Kraft is the
‘big cheese’
Texan Kelly Kraft wins the
U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills
rin Hills was at its baked and brown tourna-
ment best, Blue Mound G&CC retained its
impeccable reputation and the people of Wisconsin
again showed their passion for big-time golf events at
the 111th U.S. Amateur Championship.
When the dust and sand and fescue finally settled back to earth late on a Sunday afternoon at
Erin Hills, 22-year-old Kelly Kraft of Denton, Texas,
had added his name to an illustrious list of champions in America’s oldest golf championship.
Maybe someone should have seen this coming: A
guy named Kraft won the U.S. Amateur in a state
known for its cheese hosting the event for the first
time. He earned a thrilling 2-up final-match victory
over Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, Calif.
“Not yet,” Kraft said afterward when asked if he’d
had time to study the array of champions on the Have-
meyer Trophy. “But I know what’s on there.”
“What’s on there” are names like Bob Jones, Jack Nick-
laus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and so many more, and
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