NORTON, Massachusetts – A handful of players with Massachusetts ties will be competing among the best amateur golfers in the world when they begin play Monday in 121st U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and Longue Vue Club in Verona, Pennsylvania.
This year’s contingent features Michael Thorbjornsen (Wellesley Country Club), Andrew DiRamio (North Hill Country Club), James Imai (George Wright Golf Course), Weston Jones (Charter Oak Country Club), Liam Gill (Marlborough Country Club), Xavier Marcoux (Nashawtuc Country Club) and Davis Chatfield (RIGA).
These players will be among the 312 in the field when the stroke-play portion of the tournament kicks off on Monday at both courses. Following the completion 36-hole stroke-play portion on Tuesday, the 64 low scorers will advance to match play on Wednesday. The Championship will conclude with a 36-hole match on Sunday to crown the U.S. Amateur champion and the entire match play portion of the championship will be conducted on the Oakmont Country Club layout, which will play to par-70, 7,254 yards.
Oakmont, located just outside of Pittsburgh, has hosted the U.S. Open nine times, more than any other course, most recently in 2016, and is scheduled for its 10th in 2025.
Michael Thorbjornsen is among the favorites as he followed up his victory in the 113th Massachusetts Amateur Championship in mid-July by winning the prestigious Western Amateur Championship two weeks later. The Standford University sophomore won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur champion and last year made the Quarterfinals in the 2020 U.S. Amateur to earn his spot this year.
Thorbjornsen is now ranked No. 29 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), jumping 42 places following his most recent victory. The 2021 Western Amateur and 2020 U.S. Amateur carry nearly equal power when it comes to calculating rankings.
Three more Massachusetts players — James Imai, Xavier Marcoux, and Davis Chatfield — all have prior U.S. Amateur experience. Imai, a junior at Northwestern University, competed in 2018 at Pebble Beach; Rutgers junior Marcoux competed in 2019 at Pinehurst; and Notre Dam senior Chatfield has competed in the past three, making it to the Round of 16 last year and Bandon Dunes.
Imai, a three-time Mass Junior Amateur champion, qualified by splitting medalist honors at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford, Connecticut. Marcoux, the 2019 New England Amateur champion, won medalist honors in the Longmeadow Country Club qualifier.
Junior golfers Weston Jones and Liam Gill are both making their debut in the U.S. Amateur before beginning their college journeys at Rutgers University and Seattle University, respectively. Jones was medalist in the Pinehills qualifier and competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur last month at Pinehurst. Gill qualified by shooting 8-under in his 36-hole qualifier at The Ledges Golf Club in York, Maine.
Andrew DiRamio, 38, the veteran of the group, qualified for his first U.S. Amateur at Pinehills. DiRamio has seen Oakmont previously, traveling 10 years ago to see the course on a road trip with friends.
DiRamio said the firm and fast conditions at Oakmont suit his game. With a new driver shaft on his club, he said he’s confident about keeping it in the fairway.
“Some of these holes you have to land it 30 or 40 yards short,” DiRamio said. “But the harder the better for me. I like the hang-on courses.”
James Imai (Brookline)
Round 1: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 7:30 a.m. | Round 2: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 12:45 p.m.
Andrew DiRamio (Boston)
Round 1: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 7:40 a.m. | Round 2: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 12:55 p.m.
Davis Chatfield (Attleboro)
Round 1: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 8:30 a.m. | Round 2: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 1:45 p.m.
Michael Thorbjornsen (Wellesley)
Round 1: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 9 a.m. | Round 2: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 2:15 p.m.
Xavier Marcoux (Concord)
Round 1: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 9:20 a.m. | Round 2: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 2:35 a.m.
Weston Jones (Sudbury)
Round 1: Tee 1 (Oakmont) – 1:15 p.m. | Round 2: Tee 9 (Longue Vue) – 8 a.m.
Liam Gill (Wayland)
Round 1: Tee 1 (Longue Vue) – 3:05 p.m. | Round 2: Tee 10 (Oakmont) – 9:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 9 (Stroke Play, Round 1, 18 holes)
Tuesday, Aug. 10 (Stroke Play, Round 2, 18 holes)
Wednesday, Aug. 11 (Round of 64, match play)
Thursday, Aug. 12 (Round of 32/Round of 16, match play)
Friday, Aug. 13 (Quarterfinal matches)
Saturday, Aug. 14 (Semifinal matches)
Sunday, Aug. 15 (Championship Match, 36-holes)
𝙐𝙎 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙!
Our 3️⃣ Knights got their first look at historic Oakmont CC today as prep is underway ahead of the first round on Monday 🐿
Proud to have Rhett, Xavier and Weston representing the program this week 🪓#JerseyJuice🥤 #GoRU⚔️ pic.twitter.com/x2xMtD5e1x
— Rutgers Mens Golf (@RUMensGolf) August 8, 2021
Good luck to our five guys taking on the #USAmateur this week!
Monday tee times (PT):
⛳️ 5:40 am – Ethan Ng
⛳️ 6:00 am – Michael Thorbjornsen
⛳️ 6:20 am – @henry_shimp
⛳️ 6:30 am – Daulet Tuleubayev
⛳️ 6:30 am – @natemenon #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/BJAHX8mdOq— Stanford Men’s Golf (@StanfordMGolf) August 8, 2021
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