Peterson Hopes Third Time's A Charm At U.S. Amateur

By all accounts, it’s been a very successful amateur golf career for Eagan’s Ryan Peterson.

But he wants one more trophy.

Peterson will spend next week near Milwaukee playing in the 111th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship. It will be his third straight year playing in the prestigious event.

“Hopefully, the third time will be a charm,” he said.

The 22-year-old has had mixed success in his previous two appearances. On both occasions, he had one good round and one that wasn’t as successful, failing to advance to the match-play portion of the event.

Last year was a heart-breaker as his group was penalized for slow play, even though it was another golfer that was the issue. “I missed match-play by one stroke,” Peterson said.

Like all other players, he’s in it to hoist the championship trophy. “I expect to win. You don’t go into a tournament looking to finish in 57th place,” he said. “It’ll take some good golf.”

That’s exactly what Peterson has been doing for the better part of the past decade.

As a senior at Colorado State University, Peterson was named to the PING all-region team in the west region. He had six top-10 finishes for the Rams, eight top-20s and was named the Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Month for September. His stroke average was 71.44, and for the second straight season, he was named to the all-conference team. He finished 111th in June’s NCAA Tournament at the tough Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., including a 2-over 74 in the third round. However, the Rams failed to advance past the stroke-play stage.

“I won the first tournament of the year and I lost in a playoff for the conference title,” he said.

“He played real well all year and was a key factor in getting the team to nationals,” Rams coach Jamie Bermel said in a statement.

Not bad for a player who won two state championships at Eagan High School, was named all-state and all-conference three years in a row, was the 2006 Minnesota Junior PGA Player of the Year and 2005 Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year.

Yet, when he arrived in Fort Collins, Colo., the business administration major questioned himself. “I wasn’t sure I could compete at that level,” he said. Peterson didn't play in a match during his freshman year and competed in just five tournaments as a sophomore. As a junior in 2010, he won the conference individual crown in helping lead Colorado State to the team triumph.

Now, he routinely clears 300 yards with his drives, feels tee to green may be the strongest part of his game and said his putting has almost become one of his strengths.

To be successful at the Erin Hills and Blue Mound Golf and Country Club, Peterson knows patience is the key and that he’ll have to take it shot by shot. Length won’t hurt either because Erin Hills will be set up at 7,760 yards and the Blue Mound Golf and Country Club will be set up at 6,622 yards.

According to the tournament fact sheet, “Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled for Aug. 22 and 23, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers. Six rounds of match play begin on Aug. 24 and the championship concludes with a scheduled 36-hole final match on Aug. 28.” The Golf Channel and NBC will be televising parts of the event.

Many players in the field will be first-timers, giving Peterson an immediate advantage.

“Those good rounds I had in the past were competing with the best kids in the country," he said. "That experience is great.”

As for the future?

Peterson said he might play on The Dakotas Tour or try qualifying school for the Canadian Tour.