Oklahoma State’s Aman Gupta outlasted Stanford recruit Michael Thorbjornsen 1-up on Friday at windy Bandon Dunes to advance to the U.S. Amateur semifinals.
Gupta, from Concord, North Carolina, will face Matthew Sharpstene, a 4 and 2 winner over LSU’s Philip Barbaree 4 and 2. Sharpstene is transferring from West Virginia to Charlotte.
Gupta tied Thorbjornsen, the 2018 U.S. Junior champion from Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a birdie on the par-4 14th and took the lead with a par win on the par-3 15th. Thorbjornsen pulled even with a birdie on the par-4 16th, Gupta won the par-4 17th with a par and they halved the par-5 18th to end the match.
Georgia Tech’s Tyler Strafaci and SMU’s Charles Osborne advanced in the lower half of the bracket.
Strafaci broke a tie with a par on 17 in a 1-up victory over 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad.
Osborne beat Arizona State’s Cameron Sisk 2 and 1. After losing a four-hole lead in four holes on the back nine, Osborne rallied to win the 15th and 16th.