PINEHURST, N.C. – John Augenstein’s run at the U.S. Amateur championship fell just short on Sunday afternoon at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, dropping his championship match to Andy Ogletree 2&1 in the 36-hole final that took place on the Pinehurst No. 4 and No. 2 courses.
Augenstein held a 4-up lead on two occasions in the opening holes, but Ogletree edged his way back into the match, closing the gap to 2-up after the morning session at No. 4, and then taking the lead on the 32nd hole on the No. 2 course. Augenstein had a few chances to even the match but his efforts fell just short.
“I got off to the start that you always want to get off to on one of these days,” said Augenstein. “But like Andy said, although I was 4 up through 5, it’s 36 holes. If I was in his position, I’d be thinking the same thing. There’s a lot of golf left. I wasn’t at all complacent about thinking I’ve got this thing won through six holes. I played well, really well on No. 4 this morning, and he snagged that putt on 18, which kind of flipped momentum a little bit I feel like, and then you have the two hour break. I think that’s an underrated turning point of the day was him making that putt on 18 and then coming out and birdieing the first hole, as well. You know, I played well. I fought my hardest. But in the end, I didn’t make enough putts or hit enough great shots out there to beat him. He was super solid and really made no mistakes.”
The rising senior’s play this week at Pinehurst earned him exemptions into the 2020 Masters and the 2020 U.S. Open, and after his Sunday match was over, he was named to the Walker Cup team, the ultimate honor for an amateur golfer. The Walker Cup is an event contested in odd-numbered years by leading amateur golfers in the United States and Great Britain and Ireland. Augenstein joins former Commodore great Hunter Stewart as the only two Commodores to be named to a Walker Cup Team. Stewart was honored in 2015.
Augenstein and the Commodores begin their regular season August 30-September 1 at the Carmel Cup at world-renown Pebble Beach Golf Links.
