Re-energized Dickey Prevails

By Ken Klavon, USGA

San Francisco – He’s here to prove to prove to himself that the spark hasn’t entirely gone out. If anything, Kyle Dickey has rekindled the passion he felt before he burned out on golf.

The 22-year-old from Summerville, S.C., had won the NJCAA Division III National Championship as a member of the Georgia Military College golf team in 2004. Then he needed a break.

"I was just playing too much," said the scruffy Dickey after dispatching Nathan Tyler in the second round of match play Thursday, 3 and 1, at the U.S. Amateur. "I’m glad to be back in it."

Dickey renewed his love after a group of spirited and accomplished players formed a kinship at Pine Forest Country Club in Summerville. They pushed each other, which invigorated the competitive juices. Dickey moved to the area in 2006 from Milledgeville, Ga. He decided soon after that he wanted to get back into tournament play. He had designs on playing in last year’s U.S. Amateur but he felt his game wasn’t ready. So this year he set out to qualify, the second time he’s tried, and then let the chips fall where they may.

In the third round he took on Tyler, a polished player coming off a decent career at the University of Arizona. Not to mention that the 25-year-old Tucson native was freshly crowned as the victor at the Arizona State Amateur this past weekend. Tyler chose to drive 13 ½ hours to San Francisco and got in just seven practice holes before the championship commenced. "I’m a college student," said Tyler. "It’s what you have to do sometimes."

Did he run out of energy against Dickey? He didn’t think so. He wouldn’t use it as an excuse. Nor would it make Dickey empathetic since match play is every man for himself.

"I was hitting it absolutely horrendous," said Dickey of the first five holes. Tyler, to his chagrin, had chances to take control early by being in a position to win four of the first five holes. He walked to the sixth tee with just a 1-up lead.

Dickey battled and scrambled. He finally caught Tyler on the 10^th hole with a birdie putt, which he said provided needed momentum.

On the par-4 14^th, Tyler’s putter betrayed him. He yanked a 5-foot putt that would have halved the hole. Dickey increased his lead to 2 up on the next hole, a par 3, when Tyler couldn’t get up and down from the left greenside rough.

Tyler hung in with a 20-foot par save on the 16^th, then got overly aggressive trying to make something happen on No. 17. Tyler’s drive hooked into the rough before he stayed in the junk on the approach shot. He failed to get up and down all before Dickey capped off a two-putt from 50 feet.

Even though he had been in command late, Dickey knew not to relax.

"You can’t really do that out here," he said.

He’ll get more of a test this afternoon when he takes on Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas.

Ken Klavon is the USGA’s Web Editor. E-mail him questions or comments at kklavon@usga.org.