News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
CHASKA, Minn. – Texas A&M men’s golf standouts Wheaton Ennis and Phichaksn Maichon were victorious on the first day of match play at the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship Wednesday, advancing to the round of 32.
Ennis outlasted Ziqin Zhou in 19 holes and Maichon topped Caden Fioroni, 4&3, in action at the par-72, 7,552-yard Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Maichon went 2-up after three holes, but Fioroni battled back to tie the match through eight. It remained knotted through No. 11 before Maichon went on a heater claiming four consecutive holes to clinch the match. The Bangkok, Thailand native took advantage of Fioroni bogeys on No. 12 & 13 and he closed the deal with birdies on No. 14 & 15.
Ennis was embroiled in a donnybrook all day. He claimed 1-up leads after the first and fifth holes, but Zhou birdies at No. 6 and No. 9 put his opponent, an incoming freshman at Cal-Berkeley, 1-up at the midway point. Zhou went 2-up on No. 12 before Ennis made a late charge. The Eagle, Idaho product birdied No. 14 and No. 15 to square the match. The players halved the next three holes and returned to No. 1 to begin extra play. Ennis bogeyed the hole, but it was enough to win the match as Zhou carded a double bogey.
Two rounds of match play are on tap for Thursday. In the round of 32, Ennis squares off with Canada’s Ashton McCulloch, a rising senior at Michigan State, at 9:40 a.m. Maichon has a 10:10 a.m. bout with James Ashfield of Wales. Round of 16 action has tee times currently set from 2-3:10 p.m.
Limited coverage of the round of 16 is available Thursday. Peacock will air coverage 4-5 p.m. while Golf Channel will follow with a broadcast from 5-7 p.m.