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Sports

Santa Cruz Golfer Cory McElyea Misses Cut for Match Play Portion of U.S. Amateur Tournament

McElyea ends the day with a two-over 72, finishing at 4-over for the championship.

Some sports fans see golf as too boring with not enough action. But Cory McElyea might have found his second round in the U.S. Amateur possessed too much excitement.

McElyea had two eagles to go along with double-bogeys on the front nine of his round at Blue Mound Country Club in Wauwatosa, WI. He ended the day with a two-over 72, finishing at 4-over for the championship, but missed the cut for the match play portion of the championship.

“It’s definitely a high-pressure situation,” said McElyea, who was playing in his first U.S. Amateur. “It’s different to go about the normal routine when there’s so much pressure on the line, a lot of people watching and people following at home.”

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McElyea shot 74 at Erin Hills on Monday, leaving him in contention to make it past stroke play with a good round on Tuesday.

Early-morning thunderstorms forced McElyea’s tee time back by more than three hours. When he finally did get out on the course, his round commenced with an auspicious start. He double-bogeyed the 389-yard, par-4 first hole, but recovered for three consecutive pars.

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McElyea would get the strokes back on the fifth hole, a 489-yard par 5. He knocked his second shot to within 10 feet and drained the eagle putt. Three holes later, McElyea holed out from about 200 yards to vault to two-under on the day. It wouldn’t last long as a double-bogey on the ninth dropped him back to even.

Consecutive bogeys on holes 15 and 16 left McElyea at two-over for the day.

“The greens are definitely pretty quick even with the rain,” McIlyea said. “It made judging speed pretty difficult.”

With his U.S. Amateur tournament concluded, McElyea will head back to the University of Washington where he’ll be a sophomore. As a freshman, he ranked third on the team by playing in 10 events.

“I’ve been playing really well this summer so it should be good moving forward,” McElyea said.

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