Sample Qualifies for U.S. Amateur Championship

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Rising sophomore Duke men’s golfer Luke Sample is headed to the 122nd United States Amateur Championship, after earning one of three qualifying spots during a sectional qualifier at the Webster Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Sample fired a 3-under 68 in Monday’s first round with an even-par 71 in round two to finish tied for third in the 76-player field. The Blue Devil had to survive a playoff with Jeremy Sisson, who was also 3-under, for the final spot.

Sample and Sisson both parred the first playoff hole – the par-5 first at Webster — and Sample closed it out with par on the par-3 second, which played 190 yards. The Blue Devil two-putted from 30-feet for his par, while Sisson was unable to get up-and-down from off the green, missing a six-footer for par, to stay alive.

“It’s been a long few days of highs and lows emotionally,” said Sample. “Starting with making the cut on the number at the Trans-Miss, to losing in a playoff, all the way to being in another playoff again just two days later. It was great to have my brother Andrew as my caddy and it feels rewarding to be moving on to compete at the U.S. Amateur in a few weeks.”

Earlier in the weekend, Sample was in Denver for the Trans-Miss Amateur at the Denver CC, rallying late on Thursday with a birdie-par-par finish to make the cut on the number. From there, the New York City native fired a 67 in the third round and a dazzling 64 in the final round to charge up the leaderboard and make a three-way playoff for the title before bowing out.

Qualifying for the U.S. Amateur is underway over the next few weeks at 94 sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 122nd U.S. Amateur is set for August 15-21 at Ridgewood CC in Paramus, N.J.

Blue Devils Jimmy Zheng and Ian Siebers have already competed in sectional qualifiers and are second alternates currently. Kelly Chinn (July 27 in Newport News, Va.) and John Peters (July 21 in Chambersburg, Pa.) are set to compete at sectional events in the coming weeks.

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