Not many people have accomplished as much as UCLA Sophomore Patrick Cantlay has done since the summer began. He won the 2011 NCAA Golf Championship individually and led his Bruin teammates to a #1 seeding in the Match Championship before falling to the Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals. His freshman year success helped him earn college golf's greatest individul honor, the 2011 GCAA Division 1 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award. He was also named the Pac-10 Player and Freshman of the Year. His next accomplishment was qualifying for the U.S. Open at Congressional. He would finish as the tournament's low amateur and one of three amateurs to make the tournament's cut. He also recorded the tournament's best nine hole score, a 30, on Friday's back nine.
With his finish at the U.S. Open, he was invited to play in this weekend's Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. Rained delayed many of the field's first rounds to Friday morning, so Cantlay had to play 36 holes on Friday. He began the day with a 67 in the first round, followed by a PGA amateur record 60 in the second round and led the tournament at -13 heading to the weekend. He became the first amateur to lead a PGA Tournament outright after two rounds. Although, he shot a 2-over 72 yesterday and lost his lead, he is only five strokes back of Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson and the lead. If he indeed comes back to win today's tournament, he would become the first amateur to win a PGA tournament since Phil Mickelson won the 1991 Northern Telecom Open. With 22-year old Rory McIlroy winning his first Major last weekend, Jason Day finishing second in back-to-back majors, and Amateur Patrick Cantlay looking like a future star, it looks like the youngsters on tour are beginning to dominate golf's highest level.
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