4 Birdies in a Row on the Back 9 Propel Greaser to Western Am Title

National

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. -- In 2021, Austin Greaser lost in the semifinals of the Western Amateur to the eventual champion, Michael Thorbjornsen, and then a couple of weeks later, he lost the U.S. Amateur final to James Piot. Even though he came up short both times, getting as far as he did convinced him that he could compete against the best amateurs in the world. 

On Saturday, he proved it in the final of the 2022 Western Am. The 21-year-old two-time University of North Carolina All-American -- who was seeded No. 15 -- spotted No. 4 Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira a 2-up head start over the first 10 holes, and then stormed back with four consecutive birdies on the back nine at Exmoor Country Club. Fernandez de Oliveira stayed alive and trimmed the deficit he faced to 1 down by birdying the 17th hole. But he just missed his birdie putt at the 18th, and Greaser made a 4-foot putt for his par to tie the hole to seal a 1-up victory.

Fernandez de Oliveira got an early lead in the title match, winning the first and the third holes with birdies. Greaser replied with a birdie at the 454-yard, par-4 fourth and pulled even by winning the 211-yard, par-3 eighth with a par. Once again, Fernandez de Oliveira stuck his nose in front winning the ninth (397 yards, par 4) and 10th (439, par 4) with birdies. 

Up to that point, Greaser was going along very nicely from tee to green -- he hit 16 of the first 17 greens -- but he had made virtually nothing with his putter. Then he made a 35-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th (184 yards), and that seemed to open the flood gates.

"It felt like the lid came off," he would say afterward. 

Evidently. Greaser proceeded to birdie the 13th (371, par 4), the 14th (174, par 3) and the 15th (573, par 5) and won them. Fernandez de Oliveira stayed alive by makng 
a birdie a the 434-yard, par-4 17th. He then hit the green at the 18th (409, par 4), and Greaser bounced his second shot over the green. From a nasty lie, he hit nifty chip to 4 feet. Fernandez de Oliveira missed, Greaser made, and he was the champion. 

This is what you prepare for," he said. "This is what you practice for. This is what you dream of."

Two days earlier, Greaser thought he was going to be heading home, to Vandalia, Ohio, after he completed 72 holes of stroke play with a 278 (6 under par). He was worried that it wouldn't be good enough, and that he was going to miss the cut by one shot. But then a couple of players who were inside the number made late bogeys. As a result, there was a 7-for-2 playoff. Greaser made a quick birdie and an early exit from the playoff, with the No. 15 seed in his back pocket.

Saturday morning, in the semifinals, Greaser gave a preview of his afternoon birdie binge. He was tied with the No. 3 seed, Pepperdine All-American William Mouw, after 13 holes, but then won three in a row, the 14th with a birdie, the 15th with an eagle 3 and the 16th with another birdie, and that gave him a 3&2 victory. 

Fernandez de Oliveira, a 22-year-old from Argentina, reserved his place in the final with a 2&1 semifinal victory over Travis Vick. The Arkansas All-American birdied three of the first seven holes, lost the eighth to Vick's birdie, but won the ninth and 10th holes with pars to go 4 up. Vick won the 13th and 14th holes with birdies, but he and Fernandez de Oliveira tied each of the last three holes with pars.


Western Amateur

At Exmoor Country Club

Par 71, 7,149 yards

Highland Park, Ill. 

Stroke play (72 holes -- the top 16 finishers qualified for match play)

1. Ross Steelman                             72-64-66-68--270 (14 under)

2. Matthis Besard                              72-66-68-66--272

3. William Mouw                                70-64-68-71--273

T4. Derek Hitchner                           67-71-71-66--275

T4. Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira      66-72-69-68--275

T4. Cole Sherwood                            68-70-70-67--275

T4. Kelly Chin                                    63-73-69-70--275

T4. Tommy Kuhl                                69-67-68-71--275

T9. Travis Vick                                  75-66-67-68--276

T9. Ricky Castillo                               69-71-70-66--276

T9. Connor Mckinney                        70-69-68-69--276

T12. Michael Thorbjornsen                69-71-66-71--277

T12. Yuxin Lin                                    70-72-65-70--277

T12. Spencer Tibbs                           70-69-70-68--277

T15. Austin Greaser                          71-69-69-69--278* (came out of 7-for-2 playoff)

T15. Adrien Dumont de Chassart      68-72-69-69--278* (came out of 7-for-2 playoff) 

Did not advance

Cohen Trollio                                      74-67-65-72--278

John Marshall Butler                           70-69-69-70--278

Patrick Welch                                      72-71-65-70--278

Gordon Sargent                                   69-68-66-75--278

Ian Siebers                                           69-67-68-74--278

Frankie Capan                                    68-71-71-68--279


Match play 

Round of 16

(1) Ross Steelman def. (16) Adrien Dumont de Chassart 5&4

(9) Travis Vick def. (8) Tommy Kuhl 2 up

(4) Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira def. (13) Yuxin Lin 6&4

(5) Cole Sherwood def. (12) Michael Thorbjornsen  

(15) Austin Greaser def. (2) Matthis Besard 3&2
  
(7) Kelly Chin def. (10) Ricky Castillo 6&5

(3) William Mouw def. (14) Spencer Tibbs 3&2

(6) Derek Hitchner def. (11) Connor Mckinney 21 holes

Quarterfinals

(9) Vick def. (1) Steelman 2&1

(4) Fernandez de Oliveira def. (5) Sherwood 3&1

(15) Greaser def. (7) Chin 1 up

(3) Mouw def. (6) Hitchner 1 up

Semifinals

(4) Fernandez de Oliveira def. (9) Vick 2&1

(15) Greaser def. (3) Mouw 3&2

Final

(15) Greaser def. (4) Fernandez de Oliveira 1 up