St. Charles' Biddle Shoots Second-Best Score at U.S. Amateur

UPDATED: 4:10 p.m.

Golf isn’t as easy as is making it look right now, especially on a course as demanding as Erin Hills.

The St. Charles resident finished the two rounds of qualifying stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Championship with the second-best score of 8-under par, shooting 67 at both Erin Hills (Monday) and then at Blue Mound Country Club (Tuesday). He begins match play as the second seed, set to begin at 5:24 p.m. Wednesday against an opponent to be determined. The playoff to select the last spots in the 64-player match play field extended beyond 5 p.m., leaving him to wait even later to begin the head-to-head match.

“I’ve actually never played match play before,” Biddle said. “Not one time. But I’m not going to switch anything up. I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. It’s obviously working.”

Erin Hills is a new course outside Milwaukee, a windswept links-style course that will host the 2017 U.S. Open. Biddle also had not seen Erin Hills before this tournament, but said the long course suits him just fine.

“I like the different shots,” he said. “It’s a little longer, but for me, my iron game’s my strength. So coming in with a 5-iron against someone’s 8-iron doesn’t really bother me.”

Because of weather delays Tuesday and then again Wednesday morning, the tournament schedule has been pushed back. Biddle will likely not finish his first match on Wednesday; Thursday’s schedule originally called for 36 holes and that could be the case on Friday now as well.

You could follow the action with live scoring updates posted by officials.

Check back with St. Charles Patch for more coverage of Biddle in the tournament.