Fresno State Athletics
Patel Reflects on U.S. Amateur
9/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 3, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Of the 6,948 players who entered qualifying, just 312 made their way to the Sooner State for the 109th U.S. Amateur Championship.
Advancing to the semifinal round were Charlie Holland, a senior at Texas, Ben Martin, a senior at Clemson, Bhavik "Bobby" Patel, a sophomore at Fresno State, and Byeong-Hun "Ben" An, a Korean who is a senior at Bradenton (Fla.) Prep.
"Not too many people watched me during the first few rounds and that was good for me because there was no added pressure," said Patel. "I knew if I played my game then I would do well."
Before advancing to the semis, Bhavik Patel made seven bogeys during his quarterfinal match with Phillip Mollica, but somehow managed to beat former North & South Amateur champion, 1 up.
A win is a win, especially when it's one that marks an historic accomplishment.
Key to Patel's victory was his birdie to win the par-3 14th hole and square his match after his tee shot stopped just on the lip of the hole.
"I actually hit [the ball] on the toe, and I thought it was going to be way short," Patel said. "Luckily it ended up just bouncing shot and running up to the hole."
Set to begin his sophomore year at Fresno State, Patel had almost no experience playing in national amateur events. He tried to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Public Links, but was an alternate. Aside from some local tournaments near his home in Bakersfield, Calif., he has had a quiet summer.
"It's an awesome feeling," said Patel of reaching the semifinals. "It still hasn't sunk in yet. I really haven't played many big events this summer, so playing here and getting this far is awesome."
Patel went on to face An in the semifinals and took a tough loss. An went on to become the youngest golfer to claim the title.
With Fresno State men's golf having such rich tradition, head coach Mike Watney was very proud of Patel's performance because it's something that no other Bulldog golfer has accomplished.
"He had a great performance in order to qualify. He had to comeback several times throughout the course of the week," said Watney. "Being behind can mentally drain someone but Bhavik found a way to get through it."
After this accomplishment, Watney and Patel are even more ecstatic about the potential the team has for the upcoming season. With senior Grant Doverspike returning and the confidence and ability to compete well under pressure that Patel gained from his semifinal finish, the `Dogs will be a tough team to compete against in 2009-10.
"Having Bhavik competing in the Amateur gets my guys really excited about the season," said Watney. "We are going to have a great year with Bhavik and Grant returning. I'm excited to see what we are capable of doing."
Up for grabs after winning the semifinal round were invitations to play in the British Open and U.S Open as well as the Master's.
"It didn't hit me until after I was done with quarterfinals what was up for grabs," reflected Patel. "To play so well and come up short hurts but I am happy to have had the opportunity to represent Fresno State."
But when you make the Final Four after there were almost 7,000 golfers who entered qualifying, Patel can be very proud of his remarkable feat.
"We Are Your Team" - The `Dogs will be starting their 2009 Football season off right with Football Fiesta Night on Saturday, September 5th at 7pm when the UC Davis Aggies come to town. Football Fiesta Family Pack tickets are available now and there are a limited number of $16 game tickets available for the game. To inquire about the Football Fiesta Family Pack, season tickets or mini-plans, contact the Bulldog Ticket Office at 559-278-DOGS.
