SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State men's golfers Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands), Shea Lague (Jamul, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) and Dylan Oyama (Carlsbad, Calif./Pacific Ridge HS) will compete in the U.S. Amateur Championship, scheduled for Aug. 15-21 in Paramus, New Jersey. All three Aztec players punched their ticket to prestigious event based on their sectional qualifying results in July.
Hastings won his sectional qualifier on July 11 at Webster Golf Club in Rochester, New York, where he carded a 36-hole total of 6-under 136. He followed his even-par 71 with a 6-under 65, logging six birdies without recording a bogey. Hastings played in nine tournaments last season with SDSU, ranking fifth on the team with a 73.00 stroke average. Hastings twice was named the Mountain West Men's Golf Freshman of the Week (March 24 and April 14).
Lague, meanwhile, tied for second on July 19 at Goose Greek Golf Club in Jurupa Valley, California, logging a 5-under 135. He opened with a 3-under 67 and followed with a 2-under 68 to get into a four-man playoff for two spots. Lague and Potter outlasted Jay Leng Jr. and Connor Nolan in the playoff to advance to the U.S. Amateur Championship. Lague played in 22 rounds last year as a freshman at San Diego State, posting a 73.18 scoring average. He was named the MW Men's Golf Freshman of the Week on Jan. 27.
Oyama, finally, crushed the field at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, California, on July 5, finishing as the only player under par at 8-under 136. An incoming freshman, Oyama fired a pair of 4-under 68s, logging 13 birdies against five bogeys. Oyama comes to the Aztecs from Pacific Ridge High School in nearby Carlsbad.
This year marks the 122th installment of the U.S. Amateur, making it the oldest golf championship in the nation, one day older than the U.S. Open. Other than an eight-year period from 1965-1972, when it was contested at stroke play, the Amateur has been a match-play championship.
This year's field includes 312 golfers competing in 36 holes of stroke play over the first two days on The Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club. After the second round, the low 64 scorers advance to match play at The Ridgewood Country Club.
For Monday's opening round, all three SDSU golfers will play on the par-70, 7,256-yard Arcola Country Club with Oyama teeing off from the 10th hole at 9:06 a.m. ET (6:06 a.m. PT), and Hastings (12:36 p.m. ET/9:36 a.m. PT) and Lague (1:49 p.m. ET/10:49 a.m. PT) both teeing off on the first. On the par-71, 7,487-yard Ridgewood Country Club on Tuesday, Hastings will start things off from the ninth at 7:21 a.m. ET (4:21 a.m. PT) with Lague set to tee off from the same hole at 8:34 a.m. ET (5:34 a.m. PT). Oyama, meanwhile, is slated to tee off from the first at 2:21 p.m. ET (11:21 a.m. PT).
The round of 64 will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 17, followed by the round of 32 and round of 16 on Thursday, the quarterfinals on Friday, the semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday.
The champion of the 122nd U.S. Amateur receives a gold medal, custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for one year, an exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, an exemption into 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, 2023 Open Championship (must be an amateur) and likely invitation into 2023 Masters Tournament (must be an amateur).
Two San Diego State golfers have been crowned U.S. Amateur champion: Gene Littler took home the title in 1953 after defeating Dale Morey, 1 up, at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, while Gunn Yang emerged victorious in 2014 over Corey Conners, 2&1, on the Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.
Other notable winners include Bob Jones (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930), Arnold Palmer (1954), Jack Nicklaus (1959, 1961), Lanny Wadkins (1970), Craig Stadler (1973), Mark O'Meara (1979), Hal Sutton (1980), Jay Sigel (1982, 1983), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1994, 1995, 1996), Matthew Fitzpatrick (2013) and Bryson DeChambeau (2015).
SDSU is coming off another successful season in 2021-22, winning the MW Championship, its second straight Wyoming Cowboy Classic and finishing eighth at the NCAA Norman Regional in Norman, Oklahoma.
San Diego State kicks off the 2022-23 campaign at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, Sept. 9-11 in Scottsdale, Arizona.