Spencer Tibbits advances to Round of 32 at U.S. Amateur

Spencer Tibbits of Vancouver, Wash. defeated No. 17 seed Michael Brennan of Leesburg, Va. 2&1 in today’s round of 64 of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship, being held this week at Bandon (Ore.) Dunes Golf Resort.

Tibbits got off to a hot start in the match, winning the first three holes. He extended the lead to 4-up after seven holes, but Brennan won two of the next three holes to cut the lead in half. The two players halved the remaining holes of the match, and Tibbits closed out the match on the par-4 17th when both players parred the hole.

Tibbits earned the No. 48 seed in the match-play bracket after shooting rounds of 70-74 in the two qualifying rounds held earlier this week. With his win today, he advances to the championship’s round of 32 being held Thursday, Aug. 13. For more information and to follow along with live scoring, visit usamateur.com.

Tibbits, 21, played in the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and reached match play in the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. As a junior at Oregon State University, he posted five top-5 finishes, including a tie for third in the Bandon Dunes Invitational. Tibbits, who was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference selection as a sophomore, won last year’s Oregon Amateur.

Tibbits was selected the 2016 PNGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year and claimed three Washington Class 3A state high school championships.

The only other player with a Northwest connection to make it to match play is Hugo Townsend, a rising junior on the men’s golf team at Boise State University. Last month, Townsend won the Idaho State Amateur. In today’s round of 64, Townsend, the No. 13 seed, defeated No. 52 seed Michael Feagles of Scottsdale, Ariz., 4&2. Townsend advances to tomorrow’s round of 32.

Of the 264 players who began the two days of stroke-play qualifying, 64 advanced to the match-play bracket. The two rounds of qualifying were held on the resort’s Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails courses. All the matches are now being held on the Bandon Dunes course.

For more information and to follow along with live scoring, visit usamateur.com.