England's Clemons to face Denmark's Olesen for Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin
Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen is into The 129th Amateur Championship Final at Ballyliffin. Credit: The R&A
England’s Dominic Clemons and Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark will meet in the Final of The 129th Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin.
On a challenging, sodden day on the northwest tip of Ireland, Clemons and Olesen battled their opponents, the weather and the rigorous test posed by the Glashedy Links to set-up a 36-hole showdown for one of the amateur game’s most cherished prizes.
Clemons, who came close to defeat on the final green of his quarter-final match in the morning, booked his place in the last two with a spirited one-hole victory over fellow Englishman Jack Bigham.
Olesen, who is making his debut in The Amateur Championship, was a 3&1 winner against Luke Sample of the United States of America and became the first Danish player to reach the final.
The pair will now square off for one of the most prestigious trophies in amateur golf with the winner also securing exemptions into The 152nd Open at Royal Troon in July, next year’s US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament in 2025.
Clemons, who won the Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship by 17 shots at Muirfield earlier this month, showed patience, poise and resilience in a nip-and-tuck joust with Walker Cup player Bigham to maintain his push for another significant title.
With nothing to separate the sparring duo, a key moment arrived on the 15th hole when Bigham’s third shot clattered the flag and bounced some 20 feet away from the hole. The former R&A Boys’ Amateur champion missed his par putt and Clemons inched ahead.
He was still one-up playing the last and cliched the victory when Bigham’s birdie putt to keep his hopes alive lipped out.
England’s Dominic Clemons is into The 129th Amateur Championship Final at Ballyliffin.
Olesen, a student at the University of Arkansas, revelled in the links test and staved off the gallant challenge of fellow championship debutant Sample.
The 25-year-old had holed a couple of terrific putts around the turn, but Sample continued to put up a spirited resistance.
A wild tee shot on the 15th hole, however, saw the New Yorker slip one hole behind, and Olesen pressed home his advantage with a birdie on the 16th.
With Sample toiling in the bunkers up the 17th, Olesen wrapped up the match in style with a fine approach which kissed the flag.
In the morning’s quarter-finals, Olesen claimed the notable scalp of Scotland’s Walker Cup player Calum Scott on the final green.
The Dane had been two-down with just four to play but Scott stumbled to a trio of bogeys at 15, 16 and 17 as the match turned on its head in the last knockings.
Clemons, meanwhile, edged through at the 20th hole against Germany’s Laurenz Schiergen.
In a fascinating match of fluctuating fortunes, Clemons, who had been two-up after a brace of birdies at the first and second, found himself on the back foot late on when he missed a short putt on the 16th to fall behind for the first time.
Schiergen, aiming to become only the second German to reach the Final, had a chance to win it on the 17th but missed from eight feet.
Schiergen then had a three-footer on the 18th to seal a last four-berth, but his putt lipped out. Clemson was handed an unlikely reprieve and went on to win at the second extra hole.
England’s Dominic Clemons has set up a tee time in the Final of The 129th Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin. Credit: The R&A
Dominic Clemons, England
“Obviously, you can't think ahead, but I was definitely coming in to win, but you've still got to play one match at a time. It doesn't mean a lot until I win tomorrow. So just keep it going. See how it goes, and hopefully, it will be a good day.
“I don't feel like I've played my best at all. But I've kind of just done enough, really. I think I have to play a lot better tomorrow to take the trophy.
“I'm quite calm and laid back. But I'm quite confident on the inside in terms of my golf game. You know, hopefully, that stays.”
Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen celebrates with his caddy after making it into the Final of The 129th Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin. Credit: The R&A
Jacob Skov Olesen, Denmark
“It was fun. It was tough. I enjoyed, the wind kind of calmed down and we had a little rain, I like that a little more. It was really hard to control the shots this morning.
“But it was tough still. Keeping everything dry and trying to keep up with the pace, not fall too far behind but you also want to be committed and make sure everything is correct and be dry when you know there's a lot at stake.
“If you hit good shots and you do well, then conditions don't really matter. You've just got to stay focused and stay calm and just be ready for whatever comes.
“It was nice to roll in a couple long putts. I haven't really rolled in anything long all week and all of a sudden three massive ones in four holes. That was really nice.”
