James Piot, Austin Greaser advance to final at U.S. Amateur

James Piot said he had to pack up his things and change hotel rooms this weekend because a wedding party was coming in next door.

The Michigan State fifth-year senior might have a different kind of party if everything goes his way Sunday at Oakmont Country Club.

Piot put together an impressive, 4 and 3 victory over North Florida sophomore Nick Gabrelcik in Saturday’s semifinal match at the 121st U.S. Amateur to advance to the 36-hole championship Sunday against Austin Greaser, a junior at North Carolina.

Greaser moved into the final with a 2 and 1 victory over Travis Vick, a junior at Texas.

The long week, stunted by weather delays and stops and starts, just got a little longer for Piot, the 22-year-old from Canton, Mich., who was the medalist at last year’s U.S. Amateur at Bandon Dunes. Not that he is complaining.

If Piot was growing weary, he just took a bucket of ice water to the face as he prepares for what could be a life-changing Sunday.

“Rolling into last night, it wasn’t as much nerves as it was I couldn’t feel my legs after all that walking,” Piot said. “My iron game has been a lot more consistent, and my misses have been smaller. It might take me a little time to process this.”

Neither the large galleries — uncharacteristic for these players — nor the pressure of making the final four seemed to bother Piot and Greaser.

The 36-hole final will begin with 18 holes at 9 a.m. Sunday, followed by 18 more at 2:30 p.m.

Piot and Greaser, though, will get more than a chance to win a national championship. Both qualified for next year’s U.S. Open at The Country Club and most likely will get invited to the Masters. The winner also qualifies for the Open Championship at St. Andrew’s.

“I got some putts to fall,” said Greaser, who is from Vandalia, Ohio. “Around here, you have to play your way around and wait for things to fall your way. I am going to try and stay in the present the best I can.”

The No. 31 seed, Piot won three straight holes — Nos. 9, 10 and 11 — to go 3-up over Gabrelcik and seize control of the match. He birdied 11 and eventually closed out the match with a 15-foot par putt on the 500-yard, par-4 15th.

“I have done a lot of strength training,” Piot said. “I have tried other sports. I played AAU basketball for a while. But I’m 5-9, so that’s only going to take you so far. My strength in basketball was defense. My shot was off and on, like my putting.”

His match was all square four times, but Gabrelcik, the 28th-ranked amateur in the world and 35th seed, never led.

“I had a great week,” said Gabrelcik, 19. “I can’t complain. Hopefully, I can roll this into my college season. I came out here and competed.”

Gabrelcik, who has Pittsburgh ties, trailed Piot, 2-up, through 10 holes. His father, Don, grew up in Pleasant Hills, and his mother, Annette, is from West Mifflin.

“(Piot) played really solid. (After he went 3-up on 11), he could kind of cruise in and make pars,” Gabrelcik said.

Tied with Vick after 11 holes, 24th seed Greaser won four straight holes to go 3-up and then held off Vick, who won 15 and 16 before taking a conceded birdie on 17 to end it.

Greaser said Oakmont fits his eye.

“I had to maneuver through a crowd on the first hole, and that has never happened to me before,” Greaser said.

“This is a new atmosphere for me.”

A big drive on 14 gave him momentum to seal it. He drove the 358-yard par 4.

“I busted that one,” he said. “It carried 320 or 330.”

He later drove to the front edge of the 313-yard 17th.

Greaser, a Dustin Johnson fan who also hits a cut that he began to hone last summer, has trailed for just three holes in five matches this week. He has yet to play the 18th hole in match play.

“I saw it once in stroke play,” he said. “And I know I will see it at least once tomorrow.”

His caddie this week is Carter Pitcairn, an Oakmont caddie and senior at Central Catholic.

Vick, 21, who was 1 up after the fifth and 10th holes, knew he was in trouble when Greaser won four straight holes.

“I didn’t really have my ‘A’ game,” said Vick, who was standout linebacker and pitcher in high school. He was the No. 4 seed in stroke play. “I struggled in every facet. I felt like Santa Claus out there giving (Greaser) so many gifts.

“It was a cool atmosphere. It seemed like there were a thousand people following our group.”

Vick, who had local caddie Brice Delaney on the bag this week and has been mentored by Hal Sutton, was an All-American at Texas as a sophomore. He made a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 3.