It started at 264 and is now down to 16, and Sun Devil Cameron Sisk might be playing as well as anyone the past 36 holes at the U.S. Amateur.
The junior topped UNLV's Jack Trent 3-and-2 in the Round of 32 to advance to Thursday afternoon's Round of 16 against Davis Lamb.
Sisk for the second straight match fell behind after one hole and then bounced back to tie it. Unlike Wednesday when he took the lead quickly, he fell behind again on the third hole, only to tie it and then fall behind after six holes. The ninth hole seemed to start the positive energy.
Sisk eagled the 575-yarder to tie the match, then birdied the 432-yard par-4 No. 11. Birdies followed at both No. 13 and No. 14 to go 3-up, before a bogey allowed it to get back to 2-up with three holes left. He put any doubts to rest with a birdie on 16 to clinch it.
He got in the U.S. Amateur Round of 64 with a birdie on the first playoff hole early Wednesday morning and then used that momentum in the afternoon en route to a 5 and 4 win over Ben Shipp in the Round of 64. He will play in the Round of 32 on Thursday against Jack Trent at 9 a.m.
Sisk -- a third-team All-American in 2019-20 who also has a 3.65 grade point average -- will begin his junior season in 2020-21 with the third-best career scoring average by a Sun Devil in the Golfstat era (70.92 in in 61 rounds), behind only Jon Rahm (70.21 in 165 rounds from 2012-16) and Chun An Yu (70.40 in 116 from 2016-20). He started with medalist honors at Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 13-15, 2019) with a 14-under 196 at the Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale.
Sisk was one of five current Sun Devils who began play Monday (August 10) at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. On Wednesday, he fell behind after one hole as Shipp birdied, but Sisk birdied three of the next four holes. He then won holes 12, 13 and 14 to shut the door. He was one of just three players to win by at least 4 up in the 32 matches played on Wednesday.
The 264-player field played 18 holes on both Monday and Tuesday.
SUN DEVIL HISTORY
Three Sun Devils have won the U.S. Amateur title, with the last win by a Sun Devil coming 20 years ago when Eugene, Ore., native Jeff Quinney beat James Driscoll in 39 holes in New Jersey.
SUN DEVIL U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONS
2000: Jeff Quinney defeated James Driscoll, 39 holes; Baltusrol G.C., Springfield, N.J.; Medalists — 137, Jim Salinetti, Jeff Wilson; Entries: 7,124
1990: Phil Mickelson defeated Manny Zerman, 5 and 4; Cherry Hills C.C., Englewood, Colo.; Medalist — 135, Phil Mickelson; Entries: 4,765
1987: Bill Mayfair defeated Eric Rebmann, 4 and 3; Jupiter Hills Club (Hills Course), Jupiter, Fla.; Medalist — 141, Scott Gump; Entries: 4,084
ABOUT THE WEDNESDAY PLAYOFF
Sisk, Evan Katz and Aaron Du earned the final three spots in the match-play draw in an 18-for-3 playoff. Sisk, a semifinalist in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur, and Katz birdied the par-4 10th hole and Du sealed the last spot with a birdie on No. 11. Sisk was the lone player of the three to post a Round-of-64 win.
The junior topped UNLV's Jack Trent 3-and-2 in the Round of 32 to advance to Thursday afternoon's Round of 16 against Davis Lamb.
Sisk for the second straight match fell behind after one hole and then bounced back to tie it. Unlike Wednesday when he took the lead quickly, he fell behind again on the third hole, only to tie it and then fall behind after six holes. The ninth hole seemed to start the positive energy.
Sisk eagled the 575-yarder to tie the match, then birdied the 432-yard par-4 No. 11. Birdies followed at both No. 13 and No. 14 to go 3-up, before a bogey allowed it to get back to 2-up with three holes left. He put any doubts to rest with a birdie on 16 to clinch it.
He got in the U.S. Amateur Round of 64 with a birdie on the first playoff hole early Wednesday morning and then used that momentum in the afternoon en route to a 5 and 4 win over Ben Shipp in the Round of 64. He will play in the Round of 32 on Thursday against Jack Trent at 9 a.m.
Sisk -- a third-team All-American in 2019-20 who also has a 3.65 grade point average -- will begin his junior season in 2020-21 with the third-best career scoring average by a Sun Devil in the Golfstat era (70.92 in in 61 rounds), behind only Jon Rahm (70.21 in 165 rounds from 2012-16) and Chun An Yu (70.40 in 116 from 2016-20). He started with medalist honors at Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 13-15, 2019) with a 14-under 196 at the Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale.
Sisk was one of five current Sun Devils who began play Monday (August 10) at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. On Wednesday, he fell behind after one hole as Shipp birdied, but Sisk birdied three of the next four holes. He then won holes 12, 13 and 14 to shut the door. He was one of just three players to win by at least 4 up in the 32 matches played on Wednesday.
The 264-player field played 18 holes on both Monday and Tuesday.
SUN DEVIL HISTORY
Three Sun Devils have won the U.S. Amateur title, with the last win by a Sun Devil coming 20 years ago when Eugene, Ore., native Jeff Quinney beat James Driscoll in 39 holes in New Jersey.
SUN DEVIL U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONS
2000: Jeff Quinney defeated James Driscoll, 39 holes; Baltusrol G.C., Springfield, N.J.; Medalists — 137, Jim Salinetti, Jeff Wilson; Entries: 7,124
1990: Phil Mickelson defeated Manny Zerman, 5 and 4; Cherry Hills C.C., Englewood, Colo.; Medalist — 135, Phil Mickelson; Entries: 4,765
1987: Bill Mayfair defeated Eric Rebmann, 4 and 3; Jupiter Hills Club (Hills Course), Jupiter, Fla.; Medalist — 141, Scott Gump; Entries: 4,084
ABOUT THE WEDNESDAY PLAYOFF
Sisk, Evan Katz and Aaron Du earned the final three spots in the match-play draw in an 18-for-3 playoff. Sisk, a semifinalist in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur, and Katz birdied the par-4 10th hole and Du sealed the last spot with a birdie on No. 11. Sisk was the lone player of the three to post a Round-of-64 win.