Aussie & Brit Share Medalist Honors at U.S. Amateur


A pair of first-time USGA competitors, Neil Raymond, a 27-year-old from England, and Brady Watt, a 22-year-old Australian, posted 36-hole totals of 6-under-par 134 Tuesday to share medalist honors by three strokes at the 2013 U.S. Amateur.

Raymond's round of 3-under 67 at the 6,547-yard, par-70 Charles River Country Club included four birdies and a bogey. He employed Tommy White, a caddie who he'd met just 90 minutes before his second round. Raymond had carried his own golf bag in recording a 67 at The Country Club on Monday, that day's low round at TCC.

"When I left the club yesterday, someone asked me if I would like a caddie today," Raymond said. "It was a very nice offer. Then when I heard the forecast for today and all the stuff I would have to take in the bag, I decided to use a caddie. Today, the caddie made a big difference. He was brilliant."

White resides in Brookline and is currently a caddie at The Country Club, though he looped at Charles River from 1995-2012.

"It's very good," said Raymond of sharing the medalist honor. "I know Brady pretty well. People are going to be gunning for us because our names are at the top. I didn't have a score in mind when I got here today. I came out, took some good swings and said, let's see what happens. I am delighted it all came together."

The 2013 U.S. Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play. The championship concludes with a 36-hole final on Sunday starting at 9 a.m.

The stroke-play cut came at 4-over 144, with 66 players inside the line. A Wednesday morning playoff at The Country Club determined the final 64 places in the match-play field. To see the playoff results, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=21474859062.

Also playing at Charles River was Watt, who lists his occupation as a professional cleaner. He posted a 4-under-par 66. He has been in the U.S. since June 28 and the U.S. Amateur is his sixth competition since then. "I think it's cool I am the co-medalist," said Watt, No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. "It is quite an accolade. But the tournament is just half over."

His 66 included seven birdies and three bogeys. "I didn't have a score in mind when I got out here today," Watt said. "I was just glad to get under par yesterday. The first round always sets the tone for the tournament."

Finishing three strokes behind the leaders at 137 were Justin Shin, 21, of Canada, Matthew Fitzpatrick, 18, of England and Oliver Goss, 19, of Australia.

On Tuesday, Shin, a senior at the University of New Mexico, shot a 4-under-par 66 at Charles River. Fitzpatrick, the low amateur at the 2013 British Open Championship, posted an even-par 70 at The Country Club, while Goss, a quarterfinalist at the 2012 U.S. Amateur and a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, shot 3-under-67 at Charles River.

Nick Hardy, 17, of Northbrook, Ill., who held the 18-hole lead after a 5-under-par 65 at Charles River, shot 3-over 73 at The Country Club for 138.

Bo Andrews, 23, of Raleigh, N.C., shot the low round of the championship, a 7-under-par 63 at Charles River Tuesday morning. One of six players in the field from Georgia Tech, Andrews, a rising senior, logged six birdies and an eagle against one bogey to finish at 139 through 36 holes.

The 63 broke the competitive course record at Charles River, surpassing the 64 recorded in the 2003 USGA Men's State Team Championship by Ricky Jones of Maine.

Defending champion Steven Fox, 22, of Hendersonville, Tenn., missed the cut for match play at 6-over-par 146.

For all the stroke-play scores, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScore.aspx?id=17179869326&year=2013&type=stroke. For the match play tree and seeds, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScore.aspx?id=17179869326&year=2013&type=reversetree.

The above report is courtesy of the USGA. For more information, visit www.usga.org.