Former WPIAL golf standouts from Fox Chapel, Plum set to play U.S. Amateur

A pair of former WPIAL golf standouts will play in a USGA event for the first time.

Fox Chapel graduate Gregor Meyer and Plum alum Andrew Reynolds finished 1-2 to advance out of a recent qualifier for the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship set for Aug. 14-20 in Colorado.

Meyer, who is set to begin his fifth year on the golf team at High Point, finished at 5-under-par 135 (66-69) to win the qualifier on July 24 at Willowbrook Country Club near Apollo.

Reynolds was second at 2-under 138 (68-70).

“I have been playing good golf, but it’s kind of all come together toward the end of the summer, which is a good thing,” Meyer said. “I am looking to capture that.”

Reynolds, who played college golf at LaSalle and Penn State New Kensington, has been grinding at qualifiers for several years to reach this type of opportunity.

“I have always dreamed of playing in any USGA event,” he said. “This really is a dream.”

Meyer last week won the 110th Pennsylvania Amateur at Pittsburgh Field Club, carding three straight rounds in the 60s (68-69-67) for a 9-under total.

Fox Chapel played its home matches at the Field Club, where Meyer used to be a member. He has since joined Hannastown Golf Club.

But the Field Club is a special place. It is, after all, the course where he first broke 80 as a 10-year-old.

“I felt like I had an advantage because I know the course so well,” Meyer said. “I played the Frank (B.) Fuhrer Invitational there this year and it was set up 20 times harder, so that prepared me.”

Home-course advantage also played a part in Reynolds’ qualifying for his first U.S. Amateur. He is a member at Willowbrook.

“I didn’t feel any pressure,” Reynolds said. “In fact, it was the opposite. I treated it like a normal round. I play SWAT (games) a decent about (at Willowbrook), so I treated it like a SWAT round.”

Reynolds, 26, nearly saw his chance of qualifying — only the top two out of 84 players moved on — end with a rough finish.

He was 5-under going into his 17th hole, which was No. 8.

“I made double bogey and bogey and I thought I blew it,” Reynolds said.

He went to a three-man playoff and held off Charlie Bundy and Christopher Zhang with a birdie on the first extra hole, the 400-yard 10th.

Reynolds hit a decent drive, then clipped his 50-degree wedge perfectly, landing his approach 6 feet away from 122 yards.

“Shot of my life,” he said.

Since he belongs at Hannastown, Meyer has a luxury most others do not. Three fellow members are former U.S. Amateur players in Sean Knapp, Palmer Jackson and Mark Goetz.

Some of Western Pennsylvania’s best amateurs play at Hannastown, where they have formed a sort of fraternity.

“It’s inspiring to play with those guys, knowing they have played in USGA events,” Meyer said. “I plan to talk to them about (the Amateur). I have been looking forward to my moment.”

Club support is no problem at Willowbrook, either.

In fact, head professional Brian Dunaway took up a collection to help pay for Reynolds’ travel expenses.

“Brian had a collection bucket and raised $1,000,” Reynolds said. “It’s unbelievable to have people supporting you like that. I owe it to them to go out there and play well.”

Meyer attended the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst and the 2021 event at Oakmont.

“Walking around, I had visions of me playing in it,” he said. “I got to see up close the heated battle it is.”

A former WPIAL champion — he won the 2016 3A title at Oakmont Country Club — Meyer once shot 67 at Willowbrook in a WPIAL tournament, so he was confident he could do well at the qualifier.

“I have been better lately at management on the course,” Meyer said. “I am taking the green lights, but when I don’t have one, I take a step back to think about it more. I am getting more green lights than red lights.”

As is customary, the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the U.S. Amateur will be played on two courses, Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village and Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

The 300-plus-field will be reduced to the top 64 for match play.

Players will play practice rounds Saturday and Sunday.

Meyer and Reynolds are curious to see how much the Colorado altitude will affect their game plan.

“I have been to Las Vegas (for a college event), and it’s mind-blowing how much the ball rolled,” Meyer said. “The course was so dry. You’d hit 400-yard drives. We’ll have to adjust to the altitude for sure.”

After the U.S. Amateur, Meyer and Reynolds will return to their regular lives, Meyer with classes as he pursues a master’s degree to go with his bachelor’s in sales and Reynolds back to selling printers for Canon Camera.

“You probably only get to play in the U.S. Amateur once in Colorado,” Meyer said. “I am looking forward to it. I want to take it all in.”