Mason Overstreet Run at U.S. Amateur Ends in Epic Round of 16 Match
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Mason Overstreet claimed a 3 & 2 victory early Thursday in the Round of 32 of the 2018 U.S. Amateur at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links but had his run end Thursday evening with a loss in the Round of 16 in a match that needed three extra holes to decide a winner.
Overstreet began his U.S. Amateur Championship by shooting 74-72 in the stroke play portion Monday and Tuesday to advance to the Match Play. In the opening round of Match Play, Overstreet defeated Cameron Sisk Wednesday thanks to a birdie on the 16th hole and carding pars on holes 17 and 18 to advance.
On Thursday in a Round of 32 win over Jackson Van Paris, Overstreet raced out to a 2-up lead with pars on the first four holes and a birdie on the par 3 5th hole. Van Paris cut the deficit to one through 10 holes and the pair each recorded pars on holes 11 and 12. However, Overstreet won holes 13 and 14 to take a 2-up lead. Overstreet then closed out the match as each player had a par on hole 15 and bogey on 16 to give Overstreet the 3 & 2 win.
In the Round of 16 of the U.S. Amateur Thursday evening, Overstreet’s run came to an end as he and Davis Riley needed three extra holes to decide a winner. The back-and-forth match featured a total of nine lead changes, including six over the first nine holes, with birdies winning eight of the nine holes. Overstreet birdied the first hole only to see Riley even things up with a birdie on hole two. The two traded the lead on holes three and four as well, Overstreet with a par and Riley with a birdie. Overstreet regained the advantage with a birdie on the par-5 6th hole. However, Riley posted a birdie on the par-4 8th hole and the pair were all square again. Overstreet once again grabbed the lead with a birdie on the par-4 11th hole only to see Riley birdie the par-4 15th to tie things up for an eighth time. Each of the golfers had pars on 16, 17 and 18 to force extra holes as the match was all square. Overstreet and Riley returned to the first hole to start extra holes and each posted a par. After each carded a double bogey on the par-5 2nd hole, Riley had a birdie on the par-4 3rd hole to advance.
Overstreet will return to Pebble Beach in two weeks as the Razorbacks open the 2018-19 campaign Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the annual Carmel Cup.
