2017 Masters: What’s Next for the Amateurs?
By Gary Healy
Brad Dalke, US Amateur Runner-Up
The US Amateur Runner-Up’s grouping, while not as packed as Luck’s, still boasted James Hahn, a well-established pro, and 1991 Masters winner Ian Woosnam. Like Luck, things were tough for Brad Dalke out there. Unfortunately, Dalke’s tournament came to a much earlier end than he was hoping.
Dalke seemed slightly more shaken at the idea of his first start in The Masters. Throughout his two rounds he never seemed like he was able to get his game under control. He hit more fairways and greens than Luck did, but he averaged almost two putts a hole for the tournament, a stat that is not going to make it easy to get to the weekend.
Although Dalke’s 2017 Masters didn’t have the end that he was looking for, he was still able to get his first major tournament under his belt, and more importantly, his first crack at at Augusta. Unlike Luck, Dalke has announced that he will not be turning pro after this years Masters.
Dalke is a key player on the Oklahoma Sooner’s golf team, and he will be rejoining the team as they look towards the NCAA championship. The Sooner’s are currently ranked 13th in the nation, and Dalke hopes to propel them to a National Championship later this year. And he’ll tee it up with the big boys again at the 2017 US Open.