By making the cut at the Open Friday, Georgia Tech All-American Ollie Schniederjans has joined most elite company.
By making the cut at both the U.S. Open and the Open at St. Andrews, Schniederjans became the third amateur to achieve that double since 1960, according to the Golf Channel. The other two – Tiger Woods (1996) and Phil Mickelson (1991).
Woods and Mickelson, it perhaps goes without saying, have been two of the premier players in the game over the past 20 years and are second and tied for 14th all-time, respectively, for major championship victories. Woods and Mickelson are also first and second, respectively, for career money leaders on the PGA Tour and have won a combined $187 million.
Schniederjans, who earned a berth in both majors by finishing last summer as the world’s top-ranked amateur, finished his first two rounds at two-under-par 142. The second round was not completed Friday due to darkness, and high winds suspended play again on Saturday before the field could finish. (Play resumed just before 1 p.m. EDT.)
However, the cut line was at even par at 1:30 p.m., enough cushion for the Golf Channel to project him into the final two rounds. At the time of the suspension, Schniederjans was tied for 40th, and the top 70 plus ties make the cut. There were not enough players behind him on the leaderboard who had not finished their second round to push him below the cut line.
It has been a remarkable summer for Schniederjans, the ACC player of the year and a first-team All-American in his junior and senior seasons at Tech. He finished in a tie for 42nd at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in June at 7-over, ahead of tour fixtures like Woods, Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson.
At the Scottish Open last week, he finished in a tie for 77th at 2 over par, earning low-amateur status.
At St. Andrews before play resumed Saturday, he was tied for 40th with Mickelson and ahead of Rickie Fowler, Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk, among others.
Schniederjans is expected to turn professional after the Open. He is in the field for the Canadian Open, beginning Thursday in Oakville, Ont.
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
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