University of Connecticut Athletics
Drake Hull won the Vermont Amateur Championship.
Hull Wins 2nd Straight Vermont Amateur
7/13/2018 2:30:00 PM | Men's Golf
Birdies Three Of Last Four Holes In Dramatic Finish
WATERBURY, Vt. – An epic head-to-head battle between former high school teammates ended Thursday with UConn rising junior Drake Hulll (Rutland, Vt.) capturing his second consecutive Vermont Amateur Golf Championship with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole.
Playing at the par-72 Country Club of Vermont, Hull finished the 72-hole event with a 3-under 67-72-77-69=285, two strokes better than his former teammate at Rutland High School, Max Major, who shot a 72-75-70-70=287. They were the only two players to finish under par.
Hull's opening-round 5-under 67 put him at the top of the leaderboard after Tuesday's first round and he remained there following his second-round even-par 72 on Wednesday. But a 77 in Thursday's morning round brought him back to the pack, leaving him just one stroke ahead of Major as they began the final 18 holes on Thursday afternoon.
"I knew pretty much the whole day that if we played good golf, it was going to be me and him in the end because we had a pretty good cushion on the field," Hull told reporters afterward. "It definitely felt like a match play situation out there because we were going back and forth all day."
But it took a tremendous effort from Hull down the stretch, with birdies on three of the final four holes, to hold off Major and secure the victory.
Major, who had come from eight strokes behind after the second round, finally caught Hull with a birdie on the par-3 8th hole of the final round, but Hull inched back in front with a birdie on the par-5 9th hole.
Again, Major pulled into a tie with a birdie on No. 11 and he then took his first lead of the tournament when he chipped in for a birdie on No. 13, while Hull's par putt lipped out, leaving him two strokes behind.
But Hull came back with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole and canned a 30-foot putt for another birdie on the par-3 16th to tie the match. Both players parred No. 17, leaving them tied as they teed off on the demanding par-5 final hole.
Major, however, struggled a bit on No. 18, leaving his third shot short, but he then pitched to within 12 feet. Meanwhile, Hull had sent his third shot to the front fringe of the green, some 20-feet from the cup. A two-putt by Hull and a par by Major would have sent the match into extra holes, but Hull calmly drained the birdie to win the tournament.
Hull, 21, won last year's Vermont Amateur at the Dorset Field Club in Dorset, Vt.
Hull played in all 12 of UConn's events in 2017-18, averaging 72.9 for 35 rounds, second on the team only to Jimmy Hervol. Hull had two Top 10 and four Top 20 finishes during the season, posting 15 rounds of par or better, with five sub-70 rounds.
Playing at the par-72 Country Club of Vermont, Hull finished the 72-hole event with a 3-under 67-72-77-69=285, two strokes better than his former teammate at Rutland High School, Max Major, who shot a 72-75-70-70=287. They were the only two players to finish under par.
Hull's opening-round 5-under 67 put him at the top of the leaderboard after Tuesday's first round and he remained there following his second-round even-par 72 on Wednesday. But a 77 in Thursday's morning round brought him back to the pack, leaving him just one stroke ahead of Major as they began the final 18 holes on Thursday afternoon.
"I knew pretty much the whole day that if we played good golf, it was going to be me and him in the end because we had a pretty good cushion on the field," Hull told reporters afterward. "It definitely felt like a match play situation out there because we were going back and forth all day."
But it took a tremendous effort from Hull down the stretch, with birdies on three of the final four holes, to hold off Major and secure the victory.
Major, who had come from eight strokes behind after the second round, finally caught Hull with a birdie on the par-3 8th hole of the final round, but Hull inched back in front with a birdie on the par-5 9th hole.
Again, Major pulled into a tie with a birdie on No. 11 and he then took his first lead of the tournament when he chipped in for a birdie on No. 13, while Hull's par putt lipped out, leaving him two strokes behind.
But Hull came back with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole and canned a 30-foot putt for another birdie on the par-3 16th to tie the match. Both players parred No. 17, leaving them tied as they teed off on the demanding par-5 final hole.
Major, however, struggled a bit on No. 18, leaving his third shot short, but he then pitched to within 12 feet. Meanwhile, Hull had sent his third shot to the front fringe of the green, some 20-feet from the cup. A two-putt by Hull and a par by Major would have sent the match into extra holes, but Hull calmly drained the birdie to win the tournament.
Hull, 21, won last year's Vermont Amateur at the Dorset Field Club in Dorset, Vt.
Hull played in all 12 of UConn's events in 2017-18, averaging 72.9 for 35 rounds, second on the team only to Jimmy Hervol. Hull had two Top 10 and four Top 20 finishes during the season, posting 15 rounds of par or better, with five sub-70 rounds.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Husky Life | Season 2 | Alex Heard & Connor Goode
Friday, May 02
Husky Hot Takes | Men’s Golf New Year’s Resolutions
Monday, December 30
Husky Hot Takes | Golf Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 27
Coffee with Coaches | Dave Pezzino
Wednesday, April 24
