Jackson Buchanan, Noah Kent reach US Amateur semi-finals

CHASKA, Minn. — Illinois senior Jackson Buchanan finally got a breather Friday at the US Amateur, needing just 15 holes and never to follow up with a 4-3 victory over Jacob Modleski to reach the semifinals at Hazeltine National.

The semifinals feature two Americans — Buchanan will face Iowa senior Noah Kent — and two Spaniards after Jose Luis Ballester and Luis Masaveu won their quarterfinal matches.

Buchanan started the tiebreaker by going the distance to win 2 up over Preston Summerhays, the world No. 6 ranked junior. He dropped top-ranked Luke Clanton 1 in the next round, then birdied the 18th hole to defeat Tyler Mawhinney.

The windy quarterfinal match felt like a breeze.

“It feels weird. It doesn’t even feel like I won,” Buchanan said. “I played hard. That’s right.”

Buchanan won the first hole with a birdie and never followed through, building a 4 lead with a long birdie putt on the 12th. He closed out the match with Modleski when the two were tied at 5 15.

Next up was Kent, who won 3 and 2 over Ethan Fang.

Kent, the stepson of golf course designer Dana Fry, also never trailed in his game after winning the second hole with a birdie. He stretched the lead to 3-up on the turn and Fang was unable to stop him.

“Kind of getting into the zone early, and everything felt right at the beginning of the round,” Kent said.

Spain is guaranteed one entry to the Masters — the US Amateur champion and the runner-up receive invitations to the Masters.

Ballester is number 10 in the world junior rankings, the only player from the top 10 to reach the round of 16. He fell behind Bobby Massa at the turn and caught Massa bogeying the back nine.

Ballester regained the lead with a par on the 14th, then took control on the 16th when Massa’s tee shot went left and into the water. That put the Spaniard at 2 with two holes to play, and Massa couldn’t bogey the 119-yard 17th hole to extend the match.

Masaveu, one of four rookies to win this summer’s British Open at Royal Troon, fell 2-under to Brendan Valdes after four holes and it took until the Spaniard birdied the 10th to level the match.

A birdie on the 14th gave Masaveu the lead outright, then he hit an impressive long iron to the back pin on the par-5 15th to about 10 feet, an eagle putt that was allowed when Valdes failed to get up-and-down for birdie.

The game ended on the 16th when Valdes drove into the left field on the 16th. Masaveu had to hole a 6-foot par putt to win 3 and 2.

Now you are faced with a good friend Ballester who is in great danger.

The winners of Saturday’s semifinals receive invitations to the Masters and the US Open, while Sunday’s winner also enters the British Open.