Nathaniel Crosby

Nathaniel Crosby, 19, of Hillsborough, California, won the Amateur Championship in a dramatic fashion usually reserved for other members of his famous family. The Championship was played over the Lake Course of the Olympic Club in San Francisco, not more than 15 miles from the Crosby home. He was down in four of his six matches and each time he played the shots he needed to win.

Crosby defeated fellow Californian Brian Lindley, 24, of Fountain Valley, 1 up, 37 holes, settling the matter with a birdie putt of 20 feet on the first extra hole. It was the first time that a final had gone more than 36 holes since 1950.

In the 36 holes of stroke play that preceded match play, Joe Rassett, of Turlock, California, led the starting field of 282 with a qualifying score of 145, to capture medalist honors. The field included members of both the American and British Walker Cup Teams.

Crosby and Lindley both made match play with 152 totals. Defending Champion and Walker Cupper Hal Sutton also made it with 151. Rassett lost his second round match to Bill Bergin, 2 and 1, and Sutton bowed to Walker Cup teammate and two-time Amateur Public Links Champion Jodie Mudd, 2 up.

Before reaching the final, Crosby's sternest test came from Willie Wood in the semi-final round. Wood had Crosby 3 down after eight holes, but going to the 16th hole, the match was even. Crosby then played three marvelous bunker shots, the first to save a half in par at the 16th; the second, a spectacular shot from the lower of two bunkers to the right of the 17th green to within two feet for another par to win the hole; and the third for another par at the l8th to win the match, 2 up. In the other semi-final match, Lindley defeated Walker Cupper Bob Lewis, Jr., 3 and 2. Lewis had lost in the final to Sutton in 1980.

In the morning round of the final match, neither player was able to establish a comfortable lead. Lindley was ahead, 1 up, at the lunch break on a 74 to Crosby's 76, four and six over par, respectively. As the afternoon round began, Lindley pulled further ahead, winning the second hole with a bogey, the third with a par 3 and the seventh with a birdie 3 to go four up. Crosby won the ninth with a par 4, but Lindley had a three hole lead with seven to play. But when he lost the 12th and 13th, his lead was down to one hole. Lindley chipped in for a birdie 3 at the 14th to go 2 up.

Both played excellent tee shots on the par-3 15th and halved the hole with birdie putts of eight feet or less. Both had their problems at the 16th, a par 5. Lindley was in the front bunker in three. Crosby was off the back of the green, also in three. But, Crosby chipped 10 feet past and holed the putt for a winning par as Lindley faltered. Crosby needed only a bogey 5 to win the 17th and the match was even. Both made par 4s on the 18th.

On the first extra hole, a par 5, both players were on the edge of the green in three shots. Lindley chipped close and had a short putt for a par. Crosby then holed his curling left-to-right putt of 20 feet to cap a remarkable comeback.

For a moment, Crosby thought that he had missed the putt as the ball waited on the lip of the cup for an instant before falling in. Crosby became only the fifth golfer to win the Amateur Championship before his 20th birthday.

The difficult weather conditions sent the scores soaring, even Crosby's. Though he won, Crosby was 33 over par for 120 holes of match play. Add his score of 152 for the 36 holes of stroke play and he was 45 over par for 156 holes. Still, he made the critical shots, the type that win championships.

William C. Campbell, the 1964 Amateur Champion, made his 37th appearance in the Championship, a record surpassed only by Charles Evans, Jr., who played in 50. The USGA accepted 3,525 entries, short of the record 4,008 for the 1980 Championship.