Mark Goetz spent most of his 23rd birthday at Oakmont Country Club. Just about dawn to dusk.

His morning consisted of a range session, and he watched some friends play a few holes. In the afternoon, he sat through a 3-hour, 50-minute rain delay after playing just two holes.

Then, by early evening, under fading sunlight, he was still on the famed course trying to finish his second round of stroke play at the weather-plagued 121st U.S. Amateur.

Greensburg’s Goetz carried the momentum of a first-round 64 at Longue Vue Club into Oakmont, where he was 3-under-par through 12 holes — 9-under for the tournament — when play was called at 8 p.m.

The West Virginia senior’s lead is two over Jacob Bridgeman and Brian Ma as he chases medalist honors.

“I love everything about this place,” Goetz said. “It was a long day, but it was fun, man. I just wanted to put up the best two rounds I could. It was a much different golf course (after the delay).

“This is the most memorable two days of golf I have had in my career, by a mile.”

Play will resume at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday as the 312-man field is trimmed to the top 64 for match play, which is scheduled for about 12:45 p.m.

Goetz, who had four birdies and an eagle in the first round, birdied Nos. 17, 1 and 2 on Tuesday to move to 9-under.

“I have been waiting for this for two years,” Goetz said. “I take a lot of pride in where I am from, so it’s nice to (represent) the Hannastown guys and local guys.

“I am going into uncharted territory now.”

He wasn’t going to do anything out of the ordinary for his birthday.

“Nah,” he said. “I will probably stop and grab some McDonald’s.”

Meanwhile, Brad Reeves managed to do something only a small percentage of his playing counterparts did Tuesday: He finished his round.

His reward is the clubhouse lead in the stroke-play portion of the national championship. The recent Arizona graduate who is set to turn professional came out of the delay to post an even-par 70 at Oakmont.

This is his first USGA event.

“I had to stay patient,” said Reeves, who shot 65 on Monday at Longue Vue and sits at 5-under. “I knew the weather is spotty in Pittsburgh at this time of year. It was nice to build a little cushion. I knew par (at Oakmont) would be a good score.”

The delay set things back and left dozens of players on the two host courses until dark.

With lightning in the area and storms approaching, play was suspended at 1:34 p.m. There were 243 players who had not finished the second round of stroke play at Longue Vue Club and Oakmont when the stoppage occurred.

They resumed at 5:24 p.m. and played until sunset. Most of the field will restart early Wednesday morning.

Despite the rain, blood-thirsty Oakmont still held its ground, bringing most of the players who went low at Longue Vue Club in the first round back to earth.

“This place is disgustingly hard,” Goetz said.

Playing Longue Vue the second day was like a transfusion. Oakmont played more than five strokes harder in the first round and yielded few birdies again Tuesday.

Still, there were some decent scores. Trent Phillips, a 21-year-old Georgia grad who won the Sunnehanna Amateur this year, posted a 1-under 69 at Oakmont to finish at 1-under 139 and likely secure a spot in match play.

“On this course, you have to be a grinder,” the lefty said. “I’m a grinder. You have to just hang in there. I thought of this as just another course, but it’s unbelievable.”

Phillips had played just one practice round at Oakmont. He played to parallel fairways on No. 11 and No. 9.

“I’m a tee it high, let it fly guy,” he said.

UCLA product Devon Bling, the U.S. Amateur runner-up in 2018, also is at 1-under after a second-round 70 at Oakmont. The Ridgecrest, Calif., native flew the “Big Mouth” bunker and drove the short par-4 17th, making an eagle to move to 3-under before he doubled the 18th, finding a bunker.

“That was the closest I hit it all day,” Bling said of 17. “Four hours later, I tried to spin a wedge (into 18).

“Hopefully, I can keep playing well into match play. Anything can happen in match play.”

Reeves, who planned to watch the Pirates play Tuesday night at PNC Park, made birdies at Nos. 4, 6 and 7. The former Pac-12 Player of the Year and individual champion, said players were “blessed” that Oakmont was soft.

“The course is hard. You have to play smart,” he said. “You feel like you have a little more control.”

Cooper Schultz of Wichita, Kan., also shot 1-under at Oakmont in the second round. He eagled No. 12.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)