Murphy ties for 33rd at 121st U.S. Amateur Championship

OAKMONT, Pa. — Louisiana Tech fifth-year senior golfer Sam Murphy had an outstanding week at the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship here, taking 33rd place.

There were 312 amateur golfers who gathered this week to compete in the 121st U.S. Amateur, the most prestigious amateur golf tournament, at venerable Oakmont Country Club.

Murphy had an outstanding opening round after carding four birdies in the front nine to hold a -4 (32) heading into the back nine. The senior from Decatur, Ala., finished Monday’s round with a -3 (67).

The second round for the senior Bulldog was split into two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, after competition had been suspended due to weather.

Murphy played through 13 holes on Tuesday and finished the remaining five early Wednesday morning for the +4 round of 74.

He ended the two rounds of stroke play with a combined +1 (67- 74—141) to tie for 37th and earn a spot in the round of 64 match play.

Murphy had to wait through yet another weather delay before beginning his match play competition against Oklahoma State All-American Bo Jin on Wednesday. Jin won holes two and four, but Murphy would take holes three, five and seven for the 1-up lead through the first eight.

Jin won holes nine and 11 for the 1-up lead. After both golfers parred hole 12, the contest was suspended due to darkness and completed Thursday morning.

Jin continued to hold the 1-up lead on Thursday until Murphy tied it again by winning hole 16. The duo each parred hole 17 and it came down to the 18th which went to Jin.

It marked the end of competition for the Louisiana Tech Bulldog at the 121st U.S. Amateur, but Murphy isn’t done competing. The fifthyear senior will return to compete in his final season for the Bulldogs in 2021-22.