Knapp Downs Two-Time Winner Simson to Claim 63rd U.S. Senior Amateur

August 31, 2017 | 10 min.


By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  MINNEAPOLIS – Playing in a total of 42 USGA events and after several close calls, Sean Knapp can finally call himself a national champion.

The Oakmont, Pa., native came out on the winning end of an up-and-down battle with two-time champion, Paul Simson, Thursday by sinking his 12-foot par putt at the 17th hole to win the 63rd U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Minikahda Club.

“Certainly you would classify something in the terms of unexpected,” Knapp said after his victory Thursday. “Earlier this year I had high expectations. I’ve played in a lot of, quote-unquote, young-guy tournaments thinking that that would prepare me best. To emerge victorious is such a blessing, and I’m not sure what to say. I’m humbled.

“It’s about being patient, not giving holes, and forcing your opponent to get uncomfortable, and if you can force them into that level of uncomfortability, they might make poor decisions. I was very relaxed—I haven’t made a USGA event since 2014, and I’ve been playing some pretty good golf. I don’t know why, the whole day it was the calmest I was in any match.”

Falling behind after a birdie by Simson on the opening hole, Knapp took advantage of a bogey by Simson at the second after he found the sand short of the green with his approach to square the match.

Simson’s second at the par-5 fourth rolled to the front edge and he would chip within three feet for a tap-in birdie after Knapp’s third from the greenside bunker flew the green. After flopping his fourth well past the flag to the front of the green, Knapp conceded the hole to give Simson his second 1-up lead.

Despite struggling to find the fairway off the tee Thursday, Knapp still managed to find the green and took advantage of a three-putt by Simson at the sixth to draw even for the match.

Simson’s iron work, solid for a majority of the week, was on display early in the match Thursday, sticking another approach at the par-5 ninth to six feet where he converted birdie to regain a 1-up lead with nine holes to play.

Knapp said the match undoubtedly turned in his favor beginning on the back nine Thursday.

“It was 10. Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. If you want to just even go further, take it to 11 and almost every hole started to build on that. 10, having to get up-and-down, 11 to get it up-and-down,” he said.

Knapp evened the match at the 10th and took his first lead of the day at the 11th. At the par-5 13th Knapp’s approach landed 10 feet left of the flag, looking to continue his momentum, but Simson answered by knocking his approach inside of three feet for an easy birdie to draw even with five holes to play.

A costly three-putt by Simson gave Knapp another 1-up lead at the 14th before Simson hit two poor shots back-to-back, failing to reach the green and would take double-bogey as Knapp’s lead increased to two with two holes to play.

At the 17th, Knapp’s approach landed on the front bank of the green and fell back into the bunker, while Simson hit his second 25 feet past the flag. Knapp’s third from the bunker spun to a stop 12 feet right of the cup before Simon’s long birdie chance narrowly missed the right edge of the cup.

Knapp stepped up and knocked down his par putt to clinch the championship despite carding a single birdie during the final match.

“I don’t care how it looks or what it is. If you’re making double-bogey, I’m making bogey,” Knapp said after his win Thursday. “If you’re making par, I’m going to try to make birdie. It’s very difficult to get it under par. The way the USGA had the tournament—the setup structure, it was very difficult. You could get them close to pins, but you were taking some risk.

“Obviously I didn’t tie him up some of the shots that I could have earlier in the round. I think that’s where birdies can fly. But once you get down to the stretch and it’s 11, it’s just survival. If you’re seeking pins, you’re going to make mistakes.”

Knapp qualified for his first U.S. Senior Amateur in his first year of eligibility and posted a 3-over par 147 to advance to match play Monday. Defeating 1997 Walker Cup participant Duke Delcher during the Round of 64, Knapp cruised to a 6 and 5 victory over Hopkins, Minn., native Scott Thomas.

Edging 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion Doug Hanzel in the Round of 16 Tuesday, Knapp would down David Nocar, 2 and 1, to reach the semifinals of a national championship for the third time in his career. Knapp jumped out to an early lead over defending champion Dave Ryan Wednesday and hung on for a 1-up victory to face Simson in the final Thursday.

Knapp is a two-time U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist and reached the quarterfinals of the 1998 U.S. Amateur Championship. In 1995 he advanced to the Round of 16 before losing, 2 and 1, to eventual champion, Tiger Woods, who won his second of three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles.

A 14-time Western Pennsylvania Golf Association Player of the Year, Knapp also finished as medalist at the 1997 Pennsylvania State Amateur Championship.

Early in his career at USGA events, Knapp said a passive mentality was satisfied with simply advancing to match play. But before long, the competitor inside craved something more.

“As time went on it was, ‘This isn’t successful unless we can win a few matches.’ And then finally you see how precious it is, an opportunity to get to that point,” Knapp explained. “Was I taking it too lightly? Hey, I’m having a good week, things aren’t going my way in a match, and it’s okay, we’ll be home tonight. That’s not good enough.

“You really have to grind it out. It takes a little luck.”

The last USGA event Knapp qualified for was the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club, but before he hit his first tee shot, Knapp was beckoned home to be with his ailing father, Roger.

He withdrew from the championship and made the 11-hour drive back to Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters, and upon arriving at his father’s bedside, Knapp put his hand on his father’s chest and said, “Dad, I’m so proud of you. We’ve made it home for you.”

“Sean, just in time,” his father replied not long before he passed away.

The eldest Knapp, a school superintendent with his doctorate, received a Division I baseball scholarship even though his high school didn’t even offer baseball as a varsity sport.

“He pitched semi-pros for the White Sox,” Knapp said. “I’ve never seen a man with more talent who was more humble. He was a very religious man and helped so many people. That’s his legacy. I’m not five percent of that, but I’m proud to say I’m his.”

A disappointing finish Thursday, but impressive performance nonetheless this week for Simson. He finished two rounds of qualifying at 1-under par 143 before earning two tight victories to begin match play Monday. J

umping out to big leads beginning in the Round of 16, Simson cruised through his next three matches to reach the finals against Knapp Thursday.

“I didn’t have my best game and three-putted both 10 and 11,” Simson said after his runner-up finish. “That kind of surmises the day and had a lot of other putts that I could’ve made. I had a lot of missed chances and when you’re playing this kind of match, you just can’t afford that stuff. I had a great opportunity on 15 to square the match and just hit a poor putt and probably made a tactical error on 16 and hit a real stinker there.

“I played pretty well. The stroke play I was real pleased. I’m really happy with the way I’m hitting the ball. I mean, I’m ready to go play another nine. I had a great week. I didn’t play that great the first two matches, but the three after that, I was on fire, and I was hoping that would carry into today because it might have been a different story had I played that much better.”

As one of only 17 players in the field over the age of 65 this week, it’s blindingly apparent Simson has what it takes to remain of the country’s best senior players.

He won the 2010 U.S Senior Amateur and again in 2012, which still afford him five more exemptions. He earned another two Thursday by finishing runner-up. He would’ve become just the second player in championship history to win three titles.

“To win three times would have been great. What I really would have liked, though, is the 10 more exemptions. To have another five would get me pretty far along,” he said. “I’m playing well enough; I still think that I’ll be able to contend. I’ve still got plenty of distance, got plenty of time, and plenty of competitive spirit.”

On his dad’s bag all week at Minikahda, Simson’s son, Phillip, added, “What did you say yesterday, the quickest way to get old is?”

“Is to make age an excuse,” the elder Simson replied.



THE 63RD U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
THE MINIKAHDA CLUB
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
6,691 YARDS, PAR 72


THURSDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., def. Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C., 2 and 1


WEDNESDAY’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., def. Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill., 1-up
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C., def. Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass., 5 and 3


WEDNESDAY’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., def. David Nocar, Millersville, Md., 2 and 1
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill., def. Ken Lee, Manchester, Tenn., 2 and 1
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C., def. Matt Sughrue, Arlington, Va., 5 and 4
Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass., def. John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas, 21 holes


TUESDAY’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
David Nocar, Millersville, Md., def. John McClure, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-up
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., def. Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga., 2 and 1
Ken Lee, Manchester, Tenn., def. Bob Cooper, Monroe, La., 6 and 5
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill., def. Michael Hughett, Tulsa, Okla., 2 and 1
Matt Sughrue, Arlington, Va., def. Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va., 3 and 2
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C., def. Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa., 6 and 4
John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas, def. Russ Perry, Winston Salem, N.C., 4 and 3


TUESDAY’S ROUND OF 32 RESULTS
John McClure, Los Angeles, Calif., def. David Brown, Ligonier, Pa., 3 and 2
David Nocar, Millersville, Md., def. Claud Cooper, Birmingham, Ala., 4 and 3
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., def. Scott Thomas, Chesterfield, Mo., 6 and 5
Doug Hazel, Savannah, Ga., def. Ned Zachar, Bedford, N.Y., 20 holes
Bob Cooper, Monroe, La., def. Craig Steinberg, Agoura Hills, Calif., 1-up
Ken Lee, Manchester, Tenn., def. Mark Coward, Paradise Valley, Ariz., 4 and 3
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill., def. Ronald LaVerdiere, Amherst, Mass., 2 and 1
Michael Hughett, Tulsa, Okla., def. James Pearson, Charlotte, N.C., 4 and 3
Matthew Sughrue, Arlington, Va., def. John Fisher, Collierville, Tenn., 4 and 3
Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va., def. Gene Elliot, West Des Moines, Iowa, 1-up
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C., def. John Hornbeck, Saratoga, N.Y., 1-up
Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa., def. Don Donatoni, Malvern, Pa., 5 and 4
John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas, def. Mitch Wilson, Portage, Mich., 20 holes
Russ Perry, Winston Salem, N.C., def. Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga., 2 and 1
Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass., def. Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan., 1-up
Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas, def. Chris Hartenstein, Austin, Texas, 4 and 3


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


 

Contact Us

Contact Us

6550 York Avenue South, Suite 411 • Edina, MN 55435 • (952) 927-4643 • (800) 642-4405 • Fax: (952) 927-9642
© 2024 Minnesota Golf Association. All Rights Reserved