Frogs at U.S. Amateur: Chelso Barrett
8/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Tournament Homepage | Frogs at U.S. Amateur: Turner MacLean
TCU men's golfers Chelso Barrett and Turner MacLean with play in the U.S. Amateur next week, the world's premier amateur golf tournament. Before they make the trip to historic Oakland Hills Country Club, GoFrogs.com caught up with both.
TCU senior men's golfer Chelso Barrett is no stranger to the USGA national stage, as he will play in his 13th major USGA national event when he tees it up at the U.S. Amateur next week. However, it took some heroics for lucky No. 13 to become a reality.
Amateur golfers have one chance each summer to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. That opportunity this summer for Barrett came at Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass., on July 19. Barrett was part of an 80-player field from which the top three finishers would qualify.
"I shot a 1-over first round, and the scores weren't great," Barrett said of his 36-hole day. "I figured with a 2-under or 3-under in the second round I would get in."
Barrett teed off from No. 10 and started his second round slow. He was 2-over in the round, 3-over for the tournament, with just six holes to go and in serious danger of not qualifying for his fifth U.S. Amateur.
After a birdie on No. 5, Barrett sat in fourth place, one shot behind third, entering his final hole, the par-5 ninth.
"I needed to birdie the last two holes," Barrett said. "When I pared the eighth, I knew I needed an eagle on the ninth. I hit driver, then a 3-iron and was on the green with a 20-foot putt."
Barrett buried that pressure putt, jumped to second place, and just like that qualified for his fifth U.S. Amateur.
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The journey was pressure-packed, but now Barrett turns his attention to something very familiar, playing in a major USGA event. The Keene, N.H., native has played in four U.S. Junior Amateurs, four U.S. Amateur Public Links and will now embark on his fifth U.S. Amateur.
The TCU All-American, however, hasn't been satisfied with just competing. Barrett is no stranger to success in these premier events, with the most recent coming just last year when he advanced to match play and the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields Country Club.
Barrett has played in four of the last five U.S. Amateurs and has twice advanced to match play, making the round of 16 in 2013 in addition to his match play finish last year.
However, his top finish and biggest headline came back in 2011 when Barrett was a budding high school star playing in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain Golf Club as a 16-year-old.
Barrett shot 69 and 74 in stroke play, then caught fire in match play and advanced all the way to the final where he lost to current PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth.
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With those successes, but also near misses, behind him, Barrett is focused as he travels to Oakland Hills Country Club next week.
"For amateur golfers this is our biggest tournament of the year," Barrett said. "It's difficult to qualify for, and I am likely going to turn pro after this year, so it was nice to qualify for my final chance at the U.S. Amateur.
"I don't try to put expectations on events. I always try to get in the top 64 at the U.S. Amateur, then in match play anything can happen. Just getting to match play is the key, and staying patient is what will get me there."
The tournament, which begins on Monday, features two rounds of stroke play, followed by the top 64 players entering into a single-elimination match play bracket. FS1 and Fox will have coverage of the event, starting on Wednesday, August 17, when match play begins and running through Sunday, August 21, when a champion is crowned.
That champion will be exempt to play in all majors except the PGA Championship, while the runner-up will be exempt to play in the U.S. Open and the Masters.
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As GoFrogs.com chronicled earlier this week, Barrett won't be the lone Frog at Oakland Hills. Sophomore Turner MacLean will be playing in his first U.S. Amateur, and Barrett is excited to have a teammate with him.
"It's really cool having a teammate there," Barrett said. "Because I've been in three U.S. Amateurs since I've been at TCU and I've never had a teammate there before. So it's really nice to have Turner there.
"I was really happy when Turner qualified. He's incredibly talented and this level of golf will be a good experience for him."
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The experience will surely be good for Barrett too as he gets prepared for his senior season at TCU.
"Chelso is very quiet and never brags or tells anyone how good he is," TCU head coach Bill Montigel said. "He lets his club do the talking and he's has been a huge factor in our success the last few years.
"I expect big things from Chelso this year at the U.S. Amateur, and I expect a great senior year after he was an All-American and finished 13th at the NCAA Championships last year."
Barrett knows that his schedule this summer, which will conclude with the U.S. Amateur, will help lead into a senior season in which he has big goals.
"It's a different dynamic playing as an individual in the summer," Barrett said. "It's nice to stay fresh and stay in the competitive mind set.
"Individually I would like to get a couple of victories this season. I would like to play more consistently and I think I've got my confidence back. As a team we are young, but we are really talented and I can't wait to get started."
Players Mentioned
