Razorbacks excel on summer amateur circuit

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Current, former and future members of the University of Arkansas men’s golf team have had busy summers playing on various amateur and professional tour stops.  Among some of the highlights have been a win at the Maryland Amateur, top 15 finishes at the Trans-Mississippi Championship and a top 15 finish at the Texas Amateur.

Of the current Razorbacks, each has played in at least one and as many as three tournaments with a few on the horizon.  Senior-to-be Josh Eure won the Maryland Amateur, one of three tournaments he has participated in while fellow senior-to-be Austin Cook was one of four Razorbacks to play at the Trans-Miss, finishing third overall.  Junior-to-be Sebastian Cappelen had another tremendous experience at the Palmer Cup and sophomore-to-be Kolton Crawford placed in the top 15 in a pair of tournaments including the Texas Amateur.

Eure’s Maryland Amateur victory included five match-play victories against the No. 31, No. 15, No. 26, No. 3 and No. 12 seeds in the tournament.  He would win four of the five by a minimum 3&2, but the fifth, a third round match with No. 26 Michael Mulieri would go 19 holes before Eure took the match title.  Eure has also played in the Rice Planters Amateur, finishing tied for 29th with a four-round score of 285 and the North & South Amateur where he tied for 31st at three-over par.

Cook has played in just one tournament this summer, but made the most of his opportunity, taking third at the Trans-Miss.  Holding a lead into the final round, Cook shot 68, 70, 71 and 76 on way to a four-round total of one-over par.  The Jonesboro, Ark., native was passed by Tyler Raber of California during the final round.

Crawford has seen action in a pair of tournaments this summer.  The Mansfield, Texas, native started with a three-under par score at the Texas Amateur to finish 12th overall, then had a solid showing at the Trans-Miss when he tied for 13th.  Shooting eight-over par at the latter, Crawford pasted rounds of 71, 71, 71 and 79.

Cappelen finished his second Palmer Cup action at 1-1-2 and helped his European Team make a remarkable comeback on the final day to claim its first Palmer Cup title in three years.  The Dane has also participated in the Amateur Championship in England and missed the cut after rounds of 73 and 76.

Junior-to-be Joe Doramus of Little Rock, Ark., has had a good summer.  He tied for third at the Arkansas Men’s Stroke Play Championship at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock in mid-June.  He then tied for 23rd at 11-over par at the Trans-Miss Championship, shooting a second-round score of 67.

Soon-to-be sophomore Thomas Sorensen has played in a pair of tournaments this summer.  He finished right behind his countryman at the Amateur Championship with rounds of 76 and 74 and played well at the Message Elitecup where results were not readily available.

William Meason, a junior for Arkansas next season, has played in three tournaments.  He played well at the Southeastern Amateur with a four-round score of 297.  He missed the cut at both the Greystone Invitational with a two-round score of 159 and tied for 119th at the Trans-Miss Championship.

Future Razorbacks Taylor Moore and Nicolas Echavaria seemed primed and ready for their Razorback debuts with a host of tournaments under their belts.  Moore tied for second at the Junior Invitational, tied for fifth at the Rolex Tournament of Champions and most recently tied for 26th at the Trans-Miss.  Moore also had finishes of tied for 20th at the AJGA Thunderbird International Junior and tied for 29th at the Southwestern Amateur.

Echavaria has three tournaments under his belt this summer, opening with a tie for 14th at the HP Boys Championship.  He tied for 27th with a score of 224 at the Junior Invitational and tied for sixth at a US Open Qualifier.

Former Razorbacks Jamie Marshall and David Lingmerth have had solid professional tour credentials.  Marshall won the inaugural Colbert Charity Classic by three strokes in Manhattan, Kansas.  Shooting a final round 64, the former Razorback picked up his first professional win and is currently competing in the Utah Championship, a Web.com tour event.

Lingmerth is also playing in the Utah Championship and finished second in his last outing, the United Leasing Championship at Victoria National Golf Club when he lost in a playoff after shooting a final round of four-under par to force the extra holes.

Upcoming tournaments for the Razorbacks include the Southern Amateur, US Amateur and Western Amateur.