#USAmateur Qualifying: Torresdale

Sheehan medals, Fricke advances at past home

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The last year has been nothing short of disappointing for Patrick Sheehan.

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Coming off his junior year at Penn State University, where he qualified for NCAA Regionals as an individual and was Second-Team All-Big Ten, his senior year wasn’t what he hoped for.

“Golf has been a mental battle for me the last year,” Sheehan said. “I played so well during my junior year that I might have set too high of expectations for myself. When I wasn’t seeing the results, I was hard on myself. It took a toll on me. I wanted to come out this summer and enjoy golf. I haven’t been enjoying it at all. Luckily, I have a great team at school. They helped me get through it a lot.”

Sheehan, aided by his blistered drives and lanky stride, qualified for his third-consecutive U.S. Amateur and secured medalist honors Monday at The Union League Golf Club at Torresdale (par 70, 6,563 yards).

His 36-hole total of 7 under was good enough by three shots. LuLu Country Club’s Aaron Fricke secured the second spot at 4 under with a final-round 64.

The 123^rd U.S. Amateur will take place Aug. 14-20 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

Sheehan qualified last year at Chambersburg Country Club and in 2021 at Sunnybrook Golf Club.

“Getting back to the U.S. Amateur means a lot,” Sheehan, of Talamore Country Club, said. “I haven’t done my best in my last two tries so I wanted another chance at it. I was inside the cutline last year but then I made a big number to miss the cut.”

Sheehan got off to an inauspicious start. He carded an opening nine of 38 (2 over) but rebounded with a back-nine 32 (2 under) to finish his first round at even.

“I was happy to finish my second nine strong,” Sheehan, 22, of Doylestown, Pa., said. “I knew I had it in me. I made some mistakes and wasn’t getting the putts to fall. I finally was able to get going.”

Sheehan didn’t waste any time using his prodigious length to get into red figures in Round Two. Four birdies and a bogey on the front nine put him immediately back in the hunt. He then two-putted from 16 feet for birdie on No. 13 (par 5, 570 yards), a tap-in birdie on No. 15 (par 4, 302 yards), and rolled in an 8-footer for birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 561 yards) to surge to the top. 

He closed out his medalist campaign in style with a 67-yard pitch to 13 feet on the last (par 4, 400 yards) to close out his 63, a personal best in competition.

“In these 36-hole qualifiers, you have to learn how to remain relaxed. I think after last year and the year before I proved to myself that I have what it takes. It is a long day that can take a toll on people. My goal is to remain calm.”

Sheehan is going back to Penn State for a graduate year in business management.

“I am supposed to have a welcome week orientation for graduate school,” Sheehan said. “It’s the same week as the U.S. Amateur. Hopefully, I can get out of that. They don’t give out exemptions freely.”

He’s got a good excuse.

Fricke got a taste of the USGA National Championship experience in the U.S. Four Ball this May at the Kiawah Island Club in Kiawah Island, S.C. with clubmate Scott Forrester.

“I used that as an excuse to go out and practice this spring because I haven’t been playing much golf,” Fricke, 28, of Lancaster, Pa., said. I have been playing the best golf of my life this year. It feels amazing. I finally have validated myself and my golf game. I should have made one of these when I was playing in college but I didn’t.”

Just a few months later he’ll be heading back. Only because of having a chance to qualify at a past home.

“This is the best accomplishment of my golfing career,” Fricke, who works in municipal finance, said. “I won two events a Drexel University in college but they weren’t big fields and nothing like this. I haven’t tried to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in a few years. The only reason I signed up was because it was here. This is where we played and practiced when I was at Drexel. I love the golf course.”

His local knowledge didn’t pay off in an opening round of 72 but Fricke remained optimistic knowing he could make a run.

Starting his second round on the back nine, he went out in 32 (4 under). Highlighted by a hole-out eagle from the greenside bunker on No. 13.

“The 64 hit me quick,” Fricke said. “All of a sudden I was 4 under and had a chance on the last nine. Once I saw I was only a shot out of the lead I locked in. The greens were so pure here. They were a great speed to make putts.”

On the front nine, he did just that with two 8-footers for birdie on Nos. 4 (par 3, 171 yards) and 5. A bogey on No. 6 (par 4, 450 yards) slowed him down a little but he rebounded in an unbelievable way.

Fricke said he hit, “The best shot of his life,” on No. 8 (par 4, 500 yards). He pinned a 4-iron from 217 yards to two feet to get to 6 under on his round. It would be what got him in the Championship Proper.

After learning he was in, Fricke was looking to celebrate with anyone in sight. Proving to himself he can do it is all the satisfaction he needs. 

“I am going to go out and have a good time at Cherry Hills,” Fricke said. “I am not sure I can win it but I will go and have the best experience that I can.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 340 Member Clubs and 100,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.