Oklahoma State's Stark Sets Course Record, Qualifies for U.S. Amateur with Three Minnesotans

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Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  MORTON, Minn. – Just three days after winning the 2021 Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship at Windsong Farm, Minnesotan and Pepperdine University golfer Derek Hitchner now has his eyes set on another national event, shooting a 6-under 138 Monday at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club to qualify for his third U.S. Amateur.
 
Hitchner earned one of four qualifying spots and will head to Oakmont Country Club next month along with fellow Minnesotans Jacob Pedersen and Van Holmgren, and Oklahoma State University’s Brian Stark, who broke a course record with his 7-under 65 during the opening 18 holes.
 
Outlasting Louisiana’s Derek Busby on the second playoff hole Friday to capture the Trans-Miss Championship, Hitchner enters the week ranked No. 198 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and riding a wave of momentum into Monday’s qualifier, as well as the Minnesota State Open beginning Tuesday.
 
“It’s hard to have expectations coming into today. I don’t want to distract myself from focusing on each shot, executing my game plan and staying within myself and controlling what I can,” Hitchner said. “I felt confident with my game and knew that if I could stay present, then I could fare pretty well.
 
Hitchner first qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2017 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and again in 2019 at Pinehurst No. 2, but has missed the cut for match play in both appearances.
 
“Having the familiarity will be helpful and I’ve played with a lot of the guys there,” he said. “Hopefully I can fare a little better than I have in the past.”
 
A former Blake School standout, Hitchner carded three birdies against one bogey during his final nine holes to close out the opening round of the 36-hole event Monday with a 2-under 70. Beginning the second round on the 10^th tee, Hitchner got off to a quick start by sinking a 10-footer for eagle at the 13^th before a birdie at the 18^th to turn in 5-under for the tournament.
 
“I still knew I was right in the mix with a ton of good players right behind me,” Hitchner said, “It was still stressful the whole day, even though I knew I was playing well. I knew I had some getable holes and hit a lot of quality shots to give myself some chances and got a few to drop, thankfully.”
 
Hitchner converted his chances, sinking three birdies in a four-hole span late on his back nine before a bogey at the last put him into a tie for third, earning a trip to Oakmont with Holmgren at 6-under 138.
 
“I love playing. In the last month or two, I’ve probably enjoyed it as much as I ever have,” said Hitchner, who will be playing his eighth round in nine days later this week at the State Open. “I feel revitalized by that and I’m not at all concerned about getting worn out because I want to be here and I'm grateful to be playing.”
 
Stark, a Kingsburg, Calif., native who will begin his junior season for the Cowboys this fall, overcame a bogey on his opening hole early Monday and rattled off eight birdies over his final 17 holes to claim a new course record at 7-under 65.
 
“I stayed patient today. A bogey on the first hole was pretty terrible, but I felt like the course really suits my game—I hit my driver pretty straight and I’m a good iron player and felt like I was going to have a good round,” Stark said after qualifying Monday.
 
Starting the second round on the 10^th tee late Monday, Stark rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the 12^th and two-putted for birdie at the 13^th to move to 9-under for the tournament before adding his third birdie of the round at the 18^th by sinking an 18-footer.
 
Following a bogey at the fourth, Stark birdied three of his next four holes to help him earn medalist honors with a four-stroke victory at 11-under 133.
 
Stark qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2019 but fell in a playoff for match play at Pinehurst.
 
“This is big—I’ll be joining a lot of my teammates. At least three of them are exempt and I’ve played in the Sunnehanna Amateur and know the Pittsburgh area decently well. I’m looking forward to playing in it and it’ll be cool to see how it sets up.”
 
Pedersen, a soon-to-be senior at Gustavus Adolphus College, bounced back from an early bogey to begin his first round Monday, firing a 6-under 66 to finish one shot off the lead and the course record.
 
“I didn’t come in with low expectations, but I just didn’t want to force anything,” he said. “I’ve hung around in these qualifiers before, but never put two rounds together. Once I got through the first 18 and was hitting it well, I knew I had a chance.”
 
A steady front nine during Monday’s afternoon session saw a pair of birdies, including a 60-foot putt, on Pedersen’s scorecard to move him to 8-under for the tournament, before a pair of bogeys early on his back nine. Finishing by rolling in a birdie putt from 15 feet on his 36^th hole, Pederson would grab the second qualifying spot with a 7-under 137.
 
“Through the first 27 holes, I hit 25 greens,” Pedersen said Monday after qualifying for his first USGA event. “I got tired and made a few dumb mistakes, but got through it. I gave myself a ton of chances, which is super easy mentally when you’re not grinding through holes.
 
“It’s always been one of my dreams to play in the [U.S. Junior Amateur or U.S. Amateur],” said Pedersen, who played his high school golf at Minnetonka. “I’m super excited—Oakmont is going to be crazy.”
 
Qualifying for the national tournament at Dacotah Ridge in 2019, Holmgren was looking for some good fortune again Monday, but found himself at even par through 27 holes.
 
With a goal of 7-under 29 entering his final nine holes, Holmgren strung together five consecutive birdies before a birdie on his 36^th hole put him in the clubhouse tied for fourth with Hitchner at 6-under 138.
 
“I’ve been playing really solid golf lately, just not in tournaments,” said Holmgren, who claimed the 2018 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club. “I decided to let go of the seriousness for a bit and think about how I can hit shots to shoot a 29. I missed the goal, but it was good enough."
 
Starting the second round on the 10^th tee, Holmgren started the scoring at the par-5 third, where he two-putted for birdie. Sinking a 10-footer at the fourth, Holmgren slowly began to gain momentum and climb the leaderboard and would tap in for birdie at the fifth.
 
Missing the sixth green with his second, Holmgren got up-and-down for his fourth consecutive birdie to get to 4-under before nearly holing his tee shot at the par-3 seventh for another tap-in birdie.
 
Needing a birdie at the last, Holmgren’s 15-foot left-to-right breaker from above the hole found the bottom of the cup for a 6-under 138 to earn a trip to his third straight U.S. Amateur, where he's advanced to match play in each of his first two appearances.
 
“All I could think about was wanting to make another birdie,” Holmgren said of a 6-under 30 on his final nine holes. “I know the course; I’ve played the course and I’ve qualified here before. My expectations were high, which I think they should be. I came in a did what needed to be done and I’m happy to get through.
 
“I know what’s clicking for me and a back-nine 30 really helps going into the [Minnesota State Open] the next three days,” said Holmgren, who missed the cut at last week’s Trans-Miss Amateur. “I know what’s clicking for me mentally. Physically, I’m healthy. Between the ears, it’s trying to figure out what shots you need to hit and I’m getting there.”
 
University of Minnesota golfer Lincoln Johnson fired a 5-over 139 to finish as first alternate, while teammate Connor Glynn finished as second alternate following a two-hole playoff with Wisconsin’s Tyler Leach.