Pasternak Run Ends at U.S. Junior
UPDATE (July 25, 2024) -- After a morning victory in the Round of 32, Liam Pasternak's run in the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship came to a close in the Round of 16, Thursday, at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
Pasternak never trailed in his Round of 32 win over Josiah Hakala of New Ipswitch, N.H. After four ties to start the match, Pasternak won the par-4 fourth with birdie. He went 2-up with par on the par-4 seventh, and though Hakala won Nos. 8 and 10 to return the match to tied, Pasternak added back-to-back wins on Nos. 12-13 to quickly earn back his two-hole advantage. Tying the next four holes earned the Morristown, N.J., native the 2-and-1 win.
In the afternoon, Pasternak won the par-4 11th to tie his match with Jay Leng of San Diego, Calif. The pair tied the next two holes, but Leng won the next three holes -- two with birdies -- to defeat Pasternak by a 3-and-2 margin.
UPDATE (July 24, 2024) -- Liam Pasternak earned a 3-and-1 victory in the opening round of the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship to advance at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
Pasternak grabbed the early lead with a birdie on the par-5 second hole. His opponent, Nicholas Gross of Downington, Pa., returned the match to level by taking advantage of a Pasternak bogey on the par-4 fifth.
Pasternak did the same on Nos. 7-8 though, using steady pars to take a 2-up advantage. The back-and-forth continued as Gross won Nos. 9 and 11 to tie the match once again. However, Pasternak used another par-5 birdie on the 12th to go 1-up and won the next two as well with bogey and par to go 3-up. The two traded Nos. 16 and 17, though with Pasternak claiming the 3-and-1 win.
Next up, Pasternak will face Josiah Hakala of New Ipswitch, N.H., who had a 6-and-5 victory in the opening round. Their Round of 32 match is slated for 9:30 a.m., Thursday.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 23, 2024) -- Recent Met Junior Championship runner-up Liam Pasternak continued his quality play in the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship this week, posting rounds of 69-74 to advance to the 64-player match play bracket at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
The Morristown, N.J., native opened with a 1-under 69 on the North Course, carding three birdies and two bogeys on day one of competition. Day two proved more difficult on the South Course, with Pasternak registering three more birdies, but five bogeys and a double bogey en route to his 4-over 74.
Pasternak finished tied for 44th place and drew the No. 54 seed in the match play bracket. The rising high school senior will face Nicholas Gross of Downington, Pa., in the Round of 64, teeing off at 11:30 a.m.
The Met Area was also represented in the championship by Lance Hollingshead of Basking Ridge, N.J.; Owen Jessup of Westhampton Beach, N.Y.; Mike McConie of Huntington, N.Y.; Jonathan Oakes of Ardsley, N.Y.; and Josh Yan of Newburgh, N.Y.