Capan On to Face '15 U.S. Open Participant Hammer in Round of 32 at U.S. Jr. Am

July 19, 2017 | 1 min.


  ANDOVER, Kan. – A mid-round surge helped Minnesotan Frankie Capan to a 3-up lead over Turk Pettit Wednesday during the opening round of match play at the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur and Capan would hang on for a 1-up victory to advance to the Round of 32 at Flint Hills National Golf Club.

Capan, North Oaks Minn., fired rounds of 70 and 71, respectively, to finish tied for 19th at 141 during qualifying before earning a No. 20 seed entering the match play portion of the championship.

Pettit jumped out to the early lead with a birdie on the opening hole, but Capan fired back at the second with a birdie of his own to square the match.

Capan converted his birdie look at the par-4 ninth to take his first lead of the match and would card two more birdies over his next three holes to take a 3-up lead over his counterpart from Alabama.

Watching his lead shrink to one following a pair of late bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes, Capan clinched the match on the final hole as both players made par to give Capan a 1-up victory.

Capan will have his hands full during the Round of 32 when he faces Houston, Texas native Cole Hammer at 7:50 a.m. Thursday.

Hammer was only 15-years-old when he qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. Hammer notched three top-10 finishes at national golf events in 2016 before having elbow surgery in September.

Capan is having a career-year in 2017 so far, winning the Ping Heather Farr Classic in April prior to claiming 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Ben Wong at Pinehurst in May. Last month Capan led Team USA to the 2017 Junior World Cup title in Japan, earning individual medalist honors along the way.

He looks to improve on his performance from a year ago when he lost to eventual winner, Min Woo Lee, during the Round of 16 at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.

Thursday’s Round of 32 is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. at Flint Hills National Golf Club.


For complete tournament results go to: www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2017/u-s--junior-amateur/scoring.html

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