THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The LSU men’s golf program is sure to be well represented at the 108th U.S. Amateur Championship later this month as rising junior Bryant Lach became the third Tiger to qualify for the nation’s most prestigious amateur tournament on Wednesday.
With 36 holes scheduled in the sectional qualifier at the Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club in his hometown, Lach posted rounds of 3-under par 69 and even-par 72 to finish in a tie for second place at 3-under 141 and earn one of three qualifying spots into the U.S. Amateur.
This marks the first time in his amateur career that Lach will tee it up in the U.S. Amateur as he is set to join teammates Jarrod Barsamian and Clayton Rotz in the elite 312-man field.
Historic Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., will play host to the championship as the top amateur golfers from across the globe will battle for the Havemeyer Trophy from Aug. 18-24. It is believed that this will be the largest group of Tigers to tee off in the event that dates back to 1895.
“I’m really excited as anybody would be. It’s a great honor to play against the best amateurs from across the globe,” Lach said. “It’s also pretty special that there will be three of us Tigers making the trip this time around. I know we’ve had quite a few guys qualify the last few years, but we’ve never had this many I don’t think. It’s great to be a part of that.
“I’m also excited to play Pinehurst for the first time. That’s a course with a great reputation, and I was actually supposed to play there in the North and South Amateur earlier this summer but had to withdraw because I was sick. I’m definitely looking forward to it this time around.”
Lach attributes much of his success this summer to the addition of a new putter in his arsenal that is giving him added confidence on the greens.
“I made a switch to a belly putter this summer, and I think my putting was a big key in qualifying this week,” Lach said. “I’ve got a lot more confidence on the greens now. I’ve always been pretty confident in my game tee to green with my ball striking, but now it seems like I’ve got that confidence on the greens that will help me have more success in the future.”
Like Barsamian and Rotz before him, Lach had to sweat some tense moments in the clubhouse as he was among the first groups to finish the second round on Wednesday afternoon.
“I hated playing that waiting game after I finished my second round,” Lach said. “I probably sat around for two hours before I found out I was in. I was actually leading the entire time until the second to last group came in and someone jumped ahead of me. That’s when I decided to go back out to the driving range to warm up in case it came down to a playoff for the last spot.”
Herbert Day Pan of El Salvador fired a two-round total of 4-under 140 to nip Lach by one stroke, while Beck Miller of Houston earned the last qualifying spot by tying Lach at 3-under 141.