PARAMUS, N.J. – It all came down to a tree.
The 100-plus-foot tall oak serves as an aiming point off the tee at Ridgewood Country Club’s 584-yard, par-5 17th hole, and on Tuesday it played a role in deciding the fates of two players who met in the semifinals a year ago at the USGA’s premier amateur championship.
Travis Vick and Austin Greaser, grouped together for stroke play, arrived at the penultimate hole, both fighting to make the match-play cut at the 122nd U.S. Amateur. Greaser, at 7 over, needed some heroics, specifically a birdie-birdie finish to get into what was shaping up to be a playoff at 5 over.