U.S. Amateur

Men's Golf

Herrmann Brothers Make History at U.S. Amateur Championship

ATLANTA – History was made for the Georgia State men's golf team last week when former Panthers Alex and Max Herrmann teed it up in the 120th USGA U.S. Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Club last week.

After 12 years without a Panther in the field the twin brothers who both graduated in 2018, became part of an elite 264-player field.

With no qualifying for this year's event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the brothers qualified for the event based on their Men's World Amateur Golf Ranking as the top 25-ranked players 25 and older using the WAGR Age Filter as of June 24, 2020 allowed for an exemption into the championship.

This meant Alex and Max, who have played all over the world, and still consider Atlanta home, would travel to Oregon for arguably the world's premier amateur championship.

"I have played in many big events all over the world but this one just sticks out because of how difficult it is to get in the tournament," Alex said. "Its sort of is an accomplishment in itself to simply be a participant. The USGA conducts the event like they would conduct a U.S. Open, meaning, that everything is planned out and perfectly organized and the players really get to enjoy a special treatment."

"The tournament was by far the biggest and best event that I have ever played in," Max said. "There are so many factors that contributed to that, but I think the biggest was that the USGA treats it almost like a major. The organization was incredible and the service that they provided for all the players was something that I have not seen in amateur golf. The tournaments history, the strong field and the venue made it even better and therefore, we were both already very excited during the practice round."

The brothers had actually spent part of the summer back home in Germany and arrived two weeks before heading to Oregon because of the time distance and to quarantine if necessary. While back in Atlanta they stayed in isolation and only went out to practice golf.

From Atlanta it was on to Eugene, Ore., where after landing the realization hit that they were both about to play in the U.S. Amateur.
After arriving on Thursday, it was time for preparations for last Monday's first round of competition.

"I felt like I played alright," Alex said following rounds of 77 and 70 that left him two strokes shy of the cut to match play. "I was happy to see improvements in the areas of my game that I specifically worked on during the quarantine, with for example two-hole outs from off the green in round two. I am a bit disappointed, because I feel like I should have made it to the match play, even when considering that I was on the bad side of the draw and had to play in tougher conditions. Still, I will take a lot of positives from this week, because I handled myself very well under extremely difficult conditions and adapted well to the requirements of links golf in regards of shot making and club selections in a relatively short time period."

"Over the last two years, I made some changes in my golf game and I really improved as a player," Max said following rounds of 75 and 74, four strokes off the cut. "I put my main focus on my long game and I am very happy with the way that I hit the ball that week. It just takes so much pressure of you when you know that you can hit greens and fairways consistently, even in the wind and do not have to look for your ball in the rough or bushes on every other hole. On the other side, I did not put enough focus on my short game, which is why I made so many "soft" bogeys. I know that to be able to be in contention at the end of the week, you have to be good in all aspects of the game, which is why I have already started to work on my chipping and putting again."

Part of the alure of the championship is the courses that are played throughout the country, many of which have hosted PGA Tour and other USGA events. Brandon Dunes, a relatively new course, but has already played home to multiple USGA Championships.

"If you want to compare golf in Atlanta, to golf in Bandon Dunes, it is almost a totally different game," Max said. "The only comparable courses that I have ever played are links golf courses in England. The ball just does not stop where it lands and it and it usually rolls 20-30 yards from there. Therefore, it requires a lot more imagination and creativity when planning the shots. Another huge difference is the wind. It is very important to be able to shape the ball in both directions and keep it low when playing links golf, because of the wind. It kind of dictates what shot and what shot shape you have to hit."

After about a week on the West Coast, the brothers were back in Atlanta late last week as the week-long event continued. "I absolutely watched the rest of the championship," Alex said. "For two reasons: It gives me an idea where I stand, because I can directly compare my game to the game of the guys who are playing for the trophy, which helps me to assess, what I need to work on next. And secondly, it is history in the making and even more fun to watch when you have extra knowledge about the course and its difficulties. I also really enjoyed the broadcast, due to the nature of match play."

The 121st U.S. Amateur will return to the East Coast for the next two years starting with Oakmont Country Club in Plum, Penn., next summer, as Georgia State will look to have a tenth representative in the oldest championship in U.S. golf.
 
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