UCLA freshman happy to remain an amateur The Travelers Championship granted a sponsor’s exemption to UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay before he even qualified for the U.S. Open. And now its organizers probably couldn’t be more pleased with that decision.
With his tie for 21st at the Open, Cantlay finished as the low amateur last week at Congressional Country Club. He also earned a dose of celebrity, winning fans over with his youthful appearance and his unbridled joy, emptying his bag and throwing balls into the grandstand after finishing the Open at even par.
“Golf is pretty cool. It takes you to some cool spots,” Cantlay, 19, said Sunday at Congressional. “Words can’t describe how much fun this week has been.”
June certainly has been a whirlwind for Cantlay.
| Travelers Championship |
| When » Thursday-Sunday |
| Where » TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn. |
| TV » Golf (Thur-Fri); CBS (Sat-Sun) |
It began in Stillwater, Okla., where he finished a stroke back in the NCAA championships (May 31-June 2). He played the following day in UCLA’s first-round match-play loss. Two days later (June 5), Cantlay was in Columbus, Ohio, receiving the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top golfer in Division I. A day later, Cantlay qualified for the Open at the sectionals in Columbus.
Then Cantlay was off to Connecticut for the Palmer Cup (June 9-11), a Ryder Cup-style competition between the top college players from the United States and Europe. That was followed by the Open (June 13-19). Now it’s back to Connecticut for the Travelers.
“I was really tired,” Cantlay said. “Obviously I guess the U.S. Open does that to you.”
Cantlay grew up playing at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif., where his father is a former club champion. PGA Tour players Paul Goydos, John Merrick and John Mallinger are among the members.
He was lightly recruited in high school. But a growth spurt added much-needed length off the tee. In the 2009 U.S. Amateur, Cantlay finished 281st in a field of 312. In the 2010 Amateur at Chambers Bay, the longest course in U.S. Golf Association tournament history at 7,754 yards, Cantlay made it to the semifinals.
During the Open, Cantlay averaged 304 yards off the tee, 20th best among the 72 players who made the cut. He also tied for ninth in putting, taking 114 strokes on the greens. Despite his showing, Cantlay has no thoughts of turning pro.
“I just think that it’s important to get a degree,” Cantlay said. “There’s no rush for me to turn pro. You can play a lot of great amateur golf, and I can still mature my game while I’m at college.”
After the Travelers, Cantlay will return home and resume the normal summer of an elite-level college player — competing in events such as the Southern California Amateur, Western Amateur, U.S. Amateur and Walker Cup. He’ll also play in a Nationwide Tour event July 21-24 in Columbus.
At least that’s the plan for now.
“Turning pro is always going to be there,” Cantlay said. “I can play on the tour for 25 years.”
