Welsh Golf Puts The Boote Into USA

Welsh golf bosses have congratulated David Boote on the best performance by a Wales golfer in the US Amateur Championship, after he reached the last eight.

The US Amateur is one of the top events on the golfing calendar and helped launch the careers of players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, with Boote going out in the quarter-finals to eventual finalist Brad Dalke from Oklahoma.

The event at US Open venue Oakland Hills was won by Australian Curtis Luck, while Boote was the last surviving European player.

The Walton Heath’s player had to survive a 23 man play-off at the end of the stroke play stage, for eight places to get into the final 64 knockout places.

A birdie at the second hole was enough to put the Wales international through to the latter stages in 62^nd place, winning three matches before Dalke’s four birdies in the first four holes gave him a three hole lead he held onto despite solid golf from the Welshman.

Boote, who has just finished his final year at Tiger Woods’ old university Stanford, had beaten Californian Collin Morikawa in the last 16, following victories over North Carolina’s Ben Schlottman and New York’s Gavin Hall.

The result sets Boote up for next month’s Eisenhower Trophy, the World Amateur Team Championship in Mexico, where he will be representing Wales alongside Owen Edwards of Llanwern and Josh Davies of Celtic Manor.

“This is a really good performance by David, an excellent showing in an individual event in a summer when he has starred in team events,” said Golf Union of Wales director of performance Ben Waterhouse.

“No Welsh player has gone so far in the US Amateur, so this is a really strong display for a player who has done so well in the Palmer Cup for Europe and St Andrews Trophy team for Great Britain and Ireland already.

“It must have taken nerves to survive the 23 man play-off to get into the match play stages, but he has shown he is a really strong match play performer.

“It is the perfect preparation for the world team championships where he will be part of a good Wales trio, so we wish them all the best in that.”