Through the first 19 holes of the event, he was 9 over par and looked like he was heading home after the two rounds of stroke play in his third U.S. Senior Am.
But three straight birdies and two more late in the round led to a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday, getting him into the top 64 that made match play.
Sullivan, the 2018 CGA Western Chapter senior champion, parlayed that into victories in the round of 64 (1 up) and the round of 32 (3 and 2). But he met up with co-medalist Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif., in Tuesday afternoon’s round of 16, and Sullivan’s run came to an end, 2 and 1. (Thursday update: Wilson went on to win the Senior Am title.)
Wilson, the low amateur in this summer’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, trailed early but led throughout the back nine. After the match was all square through eight holes, he won the ninth and 12th with pars to go 2 up. Sullivan won the 13th with a birdie and the 16th with a par, with Wilson prevailing on No. 14 with a birdie. That left Sullivan 1 down through 16. But Wilson closed out the match with a birdie on 17 while Sullivan made a bogey.
Sullivan finished 3 over par for the 17 holes of the match, while Wilson was 2 over.
In the morning round of 32, Sullivan defeated Jeff New of Scottdale, Ariz., 3 and 2.
Sullivan, who started off with a birdie, never trailed in the match. After being 1 up through 10, he won 11 and 12 with pars and parred out for the victory. He was 3 over par for the 16 holes.
Also in the round of 32, stroke-play co-medalist Greg Condon of the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista was upset 2 and 1 by 33rd-seeded Buzz Fly of Memphis, Tenn.
Condon, competing in this national championship for the second time, never led in the match, though he squared it up with a winning par on 9. But Fly, a former PGA Tour player who advanced to the semifinals of this event in 2013, won Nos. 11 and 13 with pars to go 2 up and the players halved the next four holes to close things out.
Condon, who made the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links six years ago, finished 1 over par for the 17 holes.
Here were the results for the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16
Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, Calif., def. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, 2 and 1
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn., def. Greg Condon, Monte Vista, 2 and 1
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Jeff New, Scottsdale, Ariz., 3 and 2
MONDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Greg Condon, Monte Vista, def. Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City, 4 and 3
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Louis Brown, Marietta, Ga., 1 up
STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Stroke-play co-medalist Greg Condon from the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista and Scott Sullivan (left) of Grand Junction scored victories Monday in the match play round of 64 at Eugene Country Club in Oregon.
Condon, who qualified for the Senior Amateur in Sandia Park, N.M., defeated Kirk Wright of Oklahoma City, 4 and 3. And the 47th-seeded Sullivan won the 18th hole with a par to beat 18th seed Louis Brown of Marietta, Ga., 1 up.
Condon, competing in this national championship for the second time, lost the first hole with a bogey but led most of the day. He won four holes in a six-hole stretch starting on No. 4 to go 3 up after nine, then closed out the match with a birdie on No. 15. Condon finished 1 over par for 15 holes.
“Today, I was a little off,” Condon told the USGA. “I didn’t play very well. I would mess up and he would mess up. That’s how it went. I hit a couple good shots when I needed to. Sometimes, match play goes that way.”
Condon will face former PGA Tour player Buzz Fly of Memphis, Tenn., in the round of 32, one of two match play rounds scheduled for Tuesday. Fly went to the semifinals of the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2013.
Sullivan played in a match in which neither player was ever more than 1 up. Brown held that 1-up lead through 14, but Sullivan won Nos. 15 and 18 with pars to pull out the victory. Sullivan, who made one birdie on Monday, was 4 over par for the round.
In Tuesday’s round of 32, Sullivan will meet Jeff New of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Here are the results for the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Greg Condon, Monte Vista, def. Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City, 4 and 3
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Louis Brown, Marietta, Ga., 1 up
STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Greg Condon of Monte Vista in southern Colorado shared stroke-play medalist honors Sunday in the U.S. Senior Amateur, while Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction shot a 1-under-par 71 in round 2 to join Condon in advancing to match play in Eugene, Ore.
The top 64 players in stroke play over the weekend earned spots in match play, which starts on Monday.
Condon, 56, who made the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links six years ago, posted rounds of 67-72 for a 5-under-par 139 total. That tied for low in stroke play at Eugene Country Club with Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif. But that’s not necessarily a good omen as the medalist hasn’t won the U.S. Senior Amateur since 1987, according to the USGA.
Condon (left in a USGA photo, and below), who’s competing in his second U.S. Senior Am, made two birdies and two bogeys in Sunday’s second round.
Meanwhile, Sullivan was in 116th place after shooting 80 on Saturday. His second-round 71, giving him a 7-over 151 total, vaulted him up to 41st place. Sullivan chalked up five birdies to go with four bogeys on day 2.
Guy Mertz of Longmont also played better on Sunday, but it wasn’t good enough to make match play. In his second straight Senior Am, he went 80-76 for a 156 total, good for 93rd place.
Here are the scores by the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Condon bogeyed his second hole and was 1 over par through four holes. But he made six birdies and no bogeys from then on, and birdied three of his last four.
Condon (left in a Sun Country Amateur Golf Association photo) is two ahead of a trio of players going into Sunday’s final round of stroke play, after which the top 64 players will advance to match play, which starts on Monday.
The other two Coloradans in the field struggled on Saturday and will need to rally on Sunday to make match play.
Guy Mertz of Longmont, competing in this event for the second straight year, opened with an 8-over-par 80, which leaves him in 116th place. Mertz made one birdie, five bogeys and two double bogeys on Saturday.
Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction match Mertz’s 80 after a day that included one birdies, seven bogeys and a double bogey.
Here are the scores by the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67
116. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80
116. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
In Monday’s round-of-64 matches at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, both Robert Polk of Parker and Greg Condon of Monte Vista saw their runs at the championship end.
John McClure of Los Angeles, a quarterfinalist in this event last year, beat Polk, a three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, 4 and 3. And Claud Cooper of Birmingham, Ala., who competed in this year’s U.S. Senior Open, defeated Condon, 6 and 4.
McClure birdied the first two holes to go 2 up on Polk, but the Coloradan squared things by winning No. 3 with a par and No. 4 with a birdie. Starting on No. 6, McClure won five of eight holes to take control of the match. McClure was even par through 15 holes. Polk, who made it into the Senior Amateur field after originally being an alternate, was 4 over.
Meanwhile, Cooper took a 6-up lead through eight holes on Monday, going 3 under par in that stretch. Cooper ended up 2 under through 14 holes, while Condon finished 4 over.
Here are the scores for all the Coloradans who competed at the U.S. Senior Amateur:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
John McClure of Los Angeles, def. Robert Polk of Parker, 4 and 3
Claud Cooper of Birmingham, Ala., def. Greg Condon of Monte Vista, 6 and 4
STROKE PLAY
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
30. Robert Polk of Parker 77-71–148
49. Greg Condon of Monte Vista 73-78–151
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
125. Guy Mertz of Longmont 81-79–160
For all the scores from the Senior Am, CLICK HERE.
]]>The 62-year-old Parker resident, who made it into the field when fellow Coloradan John Olive withdrew last weekend, posted a sub-par round on Sunday to make match play at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.
Polk (pictured), a three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, fired a 1-under-par 71, giving him a 4-over 148 total for stroke play, good for a share of 30th place out of the field of 156. He made one 2 and four 3s in the first 11 holes on Sunday, finishing with four birdies and three bogeys.
The top 64 finishers in stroke play — which ended on Sunday — will advance to match play, which begins on Monday.
Two of the three Coloradans in the field will be in that match play bracket as Greg Condon of Monte Vista finished 49th in stroke play at 7-over 151. He carded a 78 on Sunday after a 73 on Saturday, avoiding a playoff for the final match play berths by one shot.
David Brown of Ligonier, Pa., landed medalist honors on Sunday with a 6-under-par 138 total after rounds of 68-70.
Here are the scores for all the Coloradans competing at the U.S. Senior Amateur:
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
30. Robert Polk of Parker 77-71–148
49. Greg Condon of Monte Vista 73-78–151
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
125. Guy Mertz of Longmont 81-79–160
For all the scores from the Senior Am, CLICK HERE.
]]>Condon (pictured) made one birdie and two bogeys and trails co-leaders Matthew Sughrue of Arlington, Va., and David Brown of Ligonier, Pa., by five with one round left in the stroke-play portion of the championship.
The top 64 finishers in stroke play after 36 holes will advance to match play, which begins on Monday.
As for the other two Coloradans competing, Robert Polk of Parker, who made it into the field after being an alternate, opened with a 5-over 77 and shares 67th place. The three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year carded one birdie and six bogeys on Saturday. And Guy Mertz of Longmont, who lived in Minnesota for the first 26 years of his life, posted an 81, which leaves him tied for 126th place. Mertz didn’t make a birdie on Saturday, carding seven bogeys and a double bogey.
Here are the scores for all the Coloradans competing this weekend at the U.S. Senior Amateur:
17. Greg Condon of Monte Vista 73
67. Robert Polk of Parker 77
126. Guy Mertz of Longmont 81
For all the scores from the Senior Am, CLICK HERE.
]]>Seiple (pictured), who made it to the round of 32 at the British Amateur last month, put a bookend on the Pac Coast tournament by matching the even-par 71 he opened with on Tuesday. In between, he posted rounds of 80-73 for an 11-over-par 295 total, the best by any Coloradan in the field in University Place, Wash.
The University of Mississippi golfer made six birdies, six pars and six bogeys in Friday’s final round. He finished 20 strokes behind champion Doug Ghim, who plays for the University of Texas.
As for the other Coloradans who competed in the Pac Coast, Glenn Workman of Pueblo West placed 55th at 300, while Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield was 60th at 301, and Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and Greg Condon of Monte Vista were 65th at 303. Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates shared 39th place with Seiple at 295.
On Wednesday, the three-man squad representing the CGA finished 10th in the Morse Cup team portion of the Pacific Coast Amateur. For details on that, CLICK HERE.
10. Colorado 143-150–293
39. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71-80-73-71–295
60. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78-73-76-74–301
65. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72-77-78-76–303
Also
39. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75-68-76-76–295
55. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75-76-73-76–300
65. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79-71-77-76–303
For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.
Seiple (pictured), a University of Mississippi golfer who advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur last month, shot a 2-over-par 73 on Thursday and stands at 11-over 224, good for a share of 54th place going into Friday’s final round. Seiple made two birdies and four bogeys on Thursday in University Place, Wash.
Also at 224 — likewise after shooting a 73 on Thursday — was Workman, a University of Wyoming golfer. He carded four birdies, four bogeys and a double in round 3.
As for the other Coloradans competing, Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield, Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and Greg Condon of Monte Vista are all tied for 66th place at 227. Lindstrom posted a 76 on Thursday, Condon a 77 and Prater a 78.
Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates is tied for 31st place at 219 after a 76 on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the three-man squad representing the CGA finished 10th in the Morse Cup team portion of the Pacific Coast Amateur. For details on that, CLICK HERE.
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10. Colorado 143-150–293
54. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71-80-73–224
66. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78-73-76–227
66. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72-77-78–227
Also
31. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75-68-76–219
54. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75-76-73–224
66. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79-71-77–227
For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.