USC’s Gavin Aurilia, Antonio Safa Primed for 2024 U.S. Amateur

Men’s Golf | August 11, 2024

LOS ANGELES – Senior Gavin Aurilia and junior Antonio Safa tee off in the 124th U.S. Amateur on Monday, August 12, in Chaska, Minn. Joining them in the field is three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and Trojan grad (class of 2013) Stewart Hagestad. 
 
Three Trojans will join a comprehensive field of 312 golfers. They will play 36 holes of stroke play (Monday- Tuesday), with the top 64 players advancing to a match-play bracket from Wednesday to Sunday.  
 
The trio will open play on a pair of courses in Chaska. Aurilia will tee off first at 5:44 a.m. PDT on the Chaska Town Course. Safa and Hagestad start their tournament on the Hazeltine National Golf Club course. Safa starts at 11:14 a.m. PDT, and Hagestad follows shortly after at 11:25 a.m. PDT. All three players will begin on hole No. 10 on their respective courses. 
 
Hagestad settles into his 15th U.S. Amateur – five more than anyone else in the field. Aurilia will play in his second U.S. Amateur, while Safa makes his debut.
 
Hagestad earned his spot through multiple qualifications, including winning the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur, playing for Team USA in the 2023 Walker Cup and ranking within the top 50 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (No. 15).
 
Aurilia qualified for the tournament after posting a top three finish at the qualifying event in Mesa, Ariz., at the Alta Mesa Golf Club. The senior posted a four-under-par outing that left him two strokes within the top five. 
 

Safa placed himself as the No. 1 Alternate after falling one stroke shy of the cut at the qualifier in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., at the Lake Forest Golf & Country Club. The junior carded at 71 (-1) during his one round. 
 
USC All-American Sam Randolph won the title in 1985. He was also medalist that year. Fellow USC great Craig Stadler won the title in 1973.
 
More recently, All-American Sean Crocker reached the 2015 semifinals before falling to eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau. Hagestad reached the quarterfinals in 2020, a career-best, after making the round of 16 in 2018.
 
Below is the broadcast schedule of match play. There is no T.V. coverage for stroke play.
 
Wednesday, Aug. 14 (Round of 64): 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT (Peacock)
Wednesday, Aug. 14 (Round of 64): 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. PDT (Golf Channel)
Thursday, Aug. 15 (Round of…