UTC's Steven Fox wins U.S Amateur, beating Weaver on 37th hole

Sunday, August 19, 2012

photo Steven Fox reacts to winning the 37th hole of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Cherry Hills to beat Michael Weaver, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. - Steven Fox made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole Sunday, completing a remarkable underdog run to win the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.

The 21-year-old Fox, from Hendersonville, Tenn., was 2-down with two holes to play against Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., before rallying with consecutive birdies to force the extra hole.

Fox, a senior at Tennessee-Chattanooga, made an 11-foot putt to win the 35th hole.

Still with a 1-up advantage, Weaver, a 21-year-old redshirt junior at the University of California, needed to make a 5-foot putt on the 36th hole at the 18th green to secure the win, but it lipped out, extending the championship round to a 37th hole.

A shaken Weaver landed his next tee shot in the rough, putting himself in a tough spot and needing two more shots to put the ball on the green. Fox then hit a slow roller, breaking at the end from left to right, for the winning putt.

Fox, like Weaver, survived a 17-for-14 playoff to qualify for the 64-player match play field. Fox entered match play as the No. 63 seed.