Payne fired a 2-under-par 70, and Brooks Simmons of Dallas, Texas, Banks Cozby of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jackson Byrd of St. Simmons Island, Georgia, nabbed the other qualifying spots.
June 25, 2023
By Chris Werner
USGA P.J. Boatwright Jr. Intern
Eighteen holes were not enough to determine which of the field’s 72 players would fill the four qualifying spots and two alternate places into the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship up for grabs on June 23 at Texarkana Country Club.
In fact, only one of those tickets was punched without extra holes, as Andrew Payne of Little Rock, Arkansas, earned medalist honors with a round of 70 (-2).
The other three qualifying spots into next month's championship at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina, were handed out via a 4-for-3 playoff at 1-under to Brooks Simmons of Dallas, Texas, Banks Cozby of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jackson Byrd, the son of PGA Tour player Jonathan Byrd, of St. Simmons Island, Georgia. Paxton Lane from Benton, Arkansas, claimed the first alternate position.
Another four-way playoff at even par determined the second alternate spot, taken by Connor Cassano of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Payne, heading to TCU in the fall, rebounded on Friday after a disappointing performance in the Arkansas State Junior Am at Texarkana on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he posted rounds of 78 and 83 to finish in a tie for 28th.
“Yeah, that was a tough finish,” Payne said of his State Junior Am performance. “But in between rounds, I just figured out a little follow-through thought, and I wanted to practice it today, and it went well.”
After counting just one birdie in the entire State Junior Am, Payne made three on Friday and eagled the 272-yard par-4 17th.
Starting his round on the 10th hole, Payne reached the par-4 fifth hole — his 14th of the day — at 4-under, and even after a triple-bogey 7 on No. 5, a birdie on No. 7 and two closing pars were good enough to get him to South Carolina outright.
“I knew I had a couple easy holes coming in, a par-5, so I birdied that, and then I got me a couple pars,” Payne said. “I was 4-under going into the hole I made triple on, and I just had to finish it up.”
“I can't wait to go represent TCU in South Carolina,” Payne continued. “It’ll be a great honor to get to do that. Thank you to (new TCU Head Men’s Golf Coach Bill Allcorn) and everybody who has helped me. It’s great to get to go do this.”
The U.S. Junior Amateur Championship is set for July 24-29.
