The world’s best golfers are in Troon this week for the 152nd Open Championship as the battle for the Claret Jug tees off on Thursday.
No fewer than seven of the best US collegiate golfers are in the field, chasing the Silver Medal for the leading amateur prize, and with the depth of talent among the super seven, golf fans may also see some of them near the top of the leaderboard.
We take a look at a few of the collegiate contenders …
Leading the home charge from Nairn in Scotland is Callum Scott, who is heading into his senior year with Texas Tech University and qualified through The R&A amateur series. Enjoying a successful college career, he’s been a former European Boys No.1 and has reached No.3 in the European Men’s rankings, while his brother Sandy is a Texas Tech alum.
World amateur No.1 Gordon Sargent from Vanderbilt University has six career wins in a glittering college career and while he has already earned his PGA TOUR card through PGA Tour University rankings, he has committed to Vanderbilt for his senior year. Played a key role in Team USA’s Walker Cup win at St Andrews last season.
Texas A&M University's Jaime Montojo is a rising star on the college scene and will be aiming to keep the Spanish sporting success stories coming.
Englishman Dominic Clemons has won in Scotland already this year at the Scottish Open Amateur Championship with a remarkable 17-shot victory at Muirfield and the Stetson University star has secured a transfer to the prestigious The University of Alabama team.
Other college golfers in the 158-strong line-up are Tommy Morrison (The University of Texas at Austin), Matthew Dodd-Berry (East Tennessee State University) and Santiago De La Fuente (University of Houston), while recently crowned Amateur Champion Jacob Skov Olesen has just graduated from the University of Arkansas.
Last year at Royal Liverpool, Georgia Tech University’s Christo Lamprecht rose to prominence by topping the leaderboard on day one with an opening round 66, and was the only amateur in the field to make the cut, clinching the Silver Medal.
We wish them all every success at this week at Royal Troon!
Follow the leaderboard from 18th - 21st July here.
