The Quest Continues

Big comeback victory makes Brandon Knight the first CU golfer ever to make quarterfinals at U.S. Amateur

By Gary Baines 

The Sweet 16 lived up to its name for University of Colorado golfer Brandon Knight on Thursday in Ardmore, Pa.

Despite not being at his best, the senior-to-be won his round-of-16 match at historic Merion Golf Club after not leading until the 18th hole.

With Knight’s 1-up victory over Oklahoma State player Gaven Lane on Thursday afternoon, the golfer from Pleasanton, Calif., became the first CU player ever to advance to the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Am. Former Buffs Dale Douglass (1959), Matt Potter (1987), David Oraee (2015) and Justin Biwer (2022) have all made it to the round of 16 at the championship.

Knight won two matches on Thursday to make it to the final eight out of the starting field of 312. In the round of 16, he trailed by as much as 3 down (including after nine holes) to Lane, who’s No. 58 in the world amateur rankings. But Knight won the 10th (with birdie), 11th (with par) and 12th (with par) holes to get back in it.

Then, after being 1 down through 16, Knight won 17 with a par when Lane three-putted. And on 18, despite Knight being forced to pitch out after his tee shot went left and ended up with a tree between his ball and the green, he won the hole with a 5-foot bogey putt as Lane took four to get down from just over the green. Lane three-putted for double bogey from 30 feet, missing a 4 1/2-foot bogey attempt that would have extended the match.

“I was pretty nervous,” Knight told NBCSN afterward, moments after hugging his caddie/CU associate head coach Derek Tolan. “It was a pretty stressful day.”

But as for his deep run at the U.S. Amateur, Knight said, “It’s been great. I’ve had a great time out here, and I’m looking forward to more.”

So far this week, after qualifying for match play, Knight defeated the No. 25-ranked amateur in the world in the round of 64, the 2024 U.S. Am runner-up in the round of 32, and the No. 58-ranked amateur in the Sweet 16. Knight himself checks in No. 534 in the most recent amateur rankings.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, Knight will face Carter Loflin of Duluth, Ga., a University of Georgia golfer. Loflin, who currently sits 47th in the world amateur rankings, beat William Jennings of Greenville, S.C., with a birdie on the 19th hole in the round of 16.

As was the case on Thursday afternoon — when Knight and Lane got plenty of air time — Friday’s quarterfinals will be televised by NBCSN and Peacock starting at 1 p.m. (MT). The Knight-Loflin match will start at 11:15 a.m. (MT).

In Thursday’s round of 16, Knight wasn’t nearly in the form he showed in his previous two matches as he was 3 over par for 18 holes. But Lane struggled mightily on the back nine, giving the CU golfer an opening. After being 2 under on the front nine, Lane finished 4 over for the match — meaning he was 6 over par on the back nine, making two double bogeys.

In Thursday morning’s round of 32, Knight was 2 down through four holes to 2024 runner-up Noah Kent of Naples, Fla., but eight holes into the match, Knight took a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. All told, Knight finished 3 under par for the second straight match — in this case through 16 holes. Kent ended up 1 over par.

CU associate head coach — and two-time Colorado Open champion — Derek Tolan (right) has been caddying for Knight this week.

Knight is competing in the U.S. Amateur for the third time, but is making his first appearance in match play.

One perk for Knight making the quarterfinals is he's now exempt into the 2027 U.S. Amateur, which will be played at Oak Hill Country Club, in Rochester, N.Y., next August.

At a Merion course that has hosted five U.S. Opens — and where Bobby Jones completed his single-season Grand Slam in 1930 — Knight would love to make a some more history of his own this weekend.

Results for all the players with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Amateur in Ardmore, Pa.:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16 (Thursday)

CU golfer Brandon Knight def. Gaven Lane, Argyle, Texas, 1 up

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32 (Thursday)

CU golfer Brandon Knight def. Noah Kent, Naples, Fla., 3 and 2

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 (Wednesday)

CU golfer Brandon Knight def. Connor Graham, Scotland, 6 and 5

STROKE PLAY (Monday and Tuesday)

Advances to Match Play

33. CU golfer Brandon Knight 69-72–141

Failed to Advance to Match Play

70. Former Coloradan Parker Edens 74-69—143

160. CU golfer Tyler Long, Evergreen 74-73–147

197. Collin Engelhardt, Castle Rock 73-76–149

259. Former CSU golfer Bryce Hanstad 81-72–153

294. Former Colorado School of Mines golfer Lukas Taggart 78-80–158

For all the results from the U.S. Amateur, CLICK HERE.

About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com