Tilley, Wilson Eliminated in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
Pat Wilson and Brad Tilley during the opening round of stroke play in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Photo: USGA/Chris Keane
UPDATE (May 23, 2023) -- After a hot start to the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Brad Tilley of Easton, Conn., and Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., had their run come to an end on Tuesday in the Round of 16, taking a 3-and-1 defeat to Nathan Cogswell of Kent, Wash., and Colt Sherrell of Maple Valley, Wash., at Kiawah Island Club.
Related: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Home Page
Cogswell and Sherrell came out hot, just as Tilley and Wilson had done in the opening round. The Washington duo won four of the first five holes, earning a 3-up lead as Tilley and Wilson won the par-4 fourth with birdie. While Tilley and Wilson won Nos. 8 and 10 with birdies on both par fours, the following five holes were tied.
The Met Area duo, both MGA Mid-Amateur champions, couldn't claw all the way back, as Cogswell and Sherrell tacked on birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to close out the match.
UPDATE (May 22, 2023) -- Brad Tilley of Easton, Conn., and Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., kept the good play going at Kiawah Island Club, Monday, earning a 5-and-3 victory over Scott Harvey and Todd Mitchell in the opening round of match play of the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Related: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Home Page
The duo, who shot 8-under 63 on the Cassique Course in the opening round of stroke play, started off quickly with three birdies over the first four holes to go 3-up on the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions. There was no shortage of birdies on the day, as 11 holes were won with birdies in what turned out to be a 15-hole match.
Harvey and Mitchell made their first birdie of the day on the par-3 fifth, but Tilley and Wilson reeled off four more in the next six holes to build a commanding 6-up lead. Though Harvey and Mitchell won Nos. 12 and 14 with birdie threes, a birdie on the par-5 15th secured Tilley and Wilson's spot in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
"“The greens are perfect," Tilley told the USGA. "I’ve hit a number of good shots and given myself looks. With [my partner] Pat [Wilson] making a bunch of pars and birdies, I get freed up to hit some aggressive putts, and the greens are so pure that if you get it online, [the putt is] going in.” Tilley has made 17 birdies in 33 holes on the Cassique Course.
Tilley and Wilson will look to keep the hot play going on Tuesday, facing off against Nathan Cogswell of Kent, Wash., and Colt Sherrell of Maple Valley, Wash., who finished tied 8th alongside Tilley and Wilson in the stroke play qualifying. The match goes off at 7:12 a.m., with the Quarterfinal round slated to take place in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, MGA eClub - NJ member Jack Irons and Troy Vannucci of Marlton, N.J., dropped a close match against Blades Brown and Jackson Herrington, who won Nos. 16 and 18 to earn the 1-up victory.
Tyler Lee of Franklin Lakes, N.J., and future Cal teammate Eric Lee of Fullerton, Calif., came up short in a 10-for-2 playoff for the final match play posiitons on Monday morning.
UPDATE (May 21, 2023) -- A sizzling 8-under 63 to open the 8th U.S Amateur Four-Ball by MGA Mid-Amateur champions Brad Tilley and Pat Wilson spurred the duo's run to a tie for eighth in stroke play qualifying over the weekend, highlighting Met Area ties advancing in the championship at Kiawah Island Club in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Related: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Home Page
Tilley ignited the teams opening round, rolling in all nine of the side's birdies, including five in a span of holes Nos. 12-17 of the Cassique Course, which will host the remainder of the championship. Wilson found his stroke in round two, rolling in four birdies to Tilley's one as the team turned in a 5-under 66 in round two on the River Course.
Tilley and Wilson match up with a decorated duo at 9:24 a.m., Monday morning in the Round of 32, facing No. 25 qualifying seed and 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions Scott Harvey of Greensboro, N.C., and Todd Mitchell of Bloomington, Ill. The duo is one of two sides in the starting field that have appeared in all eight U.S. Amateur Four-Ball playings and have combined for more than 60 USGA appearances.
MGA eClub - NJ member Jack Irons and Troy Vannucci recorded rounds of 7-under 64 and 4-under 67 on the Cassique and River courses, respectively, to also easily advance to match play. The duo tied for 14th with their 11-under total.
Irons and Vannucci tee off at 11:48 a.m., facing Blades Brown of Nashville, Tenn., and Jackson Herrington of Dickson, Tenn., who also shot 11-over in stroke play qualifying.
Finally, reigning MGA Junior Player of the Year Tyler Lee of Franklin Lakes, N.J., and future Cal teammate Eric Lee of Fullerton, Calf., will have an opportunity to advance, taking part in a 10-for-2 playoff that will tee off at 7 a.m., Monday morning. The Lee tandem posted a pair of 67s en route to the tie for 31st.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 19, 2023) -- The Met Area will be very well represented in South Carolina this weekend as the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball takes place at Kiawah Island Club in Kiawah Island. Stroke play qualifying for the championship will take place at both the Cassique and River courses, with matches taking place on Cassique to determine a champion.
Related: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Home Page
A host of past MGA champions are in the mix, including two sides composed of past MGA Mid-Amateur champions: Brad Tilley of Easton, Conn., (2019) and Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., (2022) are competing together, as are Darin Goldstein of New York, N.Y., (2017) and Trevor Randolph of Franklin Lakes, N.J. (2015-16).
A pair of past MGA Public Links champions are also competing, with Eric LeFante of Mendham, N.J., (2012) teaming with Tyler Brewington of Oceanport, N.J., and former Met Area resident Jonathan Jeter (2018, 2021) teaming with Todd McPherson of his now hometown New Orleans, La.
Reigning MGA Junior Player of the Year and recent NJSIAA individual champion Tyler Lee of Franklin Lakes, N.J., is partnering with future Cal teammate Eric Lee of Fullerton, Calif.
The field will start with 128 sides competing for 32 match play spots on Saturday and Sunday. Match play will begin on Monday, May 22 with the Round of 32. The last two days have two matches on the schedule, with the Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches slated for Tuesday, May 23 and the Semifinals and Championship slated for Wednesday, May 24. This year's championship received a record number of entries, with 2,551 sides applying to play.
| Sides | Hometown | Saturday | Sunday |
|
Tyler Lee Eric Lee |
Franklin Lakes, N.J. Fullerton, Calif. |
12:00 p.m. - 1-C | 8:36 a.m. - 1-R |
|
Brad Tilley Pat Wilson |
Easton, Conn. Andover, N.J. |
7:36 a.m. - 1-C | 11:00 a.m. - 1-R |
|
Michael Lewis Thomas McCarthy |
New York, N.Y. Milburn, N.J. |
1:24 p.m. - 1-R | 10:00 a.m. - 1-C |
|
Peter Barron II Michael Brown |
Mays Landing, N.J. Maple Shade Township, N.J. |
9:36 a.m. - 1-C | 1:00 p.m. - 1-R |
|
Tyler Brewington Eric LeFante |
Oceanport, N.J. Mendham, N.J. |
12:24 p.m. - 1-R | 9:00 a.m. - 1-C |
|
Darin Goldstein Trevor Randolph |
New York, N.Y. Franklin Lakes, N.J. |
9:48 a.m. - 1-C | 1:12 p.m. - 1-R |
|
Jack Irons Troy Vannucci |
Naples, Fla. Marlton, N.J. |
12:12 p.m. - 1-C | 8:48 a.m. - 1-R |
|
Christopher DeForest Nathan Hendricks |
Kingston, N.Y. Commerce, Mich. |
10:48 a.m. - 1-R | 7:24 a.m. - 1-C |
|
Thomas Finn Adam Pecora |
Locust Valley, N.Y. Oyster Bay, N.Y. |
10:00 a.m. - 1-R | 1:24 p.m. - 1-C |
|
Jonathan Jeter Todd McPherson |
New Orleans, La. New Orleans, La. |
8:00 a.m. - 1-C | 11:24 a.m. - 1-R |
*C - Cassique, R - River