SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State men’s golfers Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands), Tyler Kowack (Del Mar, Calif./La Jolla HS) and Nathan Sampson (Temecula, Calif.) are set to compete in the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championships, scheduled for Aug. 12-18 in Chaska, Minnesota.
Hastings is one of 143 fully exempt players in the 312-man field due to being in the top-100 points leaders in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of June 16, while Kowack and Sampson each had to work through final qualifying events. Kowack advanced to the U.S. Amateur after tying for second at Bend Golf Club in Bend, Oregon on July 29 at 4-under-par 68. Sampson, meanwhile, came in second at Alta Mesa Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona on July 25, carding a 5-under 67. Sampson had to first come out of local qualifying, shooting a 3-under 69 on June 20 at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, California.
Hastings is coming off a fantastic junior season with the Aztecs where he was a PING All-West Region selection and all-Mountain West pick, each for a second straight year. Hastings ranked second on the team behind Kowack with a 71.03 stroke average over 33 rounds. Hastings, who also ranked second in rounds in the 60s (9), rounds below par (15) and even-par rounds (4), opened the season with a wire-to-wire victory at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Sept. 8-10) with an 18-under 195, the best 54-hole score in program history. In 11 tournaments for the season, he had a win, three top-5 finishes, five top-10 efforts and six top 20s.
Kowack led the team with a 70.91 stroke average last season across 35 rounds, and also topped SDSU in rounds in the 60s (13) and rounds below par (21). Kowack captured the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, Sept. 25-26, at 11-under 205. Out of 12 tournaments last season, Kowack had one victory, two top-5s, three top-10s and six top-20 finishes.
Sampson competed in four events as an individual in his first season on The Mesa, finishing with a 72.50 stroke average, which ranked fifth on the team (min. 12 rounds).
This year marks the 124th 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 par-72, 7,599-yard Hazeltine National and the par-70, 6,804-yard Chaska Town Course. After the second round, the low 64 scorers advance to match play at Hazeltine National.
All three Aztecs will play their first round at Chaska on Monday with Hastings (9:39 a.m. CT) and Kowack (12:30 p.m. CT) teeing off from the first hole, and Sampson (1:30 p.m. CT) from the 10th. In Tuesday’s second round at Hazeltine, Sampson tees off from the first hole at 7:33 a.m. CT, while Kowack (7 a.m. CT) and Hastings (2:09 p.m. CT) each tee off from the 10th hole.
The round of 64 will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 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 124th 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 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont C.C., 2025 Open Championship (must be an amateur) and likely invitation into 2025 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 Francis Ouimet (1913, 1931), Bobby 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).
San Diego State’s schedule for the 2024-25 season will be released shortly. The Aztecs are the three-time defending Mountain West champions.