Sewell enjoys memorable run at U.S. AmateurSewell enjoys memorable run at U.S. Amateur
Michael Reaves
Men's Golf

Sewell enjoys memorable run at U.S. Amateur

PINEHURST, N.C. — The 119th U.S. Amateur is an experience Chad Sewell likely never will forget.

The UTSA junior enjoyed a memorable run to the match play Round of 64 at one of the top amateur events in the world this week at historic Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.

The second round of stroke play for the field of 312 golfer was suspended due to darkness Tuesday evening. Sewell sat near the cut line — as only the top 64 players would move on to match play — and he was left with three holes to play to close out his second round on Wednesday morning. He wrote down par on each of his first two holes to seemingly assure a berth in match play, but a three-putt for a bogey on his final hole — the par-5 10th — dropped him into a logjam for the few remaining spots to advance.

That logjam turned into a 27-man sudden death playoff later Wednesday morning for the final three spots in the Round of 64. Sewell was placed in the final group to tee off in that playoff — with each pairing having to wait until every player was through the first hole before moving on to the second — but the Conroe native wasted little time securing his spot in match play. 

On the first hole of the playoff — the 450-yard, par-4 1st — Sewell stuck his approach shot to within one foot and then sank his birdie putt to earn the second-to-last berth to the Round of 64. 

Sewell's Wednesday was not done, as he now had to warm up for a third time before facing No. 2 seed and World Amateur Golf Rankings No. 21 Ricky Castillo in the opening round of match play.

In a match that was featured prominently on FS1's national television coverage Wednesday afternoon, Sewell won the first hole and held that lead through the second before Castillo sent the match to all square with a par on No. 3. Sewell reclaimed the advantage with a birdie on the par-5 fifth, but Castillo won the next two holes to take his first lead of the match.

Sewell knotted the match with a par on No. 8, but Castillo claimed the next four holes and eventually posted a 5-and-3 win to end Sewell's memorable run at the U.S. Amateur.

"It was an unforgettable experience this week at Pinehurst," Sewell said. "The courses, the hospitality and the people were just awesome. I played some really solid golf to top off the memorable week."

Read all about the 27-man playoff at the link in the tweet below.