July 20, 2016
Kevin Velo, San Jose State University's Most Valuable Player for the 2015-16 men's golf season, qualified for the 2016 United States Amateur championship as the #1-qualifier at the Bayonet Course in Seaside, Calif.
A sophomore-to-be from Danville, Calif., Velo posted scores of 68 and 67 for a nine-under par 135 total on the par 72, 7,104-yard course on July 19. Velo's morning round was bogey free with four birdies. His late afternoon 18 holes included two eagles, six birdies and five bogeys.
The top three finishers in the 75-player field at Bayonet are advancing to the 2016 U.S. Amateur, August 15-21, at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Stanford junior-to-be Bradley Knox at 137 and UC Davis sophomore-to-be Louie Chen at 138 join Velo as the qualifiers from the Bayonet qualifier.
Velo is thriving at Monterey Peninsula golf courses this summer. He shot a nine-under par 63 at the Del Monte Golf Course in a qualifying round for the Northern California Golf Association's annual stroke play tournament. Velo tied for ninth with a six-over par 219, six shots behind winner Robby Salomon's even par 213.
He and Salomon tied for first with two-under 214 scores at the Bayonet & Blackhorse Amateur Championship, July 15-17. Salomon would go on to win the championship in a playoff.
"I've got a good game plan going. My mental approach is going well," says Velo, who also reached match play competition at the 2016 California State Amateur. "All of this would not have happened without (Coach) John Kennaday's guidance."
The United States Golf Association (USGA) conducts the U.S. Amateur championship. After qualifying for his first USGA championship event, Velo will be one of 312 amateurs competing for the prestigious title. Players begin their quest for the championship with 36 holes of stroke play. The top 64 stroke-play finishers then will compete in match play action for the championship first contested in 1895.