CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. (AP) — Steve Fox made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole Sunday, completing a remarkable underdog run to win the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.
The 21-year-old Fox, from Hendersonville, Tenn., was 2-down with two holes to play against Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., before rallying with consecutive birdies to force the extra hole.
Fox, a senior at Tennessee-Chattanooga, made an 11-foot putt to win the 35th hole.
Still with a 1-up advantage, Weaver, a 21-year-old redshirt junior at the University of California, needed to make a 5-foot putt on the 36th hole at the 18th green to secure the win, but it lipped out, extending the championship round to a 37th hole.
A shaken Weaver landed his next tee shot in the rough, putting himself in a tough spot and needing two more shots to put the ball on the green. Fox then hit a slow roller, breaking at the end from left to right, for the winning putt.
Fox, like Weaver, survived a 17-for-14 playoff to qualify for the 64-player match play field. Fox entered match play as the No. 63 seed.
