Xiong Wins Western Amateur on 22nd Hole
08/05/17 | Men's Golf
GLENCOE, Ill. – Freshman Norman Xiong made a birdie on the 22nd hole – the fourth extra hole of the round – to defeat Clemson's Doc Redman and win 115th Western Amateur championship Saturday at Skokie Country Club.
Xiong is the first Duck to win the prestigious Western Amateur, whose past winners have included Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1991) and Tiger Woods (1994).
"To win a tournament that is one of the top five amateur events in the world is simply amazing," said Oregon head coach Casey Martin. "The kid is special. Glad he's a Duck."
Xiong, from Canyon Lake, Calif., never trailed in Saturday's 115th championship match, but had to play 39 holes, including a semifinal match, on Saturday to claim victory.
He jumped out to a two-hole lead with a par and a birdie to open the round. Redman, a freshman at Clemson, cut Xiong's lead in half with a birdie on No. 3, but Xiong won the next two holes to go three-up.
Redman took No. 6 with a birdie, but Xiong answered with a birdie of his own to win the seventh hole.
The two golfers halved No. 8 before Norman pushed his lead to plus-four at the turn with a birdie to win the ninth hole.
Xiong bogeyed No. 10 to lose a hole, before the two players halved the next four holes with pars on 11 and 12 and birdies on 13 and 14 to keep Xiong's lead at three.
Redman then won the next three holes to square the match. He birdied No. 15 as Xiong got a par, and then took advantage of back-to-back bogeys by Xiong on 16 and 17 to win those two holes. Both players parred No. 18 to send the match to extra holes.
Xiong earned the top seed after stroke play earlier in the week, shooting a four-round total of 14-under 270 (72-67-66-65), including 11-under over the final 36 holes on Thursday.
The 2017 NCAA freshman of the year opened match play by defeating 2015 Western Amateur Champion Dawson Armstrong three and two Friday morning. Two summers ago, Armstrong defeated Aaron Wise, who would later transfer to Oregon prior to the 2016-17 season, in 20 holes.
Xiong then took down Oklahoma State junior Brandon Jelley one-up in Friday's quarterfinal.
Saturday morning, Xiong defeated Virginia senior Derek Bard two-and-one to advance to the championship match.
"That was a pretty incredible week," said Martin. "It's not easy to be the medalist in stroke play and then go on to win match play. This is definitely a terrific moment for Norman and a terrific moment for our golf program."
In addition to Nicklaus, Woods and Mickleson, additional past Western Amateur champions include Ben Crenshaw (1973), Justin Leonard (1992-93), Curtis Strange (1974) and Hal Sutton (1979-80), among others.
- www.GoDucks.com –
Xiong is the first Duck to win the prestigious Western Amateur, whose past winners have included Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1991) and Tiger Woods (1994).
"To win a tournament that is one of the top five amateur events in the world is simply amazing," said Oregon head coach Casey Martin. "The kid is special. Glad he's a Duck."
Xiong, from Canyon Lake, Calif., never trailed in Saturday's 115th championship match, but had to play 39 holes, including a semifinal match, on Saturday to claim victory.
He jumped out to a two-hole lead with a par and a birdie to open the round. Redman, a freshman at Clemson, cut Xiong's lead in half with a birdie on No. 3, but Xiong won the next two holes to go three-up.
Redman took No. 6 with a birdie, but Xiong answered with a birdie of his own to win the seventh hole.
The two golfers halved No. 8 before Norman pushed his lead to plus-four at the turn with a birdie to win the ninth hole.
Xiong bogeyed No. 10 to lose a hole, before the two players halved the next four holes with pars on 11 and 12 and birdies on 13 and 14 to keep Xiong's lead at three.
Redman then won the next three holes to square the match. He birdied No. 15 as Xiong got a par, and then took advantage of back-to-back bogeys by Xiong on 16 and 17 to win those two holes. Both players parred No. 18 to send the match to extra holes.
Xiong earned the top seed after stroke play earlier in the week, shooting a four-round total of 14-under 270 (72-67-66-65), including 11-under over the final 36 holes on Thursday.
The 2017 NCAA freshman of the year opened match play by defeating 2015 Western Amateur Champion Dawson Armstrong three and two Friday morning. Two summers ago, Armstrong defeated Aaron Wise, who would later transfer to Oregon prior to the 2016-17 season, in 20 holes.
Xiong then took down Oklahoma State junior Brandon Jelley one-up in Friday's quarterfinal.
Saturday morning, Xiong defeated Virginia senior Derek Bard two-and-one to advance to the championship match.
"That was a pretty incredible week," said Martin. "It's not easy to be the medalist in stroke play and then go on to win match play. This is definitely a terrific moment for Norman and a terrific moment for our golf program."
In addition to Nicklaus, Woods and Mickleson, additional past Western Amateur champions include Ben Crenshaw (1973), Justin Leonard (1992-93), Curtis Strange (1974) and Hal Sutton (1979-80), among others.
- www.GoDucks.com –
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