BANDON, Ore. – Segundo Oliva Pinto’s spirited run in his first U.S. Amateur came to a heartbreaking end in a greenside bunker late Thursday afternoon at Bandon Dunes.
Tied with Georgia Tech’s Tyler Strafaci in their Round of 16 match, Pinto was preparing to hit his fourth shot from the front greenside bunker at the par-5 finishing hole when TV cameras showed Pinto’s caddie, a local looper named Brant Brewer, bend down and brush the sand.
Strafaci’s caddie, dad Frank Jr., witnessed Brewer and called for a rules official. After a lengthy discussion, Brewer was determined to have touched the sand, a violation of Rule 12.