Sam Randolph

Sam Randolph, 21, of Santa Barbara, California, defeated Peter Persons of Macon, Georgia, 1 up, at Montclair Golf Club, West Orange, New Jersey. Randolph, a student at the University of Southern California, earned medalist honors with 134, tying a record set by Bob Clampett in 1979. Randolph defeated Mike Schuchart of Lincoln, Nebraska, 1 up, in a first round match and proceeded to the final without again having to play the 18th hole.

In the semi-finals he defeated Jack Kay, Jr., of Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, who earlier eliminated 1984 champion Scott Verplank, 4 and 3. Persons, a graduate of the University of Georgia, was twice extended to the 18th green on his way to the final. His semi-final opponent was Chip Drury, a college teammate from Brunswick, Georgia, whom he eliminated 3 and 1.

After losing the second hole in the final, Persons won the fifth with a birdie, the seventh with a par and the ninth with a birdie to take a 2-up lead. Randolph stormed back, winning the next five holes to go 3 up. After Persons won the 15th, Randolph birdied the 16th to regain his three-hole edge. Persons then won the 17th and 18th and was only one down as the afternoon began.

Neither golfer could manage more than a 1 up lead during the afternoon. Persons evened the match on the 19th hole, only to fall behind again on the 20th. Persons pulled even again on the 2lst hole. This pattern continued, with Randolph gaining a lead and Persons pulling even, until the 31st hole when Persons gained his first lead in the match since the 10th hole. Randolph evened the match with a birdie on the 32nd hole'. After the 33rd and 34th were halved with pars, Randolph's approach from the right rough on the 35th stopped two feet from the hole and the birdie gave him a one-hole lead.

On the final hole, Randolph made a par after blasting from the right greenside bunker to within eight feet to gain the victory. The USGA accepted 3,816 entries for the Championship.