Semifinals To Feature Medalist, Harrell, Hwang, Reach

By Ken Klavon, USGA

Bedminster, N.J. – Call it a pleasant case of déjà vu. 

Jay Hwang, prepared to drive during his quarterfinal victory, will face Nicholas Reach in his semifinal. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)

Jordan Spieth, the 15-year-old Dallas, Texas, wunderkind, knew the fate of a repeat visit to the U.S. Junior Amateur semifinal round rested on a 200-yard approach shot Friday morning.

“I’d be lying if I said my knees weren’t shaking over my second shot,” he said after vanquishing Yaroslav Merkulov, 17, of Penfield, N.Y., 1 up, on the Trump National Golf Club New Course.

Spieth kept running but Merkulov never could quite catch him. On the par-4 18th hole, the intensity tighter than a vise, Spieth threw a smokescreen with his approach shot that stopped 12 feet from the flagstick off the back fringe. It was clutch because Merkulov had been longer roughly 10-15 yards off the tee. It also threw the weight of the moment on Merkulov’s stocky shoulders. Chalk up the experience factor to Spieth. For Merkulov, this was uncharted territory in the Junior Amateur. He had never advanced this far. His next two shots would arguably be the most significant of a budding amateur career.

With 178 yards to the hole, Merkulov gripped a 5-iron and sent a marvelous approach to within 10 feet of the flagstick. Spieth would finesse his first putt to tap-in range, forcing Merkulov into a must-make situation. The putt wasn’t easy as the ball had to travel downhill from right to left.

Merkulov, who underwent open heart surgery at age 11 to correct a congenital heart defect, studied the read as though he was staring at fine print. The putt sailed left. Merkulov clenched the putter over his head in exasperation.

“I under read the break,” said Merkulov. It was all but over. However, Merkulov had given himself a chance after Spieth, an accomplished junior player, birdied three of the first five holes to go 3 up. That’s because he had a 40-foot bomb of a putt on No. 6. Then on the next hole, Merkulov birdied again with a chip-in from the front left of the green that erased Spieth’s 30-foot pitch, which stopped inches from its destination.

“I figured I was tying that hole, then all of a sudden he’s walking in after his chip,” said Spieth.

Merkulov squared the match on No. 9 when Spieth bogeyed. Spieth won No. 11 with a birdie and never looked back. Merkulov had chances but a balky putter was his own worst enemy.

“My only disappointment is that I didn’t make enough putts,” said Merkulov.

For Spieth, avenging his semifinal loss in last year’s Junior Amateur has been on his mind. Last year at Shoal Creek, as a 14 year old, he didn’t really know what to expect. This year has been different.  As he has mowed down his opponents, he’s become a progeny of sorts, as the followers have multiplied. He’s aware of his surroundings – mindful of the TV cameras, the quadruple-aged gawkers and the plentiful blood-related supporters. Various family members have been on-site every day this week.

Logan Harrell does his best flamingo imitation while watching a putt during his quarterfinal match. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)

His semifinal match will be against the left-handed hitting Logan Harrell, a friend he met three years ago at a junior all-star event in North Carolina. The 17-year-old Logan knocked out Cameron Wilson, 16, of Rowayton, Conn., 2 up. 

 “It helps to have been here before, for sure,” said Spieth, adding that “the biggest thing this afternoon is the start. If you start out well, you don’t want to be that other person who has to push.”

The two have never faced each other in match play. They have played practice rounds together, creating a pseudo match-play scenario.

“He beat me in score, but I took the money from him,” said Harrell.

Harrell said he looks forward to the matchup. There will be no awkwardness on his part.

“I guess I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to win a tournament,” said Harrell smiling.

In the late semifinal match, Jay Hwang, 16, of San Diego, Calif., will take on Nicholas Reach, 17, of Moscow, Pa., on the 7,159-yard, par-72 New Course.

“I was hoping to come here and just play good golf, to see how far I could get,” said Hwang. “But I’ve really putted the ball well this week. I like the fast greens here a lot, and in the match this morning, I kept hitting good shots that carried me to the win.”

Two semifinalists will advance to Saturday’s scheduled 36-hole final. Both finalists will be exempt into this year’s U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club.

Ken Klavon is the USGA’s editor of New Media. E-mail him with questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.