Xiong Paces Field on Day 1 of U.S. Amateur
August 14, 2017
By Julia Pine
Norman Xiong is making a last ditch effort to don the red, white and blue at The Los Angeles CC this September. But for now, he's focused on this week at nearby Riviera CC.
After the biggest win of his career earlier this month at The Western Amateur, Xiong, a rising sophomore at the University of Oregon and native of Canyon Lake, Calif., scorched Riviera Monday for a 6-under par 64, tying the low round of the day to open the 2017 U.S. Amateur Championship. After cracking the Top-10 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings for the first time in his career on Wednesday (he currently sits at No. 9 on the rankings), Xiong is giving Captain Spider Miller and the USGA a lot to consider as the Walker Cup team gets formalized later this week. The 46th Walker Cup Match will be held mid-September at The Los Angeles CC.
"Making the Walker Cup team is definitely a goal," said Xiong after his round. "I mean, ever since the summer started really it was in the back of my mind. Then I made it a really big goal of mine, so hopefully I get in. I hope my play keeps up and I can make it."
Xiong shot one of three rounds of 64 Monday, with Hayden Wood of Oklahoma joining him for the low-round of the day at Riviera and Mark Lawrence Jr. of Virginia shooting a 64 over at nearby Bel-Air CC. On Tuesday, all 312 competitors will switch courses to finish up stroke play. On Wednesday, the top 64 will make the match play field, which will battle it out the rest of the week at Riviera before Sunday's 36-hole final match.
"Bel-Air is totally different than [Riviera], but scorable," said Xiong. "There are a lot of chances to kind of hit it out of play and make a big number, though. My biggest goal will be the same thing: keep it in play, get it on the green and score from inside 150 yards in."
Xiong was able to do that Monday, turning in a bogey-free round that included six birdies, including one on the iconic, 476-yard par-4 18th hole. Xiong, who played a practice round at Riviera both before and after his win at the Western Amateur, hasn't played much golf since the big victory, only playing his practice rounds at Riviera and Bel-Air in the last few days.
"The [Western] was exhausting, so I've really been trying to rest up since then," he said.
In addition to winning the Western, Xiong was also the event's medalist. He will tee off at Bel-Air at 1:49 p.m. Tuesday in a featured group that also includes Doug Ghim and Cameron Champ.
Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge shot the low-round of the day for Southern California players at Bel-Air Monday, turning in a 2-under par 68. After a hot start saw him get as low as 5-under par, Morikawa ended his round with bogeys on three of his last four holes.
"I had three three-putts coming down the stretch, and I have to fix that if I want to stay in contention," said Morikawa. "But overall it's a good start for the tournament. I can't complain really."
Morikawa sits T7 after Round 1, and is looking to build off a summer that already includes a win at the Northeast Amateur in June.
"It's a long week," said Morikawa of his game plan tomorrow. "You hope to finish out on top, but you have to worry about the day that's ahead and each shot. You get ahead of yourself and you think about later on in the week, you know, something might get a little tangled up. All I'm focused on is tomorrow and making the cut."
Reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion and frequent SCGA tournament competitor Stewart Hagestad is among those hoping to advance to Wednesday's Match Play action after an opening-round 2-over par 72 at Riviera. Other than the low scores posted by Xiong and Wood, Riviera played tougher overall, with just five of the 14 lowest scores of the day coming on the Pacific Palisades course. Also sitting at 2-over par after playing Riviera is Pepperdine's Sahith Theegala, who earlier this year made the cut at the Genesis Open, the PGA TOUR's annual event at Riviera. Theegala and Hagestad are also joined by Westlake Village's Spencer Soosman and UCLA's Corey Shaun at T61 on the leaderboard.
Round 2 action will begin Tuesday at 7 a.m. Fox and FS1 will air coverage of the match-play portion of the competition from Aug. 16-20.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Monday, Aug. 14: First round, stroke play (18 holes)
Tuesday, Aug. 15: Second round, stroke play (18 holes)
Wednesday, Aug. 16: First round, match play
Thursday, Aug. 17: Second and third rounds, match play
Friday, Aug. 18: Quarterfinal round, match play
Saturday, Aug. 19: Semifinal round, match play
Sunday, Aug. 20: Championship match (36 holes)