NCGA’s Bryson DeChambeau Leads Record Setting USA Charge at World Amateur
September 12, 2014
While those of us in the States were sleeping, or staying up late to buy the new IPhone, Team USA was busy setting records at this week’s World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) in Japan.
On Friday at Karuizawa Golf East, Clovis resident Bryson DeChambeau posted a record-setting 10-under 61 and teammate Denny McCarthy added a 67 for a combined 128 as Team USA grabbed the 54-hole lead at 31-under 397.
DeChambeau, who reached the finals of last year’s California State Amateur, had 11 birdies with one bogey on the day. He’d finish his round with six straight birdies.
DeChambeua also tied the record for lowest-nine hole score, shooting 29 on his opening nine.
The previous WATC low individual score was 63, shot by Jason Dawes of Australia in the first round of the 1994 WATC in France.
“I’m honored and it’s pretty cool to be the low number for the World Amateur,” DeChambeau told the International Golf Foundation. “That’s pretty sweet. I got off to a hot start and made a couple putts early and just kept going. I finished with six birdies and I’ve never done something like that so I’m excited to shoot that number and I’m ready for tomorrow.”
In keeping with the theme of the day, the defending champion Team USA squad broke the record for lowest 54-hole score (404 set by the USA in 2012) by seven strokes. Its third-round total of 14-under 128 also broke the mark for any round – 131, set by the USA in the first round in 2012 – by three strokes.
An All-American at the University of Virginia, McCarthy was 5-under through 13 and finished with an eagle, three birdies and a bogey. Beau Hossler, the third member of Team USA, shot a 68, which tied the mark for the lowest non-counting score (best two out of three) in championship history.
The Americans fireworks show was not a surprise to USA captain Jim Hyler.
“They’re really experienced tournament players,” Hyler said. “It’s not a surprise to me that we’ve had nine rounds that are all in the 60s.These guys are trending in the right way coming into the World Amateur Team Championship and we’ve seen really good consistent play by all three.”
Sweden is second at 28-under 400, while Canada and Spain are tied for third at 403 entering Saturday’s final round.
-Jerry Stewart
