Wilson Earns Medalist Honors at U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying; 11 Others Moving onto Final Qualifying

MORTON, Minn. -- This year, there is a new qualifying format the U.S. Amateur to be contested at Hazeltine National Golf Club and Chaska Town Course, August 12-18. Traditionally, there were two one-day, 36-hole qualifiers held in Minnesota with 2-3 qualifiers per site. This year, there is one local qualifier with 12 golfers moving on to the final qualifier which has a yet-to-determined number of golfers moving straight into the U.S. Amateur.

On a windy day at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn., recently reinstated amateur Jacques Wilson broke the course record with an 8-under-par 64 to claim medalist honors at U.S Amateur Local Qualifying and spot into the U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying.

Starting on the first hole, Wilson would come out of the gate hot, birdieing his first three holes to reach 3-under. He had a crucial up and down on the fifth hole to keep the momentum going.

“I made a really good par save on 5. I kind of short sided myself there and got up and down which was a big momentum booster,” Wilson said of the par save.

Riding the momentum, he would go on to par his next two holes and would roll in another birdie putt on the par-5 6th hole to get to 4-under.

Wilson would end up making the turn at 4-under after four straight pars to end his front nine. He would yet again start his back-nine off with a flurry of four birdies in his first five holes at the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes to reach 8-under for the day through his first 13 holes. With the course record in reach, he would play steadily with pars at his final four holes to finish at 8-under 64 and beat the course record by one shot.

“It feels great…We stuck to our gameplan, this is my 7th or 8th U.S. Am Qualifier out here, so I am very comfortable with the golf course. I didn't know that was the course record today, I told Zach [Wilson's caddie] that I had not idea what I was at…I was just focused on what was in front of me,” Wilson said following the round.

The 2017 MGA Players' champ, Wilson is looking to qualify is looking to qualify for his second U.S. Amateur and the first since 2017. Growing up playing Chaska Town Course, one of the stroke-play qualifying sites for the 2024 U.S. Amateur, qualifying would be special.

“It means a lot to Minnesota golf having the U.S. Am at Hazeltine and Chaska Town Course. I grew up playing Chaska Town Course, that's my home course, so for it to be out there is very special.”

Jacob Peterson had the round of the afternoon wave with a 5-under 67 to earn the second-best round of the day and his spot into the final qualifier.

He birdied the first hole of his round, the 10th hole, which eased him into his round.

“I birdied my first hole of the day. I hit my drive into a screwy spot and hit a wedge to about 10-15 feet and made the putt, which was a really good start and could relax after that,” Pederson said following the round.

He followed the opening birdie with two pars and would birdie the 13th to get to 2-under. He would close out his front nine with a pair of birdies and pars and a bogey to make the turn at 3-under.

From there, Pederson would continue his solid play with four birdies over his next eight holes to stand at 7-under for the day. He would stumble on his last hole of the day, the 9th, making a double bogey but still posting a 5-under 67 to move onto final qualifying.

With a chance to move onto a U.S. Amateur in his home state, Wetzel is excited for the opportunity.

“I've played in two [U.S. Amateur's] before but playing in one that is 10 minutes from my house would be really cool,” Pederson reflected after the round.

Jack Wetzel, a soon to be junior on the University of Minnesota's golf team, finished four shots back of Wilson after a 4-under 68 to earn the second lowest score of the day and his spot into U.S. final qualifying.

Wetzel, like Wilson, started out his round on fire. Riding a hot putter, Wetzel would roll in birdies on five of his first eight holes, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th holes, to reach 5-under and take the early lead in the qualifier.

“I was lucky with the putter early, I made a lot of mid-range birdie putts so it's nice when you're hitting the ball well to pay it off,” Wetzel said of his putting.

Making the turn at 5-under, Wetzel birdied the 10th hole and rolled in a 30-foot putt on the 11th to reach 7-under through 11 holes.

Stumbling with a bogey on the 12th hole, Wetzel made pars on his next three holes when he reached the 220-yard par-3 16th.

“I left myself in jail on 16…I flared it into the right bunker and had a 40-yard bunker that was short sided. I was just playing to hit the green and hit a really good bunker shot to about 30 feet which was all I was looking for. It's really easy to send that over the green or leave it in the bunker, 5's and 6's are possible from there so that was a key shot to keep me steady after a bad tee shot,” Wetzel said.

Wetzel would stumble once more with a bogey at the 18th hole, but it was still good enough for a 4-under 68 which moved him onto final qualifying with hopes of qualifying for his first U.S. Amateur.

Following his good play in the last several season, Bryce Hanstad also earned a spot into final qualifying after a 2-under 70.

Hanstad played a solid round throughout the day. Minus a two stretch of 3-over on two holes, Hanstad carded 5 birdies and 11 pars to move on.

There were three players who finished at 1-under for the day: Josh Persons, Carson Herron and Trent Peterson.

Persons started steady with three birdies over his first 14 holes against no bogeys to stand at 3-under. He would err down the last four holes with three bogeys and birdie but it was enough to earn his spot into final qualifying.

Herron, playing one of the steadier rounds in the field, carded three birdies against two bogeys to move onto to final qualifying. Herron is looking to head to his third straight U.S. Amateur.

Playing in one of the last groups, in the toughest conditions, Peterson was even-par through nine holes, with all pars. He would birdie three out of his next six over to sit at 3-under.

He would stand on the final hole at 2-under knowing a bogey would get him through to final qualifying. In trouble off the tee, he laid up short of the trouble on the 9th to ensure he took a double bogey out of play, which he did, and moved through to final qualifying.

There were then six players tied at even par but only four available qualifying spots remaining. Sam Udovich, Cooper Markham, Nate Diziel and Kagan Kollar would all survive the playoff and move onto final qualifying while Jack Dudeck and Bennett Swavely would earn the 1st and 2nd alternate spots respectively.

U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying will take place on July 31 at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club.