Hanstad qualifies for U.S. Amateur

• Bryce Hanstad

Contributed photo Bryce Hanstad, shown here with his City Golf Championship trophy, will head to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the U.S. Amateur in August.

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Alexandria’s Bryce Hanstad rebounded from a 41st-place finish at the Minnesota State Open this past weekend to dominate the field at the U.S. Amateur Qualifying tournament at the Edina Country Club on Monday.

Hanstad shot an eight-under par 136 to win by eight shots over second-place finisher Beau Anderson of Cottage Grove. Hanstad struggled with his putter at the state open, but he had everything working on Monday. The 2007 Minnesota State Amateur champion and senior-to-be at Colorado State shot a three-under 69 in the morning before carding a 67 in the afternoon.

The win qualified Hanstad for the U.S. Amateur Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tournament, which will be played from August 24-30, features two rounds of stroke play to determine the top 64 players who make the cut. The final four rounds then move to 18 holes of match play every day to determine the champion.

The U.S. Amateur Championship has featured a number of prominent players in the past. Former champions include golfing greats like three-time winner Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Last year, Danny Lee of New Zealand became the youngest to ever win the tournament at just one month past his 18th birthday.

There is a lot on the line at the tournament. The champion receives, among other things, an exemption into the next British Open and a likely invitation to compete in the next Masters Tournament, if the player is still an amateur.

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