Monday, Hitchner played his opening nine at even par before recording one birdie against two bogeys during his inward nine to finish at 1-over.
 
As one of the state’s most accomplished junior golfers, Hitchner broke a high school state tournament record by shooting 7-under 65 during the opening round of the 2016 Class AA championship at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan, Minn.
 
Former University of Minnesota golfer and two-time Minnesota State Open champion Ben Greve carded a 4-over 74 Monday and will begin his second round tied for 132, while University of Kansas golfer Ben Sigel’s 76 put him in a tie for 179^th after one round of play.

The second round of the 2019 U.S. Amateur gets underway at 6:15 a.m. at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

 
 
2019 U.S. AMATEUR
PINEHURST RESORT AND COUNTRY CLUB
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C.
 
COURSE NO. 2
7,418 YARDS, PAR 70
 
COURSE NO. 4
7,246 YARDS, PAR 70
 
 
MONDAY’S STROKE PLAY RESULTS
1. Brandon Wu, Scarsdale, N.Y., 34-31—65
T2. Palmer Jackson, Murrysville, Pa., 34-32—66
T2. Trevor Werbylo, Tucson, Ariz., 32-34—66
T4. Jacob Solomon, Auburn, Ala., 35-32—67
T4. Blake Windred, Australia, 36-31—67
T4. Sandy Scott, Scotland, 34-33—67
T4. Brad Dalke, Norman, Okla., 36-31—67     
T8. VAN HOLMGREN, PLYMOUTH, MINN., 34-34—68
T8. William Walker, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 34-34—68
T8. Julien Sale, France, 33-35—68
T8. Stefano Mazzoli, Italy, 34-34—68
T8. Travis Vick, Houston, Texas, 32-36—68
T8. Ludvig Aberg, Sweden, 34-34—68  
T8. Blake Wagoner, Cornelius, N.C., 34-34—68
T8. Michael Hirmer, Germany, 35-33—68
T8. Alex Fitzpatrick, England, 35-33—68
T8. Isaiah Salinda, So. San Francisco, Calif., 34-34—68  
T8. Jack Trent, Australia, 35-33—68
 
T41. DEREK HITCHNER, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., 36-35—71
T132. BEN GREVE, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., 38-36—74
T179. BEN SIGEL, DEEPHAVEN, MINN., 35-41—76
T300. PARKER REDDIG, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., 43-42—85
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2019/u-s--amateur.html#!scoring