U.S. Open: Gordon Sargent wins low am, despite 18th hole blunder

Gordon Sargent officially won low amateur honors at the U.S. Open after going 1-under par Sunday afternoon.

"It's kind of what your goal as an amateur is, just to be the low am, especially with so many amateurs here this week," Sargent said. "It means a lot and gives me a lot of confidence, especially going into amateur golf."

The incoming Vanderbilt junior notched six birdies, seven pars and five bogeys in his final round. Sargent’s 1-under performance is extra impressive considering that his nearly perfect putt on the 18th hole went in and out.

"Haven't seen that happen in a while, but that's how it goes sometimes," he said about the incident. 

According to ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti, the cup was slightly damaged because the group before Sargent’s pulled out the flag incorrectly. The cup was fixed after Sargent’s bounce-back putt.

Despite the issue on the last hole, Sargent's standings were not affected. He rounded out his first-ever U.S. Open appearance with a solid performance. He managed to regain some momentum after going 5-over in the third round, his worst of the weekend.

At 4-over, he’s currently T40, besting fellow amateurs who made the cut Ben Carr (+13), Aldrich Potgieter (+15) and Maxwell Moldovan (+17), respectively.

Sargent is adding his U.S. Open low am honors to an already impressive résumé for the 20-year-old student. He was named the 2023 SEC Player of the Year and was one of seven amateurs to participate in this year's Masters. As the current No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Sargent will also have a chance to represent the U.S. in the Walker Cup later this year.