DURHAM — A victory by Luke Sample at the Ike Championship at famed Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey and a runner-up finish by Kelly Chinn at the Sunnehanna Amateur has the summer off to a hot start for Duke’s men’s golfers.
Luke Sample Wins Ike Championship
A birdie on the iconic 18th at Baltusrol gave Sample a two-stroke win in the 67th playing of the Ike Metropolitan Golf Association Stroke Play Championship on June 27-28. The rising sophomore, now a two-time MGA champion, out-dueled Thomas McCarthy of Essex County over the final 18 holes.
“It feels incredible,” said the 19-year-old Sample. “To be honest it feels like a long time since I’ve walked down 18 or stood on 18 with a shot that really felt like it meant something. To be able to perform under pressure and get the job done down the stretch really meant a lot.”
Sample, the 2020 Met Open champion, was tied with McCarthy going into the 17th hole, but made par to McCarthy’s bogey to take a lead he would only build on the 18th. The New York City native, Sample opened with a 69 in round one, followed with a 72 and closed with a 69 in in the final round for a winning score of a 3-under 210.
Luke Sample notched his second MGA Major and fourth overall MGA win with a strong victory in the 67th Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club!
Full Recap: https://t.co/AlKgU7sM0S pic.twitter.com/36FDLPEenQ
— Metropolitan Golf Association (@MGA1897) June 29, 2022
Chinn Continues Duke’s Sunnehanna Success
Chinn, the Rolex Junior Golfer of the Year last year and a rising sophomore at Duke, finished as the runner-up at the Sunnehanna Amateur in mid-June at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa.
It marks the second consecutive year a Blue Devil has been the runner-up after Ian Siebers finished a stroke back in 2021. Duke is three years removed from boasting back-to-back winner Alex Smalley in 2018 and 2019 — the tournament’s first repeat winner since Rickie Fowler in 2006 and 2007.
Chinn was also a stroke back of the winner, Bryce Lewis, and tied for second with Maxwell Ford. The trio were tied for the lead heading to the 72nd hole and final hole of the championship tied at 5-under but bogeys by Chinn and Ford allowed Lewis’ par to be the difference.
Chinn was near the top of the leaderboard from the start, opening with rounds of 67 and 68 to sit…
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