Ryder Cowan qualifies with a birdie and then beats Miles Russell in US Amateur

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Oklahoma senior Ryder Cowan began his long day with a birdie in a playoff to advance to match play and ended it by chipping in for par on the 17th hole at Merion to take down Miles Russell on Wednesday in the U.S. Amateur.

Joshua Ryan, the medalist in 36-hole qualifying, was eliminated in 19 holes by Taishi Moto of Japan, a junior at Arizona.

Russell is a 17-year-old and already No. 4 in the world amateur ranking. Cowan is the No. 8 amateur in the world, and he shared low amateur honors at the U.S. Open this summer with Jackson Koivun. Players are seeded — and the bracket formed — based on 36-hole qualifying in stroke play.

Cowan was part of a 16-way playoff for the final 11 spots and made birdie on the first hole to advance, which sent him out immediately against Russell.

The match was all square until Russell came up well short on the 16th hole, into a front bunker and facing a shot to a front pin. He caught too much of the ball and sent it over the green, and Cowan took a 1-up lead.

Cowan was short-sided on the par-3 17th and left his first chip in the rough. He found perfection on the next one, just getting it on the green and watching it roll into the cup for par. Russell missed a 10-foot par putt to extend the match.

“I’m exhausted,” Cowan said. “Miles is a great player, one of the best in the world for a reason.”

Cowan was among five of the top 10 in the amateur ranking in the 64-man bracket, and two others advanced — Tennessee freshman Tyler Watts (No. 3) never trailed in a 3-and-2 victory over Florida junior Parker Sands, and Auburn junior William Jennings (No. 5) advanced with a 3-and-1 victory over Malan Potgieter.

Top-ranked Preston Stout, former British Amateur champion Ethan Fang (No. 9) and Tim Wiedemeyer of Germany (No. 10) failed to advance out of qualifying. Luke Poulter (No. 5) joined them when he took bogey on the second hole and was eliminated in the 16-for-11 playoff. Tyler Weaver (No. 2) is out with a back injury.

Kihei Akina, a BYU sophomore who made the cut in the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour, lost a 2-up lead at the turn and bogeyed his last two holes as the 11th-ranked player fell to Finn Koelle of Germany.

Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly, who got the clinching point when the Tigers won the NCAA championship this year, was 1 down playing the 18th and his ball barely in the rough at the back of the green. He chipped to a foot of the front pin and won the hole with a par against Emile LeBrun of Canada, and won on the 19th hole with a birdie.

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