Local favorite Gunnar Broin falls short in U.S. Amateur title bid

Gunnar Broin sought solace Wednesday not far from home after both Spaniard Luis Masaveu and Hazeltine National Golf Club beat him in the 124th U.S. Amateur’s match play round of 64.

“I’m just excited to hug my mom and go home and eat some good food,” said Broin, the University of Kansas fifth-year senior who lives 15 minutes from Hazeltine.

Broin, 22, had a large following of family and friends following him on the fairways and survived a playoff Wednesday morning, with 14 golfers vying for the final 11 spots. He reached match play for the second time in his three U.S. Amateur tournaments. But Masaveu, 21, ended his run 3-and-2.

Broin’s fans waited by the dozen afterward when he hugged each and every one until someone yelled, “Don’t forget the back row.”

Broin was the last remaining Minnesotan after the other five of them didn’t make Tuesday’s 36-hole stroke play cut. In the 2021 Am at Oakmont, the Minnetonka High School graduate also made match play, only to lose in the round of 64 to Trent Phillips.

“It stung a bit, but I was young and dumb back then,” said Broin, who “shot a million” and didn’t make the cut at the 2022 U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. “This was fun. I enjoyed everything. I was happy to take everything in because I don’t know how many U.S. Amateurs I have left.”

He caddied at Hazeltine the past four years, but the home-course advantage couldn’t overcome Masaveu’s short game and relentlessness. Broin had four birdies, no bogeys and still lost to an opponent who trumped him with seven birdies and no bogeys in 16 holes played. Masaveu, who also made the cut at the British Open, was seeded third after he shot 70 and 65 in stroke play’s first two days. Broin was seeded 62nd after just managing to get to Wednesday.

Broin has played on the Korn Ferry Tour and is aimed at earning his PGA Tour card sooner than later.

“These guys are good,” Broin said.

Broin had both his course knowledge and longtime Hazeltine National teaching pro Chris Baisch, Broin’s swing coach for the last 11 years.

“I know where to hit it here, but that doesn’t mean I can hit it there,” Broin said. “It was tough a couple times, but I had a good time. The course was great. The course was tough, playing like it should play, big and brutal. And with the tournament out here this year, too, this week was special.”

Baisch caddied for his pupil at Oakmont in 2021 and at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst in June, among many other times.

Broin birdied his last two holes in Monday’s first day of stroke play — “I thought I was done” — to help get into that 14-man playoff. He bogeyed his playoff hole early Wednesday morning, then birdied his second to stay alive while he watched others eliminate themselves.

He made a triple bogey on his first hole Monday.

“Which was exciting,” he said. “I came back and played the rest, the next 35 holes, in three under, which was good. I played well today. I beat half the other guys out here…It was a fun week. I had a good time with family and friends. Everybody really enjoyed he experience. It stinks to lose, but I’m still happy.”

Oklahoma State’s Ethan Fang lost three of the first four holes and still beat Tuesday’s stroke-play medalist Jimmy Ellis 2-up in a meeting of the first and 64th seed. A 39-year-old gas and oil landman, Ellis shot a 61 at Chaska Town Course on Tuesday and became the first mid-amateur medalist in 11 years. He’s also the first solo medalist who lost in the opening round since 2021 at Oakmont.

“It was definitely different,” said Fang, who birdied four of his last seven holes. “I never played someone who was so old in a tournament before. It was fun.”