Love Qualifies for U.S. Amateur Championship

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Duke men’s golfer William Love has qualified for the 2023 United States Amateur Championship for the second time in his career. The rising sophomore earned one of the six qualifying spots at his sectional qualifying event, held at The Standard Club in Johns Creek, Ga., with a 36-hole score of 6-under, 138. The 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship is set to be held Aug. 14-20 at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Co.

“It feels incredible to be able to go back to the U.S. Amateur again,” said Love. “After back-to-back years of finishing as second alternate, being able to pull through and get the job done this time is a special feeling, especially knowing I’ll be joining Luke [Sample] and Kelly [Chinn] out in Colorado.”

Love started his qualifying on Monday morning and carded a 4-under, 68, through his first 18 holes of competition. The Atlanta, Ga., native rolled in five birdies, while making just a lone bogey in his opening round, including a bogey-free closing nine holes that also included birdies on holes No. 2, 7 and 9. The second day of qualifying, held on Tuesday, started slowly for the rising sophomore with a bogey on the par-5 second hole. Love had a quick response, however, in the form of a birdie on No. 4, followed up with back-to-back birdies on holes No. 7 and No. 8 to make the turn at 2-under for the day and 6-under for the event. On the back nine, Love made bogey on No. 12 and 17, but offset the dropped shots with immediate birdies both times to shoot even-par on the back nine and finish inside the qualifying cut line.

The 312-player U.S. Amateur field plays 36 holes of stroke play over the first two days of competition, before a cut determines the 64 match-play participants. Love is playing in his second career U.S. Amateur Championship, having also qualified for the event in 2019.

 

Love is the third current Blue Devil to qualify for the 123rd U.S. Amateur, joining rising juniors Kelly Chinn and Luke Sample. Former Duke standout Jake Shuman (’18) became the fifth Blue Devil overall, joining Yarik Merkulov (’14) as former Blue Devils to qualify for the event. Shuman used a 3-under, 141, second-place finish at his sectional qualifier, held at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Mass., to secure his spot in the championship. Shuman reached the 36th and final hole needing to make…