The Jordan Spieth-Adam Ball match is clearly the main event of the US Junor Amateur Championships this afternoon at Gold Mountain.
Dallas’ Spieth has been the big gun everyone’s talking about all week. You probably know his resume by now: 2009 US Junior Am champ; four-time participant in this tournament; played in the US Am last year at Chambers Bay; Polo All-American, made the cut twice and contended in PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Classic, tying for 16th in 2010 and 32nd this year.
Ball of Richmond, Va., is playing in his third Junior Am. Also played at Chambers Bay last year in Amateur. Dad is coach at Virginia Commonwealth, where his older brother also plays. Ball’s currently the hottest player in the field. He came from 3 down at 12 to win his quarterfinal match with a par, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie finish. Ball was really good this morning in taking out medalist Beau Hossler 2 and 1. Spieth turns 18 on July 27. Ball is 17.
The other semi is today’s undercard: Colombia’s Nicolas Echavarria vs. Chelso Barrett of Keene, N.H. I’ll be honest, I’ve seen very little of both this week, but will be getting out of the clubhouse in a second to follow the afternoon matches. Echavarria’s coming off a third-place finish in the Junior World tourney in San Diego and is in his first USGA championship. Barrett won the 2010 New Hampshire and New England Junior Championships. Barrett lost ot Spieth in first round of 2010 Jr. Am. Barrett and Echavarria are both 16.
We’ll check back when they make the turn. Look for my tweets @cstarkkitsapsun.
