Gutschewski outlasts Watts at Oakland Hills to win Junior Amateur, earns exemption to 2025 U.S. Open
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Trevor Gutschewski outlasted Tyler Watts to win the U.S. Junior Amateur 4 and 3 Saturday, earning an exemption to the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
The 17-year-old Gutschewski sealed the win with a short putt on the 33rd hole. He celebrated by hugging his father, PGA Tour player Scott Gutschewski, and his mom, Amy, on the 15th green at Oakland Hills.
“It’s really hard to stay in the moment, walking up fairways thinking about playing in the U.S. Open next year,” Gutschewski said.
Scott Gutschewski missed the cut Friday at the 3M Open, where he planned to leave to watch his son play regardless of his positioning in the PGA Tour event.
“Talked to my wife and said, `The only way I’m staying in Minnesota is if I make the cut and Trevor gets beat,'” he said. "You have kids, you want to see them and enjoy their successes and be there for them no matter how it goes.
“It worked out awesome.”
Gutschewski, Nebraska’s first junior amateur champion, is entering his senior year at Omaha Westside High School.
The 16-year-old Watts of Huntsville, Alabama, is going into his junior year of high school.
Gutschewski went 3-up early in the 36-hole championship match, holing out from 106 yards for eagle on the par-4 No. 6 on Oakland Hills South Course, which Ben Hogan dubbed “The Monster," after winning the 1951 U.S. Open in suburban Detroit.
Watts rallied to go 2-up on the 17th hole. After a lunch break, Watts fell behind for good on the 25th hole when Gutschewski birdied. Gutschewski went on to win three of the next eight holes.
“My body really, really caught up to me on the last 18, which I know it sounds like an excuse, but for the most part played really good this week,” Watts said.
A few hundred fans took advantage of free admission, parking and shuttle services to watch the tournament that started with 264 players from around the world and made the most of the opportunity to walk behind the competitors on the fairways of a course with a rich history.
The crowd for the championship roughly matched the gallery that followed Tiger Woods and his 15-year-old son, Charlie, on Monday and Tuesday during stroke play.
“Awesome for him to be here and bring attention to these kids and help grow the game,” Scott Gutschewski said. “I don’t know if anybody in the history of golf has grown the game like him to so many different demographics and brought so many people out to watch golf that just weren’t interested before.”
Woods, who won the junior amateur a record three straight times, witnessed his son shoot a 10-over 80 on the Oakland Hills South Course after opening with an 82 on the North Course and miss the cut at 22 over.
Woods traveled to suburban Detroit after matching his highest 36-hole score as a professional at the British Open and missing the cut for the third straight time in a major. The famous father wore shorts, exposing his legs that were battered in a car crash three years ago.
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