BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
WHILE his brother Scott is preparing for the biggest challenge of his professional golf career to date at the Tokyo Olympic Games later this month, Kieran Vincent is also making a name for himself on the amateur ranks in the US.
The older of the Vincent brothers, Scott will be aiming to lift the country’s flag high of world sport’s biggest stage when he represents the country in the Olympic men’s golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club from July 29 to August 1.
He could soon he could be joined in the professional ranks by his younger sibling Kieran, who last week celebrated another milestone in his fledgling career after qualifying for the prestigious US Amateur Championship.
The US Amateur Championship, which was first played in 1895, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers.
This year’s 121st edition of the US Amateur will be played from August 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania with a stellar field of some of the world’s leading amateur golfers expected to
Kieran qualified for the top event in style after claiming medalist honors in the tournament qualifier at James River Country Club in Newport News, Virginia.
Vincent who is on a golf scholarship at Liberty University, carded rounds of 65 and 66 for a two round total of nine-under par 131.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The top three finishers in the two-round, one-day tournament earned U.S. Amateur berths.
Vincent will be making his second successive appearance in the US Amateur after earning a berth at last year’s edition played at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
While last year he missed the cut after carding rounds of 81 and 71 in the 36 hole strokeplay portion of the tournament, Vincent will be targeting a better performance this time around.
The US Amateur champion receives a world of perks, from automatic selection to the US Walker Cup team (if he is eligible) to an invitation to the Masters, US Open and Open Championship to starts in a handful of other professional event on the PGA Tour.
Vincent will head into this year’s tournament on the back of an impressive season for the Liberty University team, finishing top 10 in seven out of nine events during the US collegiate spring season).
A recipient of several awards and nominations due to his performances this season, Vincent currently ranks first in Liberty University history with a 71.81 career stroke average, which includes 20 top-10 finishes and 62 career rounds at par or better.
