CHASKA, Minn. — LSU junior Beck Troutman finished in a tie for fifth place at 1-under par 142 after 36 holes of stroke play Tuesday to advance to the match play competition in the 106th United States Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Troutman fired a 2-under 69 at Chaska Town Course on Monday and followed that with a solid round of 1-over 73 on Tuesday at Hazeltine National to earn the tournament’s No. 9 seed. He is set to tee off against 56th-seeded Jonathan Hodge of Jefferson City, Tenn., on Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. CDT in the first round of match play.
“I’ve played really well so far, and I’m just looking to continue that when we start match play,” Troutman said. “My ball striking could be a lot better, but I can’t really complain about the way I’ve been playing. My short game has been very good so far. I’m putting it really well, and I haven’t had a three putt yet in this tournament.”
The Fernwood, Miss., native said that a player’s approach to the game changes when competing against someone in match play as opposed to stroke play, and that will be the case when he tees it up against Hodge on Wednesday.
“Match play is similar to stroke play in that you want to get the lowest score on a hole, but that’s about it,” Troutman said. “I’ll make shot selections based on how my opponent is playing during the match more than I normally would. For instance, I may play a hole more conservative if he gets into trouble or more aggressive when I get into trouble. It all depends on the situation.”
Troutman has a wealth of experience in match play competition as he captured the Mississippi Match Play Championship in the summer of 2005 and was runner-up in the defense of his title this year. Still, he doesn’t necessarily believe having such experience gives him an advantage over other players in the field this week.
“It helps (having match play experience), but everybody can play at this level,” Troutman said. “This is the U.S. Amateur, and I’m going up against the best amateur players from around the world. Anybody can beat anybody else at this stage of the competition. I’ve got to just play my game and be confident in what I’m doing out on the golf course.”
The Golf Channel will air highlights of Wednesday’s opening round of match play from 3-5 p.m., as well as Thursday’s second round and Friday’s third round. Tournament coverage will move to NBC with Saturday’s semifinal action, and the network is scheduled to televise the 36-hole championship match Sunday in the same time slot.