Plymouth Pair To Play In U.S. Amateur Championship

Kyle Beversdorf and David Smith are already among the best young golfers in Minnesota. Next week, the pair will see how they fare against the rest of the country.

The Plymouth pair each shot a 140 at Burl Oaks Golf Club in Minnetrista earlier this month to qualify for next week’s U.S. Amateur Championship near Milwaukee.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Smith.

He played in the 2009 event in Tulsa, Okla., shooting 77-77-154 in the seeding round to miss the cut by six shots. This time--in his fourth national event--he feels much more confident. Earlier this summer, he made the match play portion of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Oregon.

“I’ll definitely be more comfortable,” Smith said. “The first time I was in an event like that [the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship] I was so overwhelmed and I shot an 80-80.”

Beversdorf, who also played in this summer’s public links tournament, will be a first-timer at the U.S. Amateur Championship.

“It’s a little bit bigger deal for sure,” Beversdorf said. “I’m not sure if I’m more nervous because I can kind of know what’s going to happen, like how everything works and stuff. I’m not nervous, but I know the road to make the cut will be much more difficult. I’m ready for the challenge.”

Smith said the Erin Hills and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club course is going to be the longest U.S. Amateur in tournament history, playing at more than 7,700 yards.

Not a long player off the tee or with his irons, Smith considers himself a “really good ball striker.” On a long par-5, Smith is content to lay up and hit an easy wedge close to the pin for his birdie putt rather than going for the green in two shots and potentially finding more trouble.

“If you’ve got a chance for a birdie on every hole, you’re going to be shooting some low scores,” he said.

Beversdorf does not consider himself a long player, either. Nor does he believe there is one part of his game that stands out.

“I kind of have moments of strength in all parts of my game,” he said. “It’s not that I’m just a phenomenal putter or hit the ball great, but it’s that I don’t have to rely on one area of my game, which makes me a more consistent player.”

Smith, a four-time all-conference player at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, will be a junior this fall at South Dakota State University. Playing at a smaller Division I school has been a good experience.

“I’m a product of the opportunity that was granted to me there," Smith said. "I’ve worked pretty hard and improved a lot. Sometimes the bigger schools miss out on a talented player.”

During his freshman season, Smith averaged 78.76 in 17 rounds over six events. This season he played 28 rounds in 10 events and dropped his average score by almost four strokes.

"David continues to impress with yet another USGA event making it four for his career," South Dakota State Head Golf Coach Jared Baszler said in a statement. "The USGA Amateur Championship is the biggest amateur golf tournament in the world. We are very proud of this accomplishment.”

Beversdorf, a three-time all-conference player at Wayzata High School, played well at the University of Northern Iowa last season, but is transferring to the University of Minnesota where he feels he’ll have a better opportunity to improve his game. He’ll redshirt next season and have three years of eligibility remaining.

“I can do everything with the team, but I just can’t play in the tournaments,” he said, adding that his planned major, accounting, is a five-year program. “Hopefully, it works out well that way.”

Smith and Beversdorf have played against each other for years, and they have the same swing coach, Ben Meyers, a professional at Medina Golf & Country Club.