Notebook: Knost A Tough Opponent

By Alex Miceli

San Francisco - Previous to this year’s showing, Colt Knost had qualified for two previous U.S. Amateurs, in 2005 and 2006, missing out on match play both times.

In 2005 at Merion, Knost shot 72-80 to finish 152nd. Last year at Hazeltine he shot 75-74 to finish at 150^th.

Knost’s luck changed in USGA events earlier this year when he won the U.S. Amateur Public Links at Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. Knost shot 76-74 to earn a 43 seed, going on to win 6 and 4 over Cody Paladino.

During that week Knost won 41 of the 112 holes he played, losing only 18, and trailed in 16 of the holes he played. He also never looked back in the finals that week, taking a 3-up lead through three holes.

In this year’s Amateur, Knost entered the semifinals never trailed over 64 holes. So he was in unfamiliar territory in the semifinals against Jhonattan Vegas when he had to play catch up through nine holes. That was until Knost won five of the last 10.

"In the quarters and semis at the Public Links I know I was one down at the turn both times. And I got down early in both those," Knost said. "I come out and lose the first two holes today. But I just told myself, ‘It's the same situation with the Public Links and you came out on top on those too. So we still got a lot of golf left and stay patient and it will be fine.’"

Make Or Break

There are different stretches at Olympic Club that can swing a match. The easiest hole on the course is contained in the first five, that being the par-5, 533-yard first with a stroke average of 4.939. It was one of only two holes that played under par in the two stroke play rounds, along with the short 286-yard, par-4 seventh.

Holes 11 through 13 can be challenging. The par-4 11th is the sixth-most difficult, the par-4 13th hole seventh, and the short par-3 15th hole the fifth hardest.

The Last Time

The last time Michael Thompson lost a match in the U.S. Amateur was in 2004 at Winged Foot, when he lost to Madalitso Muthiya of Lusaka, Zambia in the first round. Thompson lost in 20 holes.

Since then, Thompson has won five straight matches. In the process, he has won 30 holes, losing only 14, and has trailed only five of the 82 he has played in getting to the finals.

"I'm just more experienced with dealing with the pressures," said Thompson of the differences from 2004. "I don't put as much pressure on myself anymore. Being so young then I put a lot of pressure and in terms of wanting to go out and win all the time. Win every hole, almost. I didn't really know how to deal with the crowds and the media and seeing the cameras, the camera towers and stuff like that. I never really experienced that."

Watching

Renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his wife, Claiborne, were in the gallery following the Knost -Vegas match.

"We got here late, but I guess we saw the decisive parts," said Jones. "We're close by and wanted to see some of the tournament, but we hadn't had the chance until today. This is a great event. We enjoy amateur golf, and this is a wonderful place for national championships."

Jones planed to return on Sunday for the 36-hole final.

A Little Late

A funny thing happened on the way to The Olympic Club. That is what Colt Knost’s mother, LuAnn, and sister, Angie Paul, must have been thinking as they drove all over San Francisco trying to find the course.

They decided Friday to make the trip to San Francisco. That was the easy part. When their flights arrived, they had rental car issues and then were directed to downtown San Francisco. After asking directions of a passerby in downtown, they finally got the right advice and made it to the course just in time to see Knost signing autographs on the 15th hole after his semifinal win. 

Alex Miceli is a writer for the Golf Press Association whose work has appeared previously on www.usamateur.org.