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Local golf: Naples' Santos-Ocampo loses first-round match at U.S. Amateur
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Carl Santos-Ocampo made almost every putt down the stretch to make it to match play at the U.S. Amateur. But he couldn’t carry it through into his first match on Wednesday.
The Community School of Naples graduate lost to Jeff Edelman of Southlake, Texas, 5 and 3, in the first round on famed Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C.
“I was a little disappointed with the way I played,’’ he said. “Obviously, it was a great experience to get into the round of 64. Maybe, given a few more days, I’ll realize how good an accomplishment this is for me ... just how it’s good that I’m heading in the right direction.’’
The 20-year-old, a rising junior at Notre Dame who was seeded 47th, was all-square with Edelman after six holes, then lost five of the next seven to fall 5-down with six holes left. Santos-Ocampo had four bogeys and a double-bogey during that stretch.
Santos-Ocampo won No. 13 to get back to 4-down, but the two halved No. 14, and Edelman, a 20-year-old who had played for Duke, won No. 15 to end the match.
Santos-Ocampo said he actually was thrown off a bit when he accidentally hit his ball on the putting green on the third hole. He had to take a one-stroke penalty and ended up double-bogeying the hole to lose a 1-up lead.
“It was downgrain, and it was wet, and I just accidentally hit it,’’ he said.
In stroke play, Santos-Ocampo one-putted the last six holes, including a birdie on No. 18, on Tuesday to avoid a 26-man playoff for the 63rd and 64th match-play spots.
But Santos-Ocampo couldn’t get up and down for pars in Wednesday’s match.
“I had so many balls just hit the green and trickle off to the sides, places where it was hard to get up and down from,’’ he said.
Santos-Ocampo, who shot 73-71, advanced to the 64-player match play out of a field of 315. Cape Coral’s Connor Arendell missed the cut, tying for 209th.
Making the match play cut, and other strong play this summer, is what Santos-Ocampo will take into Notre Dame’s fall season. The fact he got to enjoy it with his father and former Fighting Irish teammate Eddie Peckels, a Pinehurst resident who caddied for him, just added to it.
“Eddie, we had a great time all three days,’’ Santos-Ocampo said. “It was good to share the experience. My dad, I’m pretty sure he was jumping up and down (Tuesday) when I made that putt to give me a good chance (of making it to match play).
“It was one of the best weeks of my life. I think I’ll just build from this.’’
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