Vincent takes aim at US Amateur Championship

Sport
The 29 year-old Scott produced the best performance by a Zimbabwean athlete at the Olympic Games after finishing in a tie for 16th position in the Olympics men’s golf tournament on 11-under par , just four shots shy of a place in the playoff for a bronze medal.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

BARELY a week after his brother Scott Vincent went toe to toe with some of the world’s best professional golfers at the Tokyo Olympic Games; Kieran will not be short of inspiration as he aims to write his own piece of history when he tees off in the US Amateur Championship tomorrow.

The 29 year-old Scott produced the best performance by a Zimbabwean athlete at the Olympic Games after finishing in a tie for 16th position in the Olympics men’s golf tournament on 11-under par , just four shots shy of a place in the playoff for a bronze medal.

Now younger sibling Kieran, who has been tipped to soon follow his spike marks in the professional ranks, will also have an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best amateur golfers in the world in the prestigious US Amateur Championship.

The 23-year-old US-based amateur golfer is the lone Zimbabwean challenger in this year’s US Amateur Championship, being played at the iconic Oakmont Country Club from 9 – 15 August.

Kieran qualified for the top event in style after claiming medalist honours 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.

The top three finishers in the two-round, one-day tournament earned him US Amateur berths.

Kieran 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.

Kieran will join a large field of 312 players looking to finish inside the top 64 of the 36-hole qualifier and reach the match play stage of the championship.

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.

Kieran 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).

Africa will be further represented in the US Amateur Championship by South Africa’s Martin Vorster.