Introducing Jimmy Ellis, the 39-year-old from Florida who secured his spot in the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club through his victory earlier this summer at the Florida Amateur. During that week, he shot an impressive 8-under 64 in the final round, which happened to be the lowest round of his life.
On Tuesday at Chaska Town Course, one of the stroke play co-hosts, he shot a remarkable 9-under 61 and narrowly missed an eagle putt on the final hole that would have tied the championship record of 60. He’s on track to become the first Mid-Amateur in 11 years to earn the top spot in the U.S. Amateur.
“It’s simply luck, to be honest,” Ellis stated. “I made every shot today. If we were to play this tournament a hundred times, there would be a zero percent chance of me being the top seed.”
Ellis recorded 10 birdies and one bogey on Tuesday, finishing the stroke play at 10-under, three shots ahead of Luis Masaveu. With the closest competitors playing on the more challenging Hazeltine course on Tuesday afternoon, it’s highly likely that Ellis will secure the top seed for the match play, which commences on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, Ellis found his rhythm on the greens, sinking every putt he faced. He mentioned that 10-foot putts felt effortless in his second round, while 3-foot putts on Monday were nerve-wracking.He plays at Atlantic Beach Country Club and often competes with 15-year-old Miles Russell, a talented young golfer who missed the cut for match play. Meanwhile, Ellis’ name sits at the pinnacle of the leaderboard, a surprising sight for someone who aimed to make it to match play and defeat a well-known player.
“Some of the names are quite amusing. I just assumed it would be Gordon Sargent, all the names you hear on TV,” Ellis remarked. “It’s funny to see my name up there. I might not even win my club championship.”
While preparing for the championship on the range, Ellis noticed that his recently re-shafted gap wedge was half an inch longer than his pitching wedge. As a result, he removed it from his bag and replaced it with a 50-degree U-wedge that he frequently used back home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also purchased golf balls at both courses this week. And as for his glove? He obtained a new one from Hazeltine because he needed it. “What else is there to do?” Ellis jokingly asked, acknowledging that most players in the field receive essential items for free.
Ellis played golf in college, starting at Florida Gulf Coast before transferring to Ohio, where he had a great time. His golf game didn’t progress to the next level until the onset of COVID, and that’s when he started accumulating trophies. This week marks Ellis’ second appearance in the U.S. Amateur, with his first being three years ago at Ridgewood Country Club in 2022. However, in a tournament where the best amateur golfers are competing for the Havemeyer Trophy, no one has outperformed Ellis after two rounds of stroke play.
“This is by far the best round I’ve ever played,” Ellis declared. “I’m old enough to be most of their fathers. And yes, they’re hitting it probably 40 yards farther than me. But I’ll just stick to my game and see what happens.”
Photo from USGA (X) Account
