Nick Carlson acknowledges the crowd after his approach shot on the 10th green during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Michigan sophomore Nick Carlson advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday in an unlikely hometown run at Oakland Hills.
Carlson, from Hamilton, Michigan, beat Illinois junior Dylan Meyer of Evansville, Indiana, 3 and 1, taking the lead with a birdie chip-in on the par-4 14th that he celebrated with a running, double fight pump.
"I drew an amazing lie," Carlson said. "It was perfect. Probably the best one I've had all week. And then I bumped a 9-iron into the hill. I hit the leaf I was trying to hit and it took another hop and just kind of trickled right on down."
Wearing a Wolverines outfit, the 19-year-old Carlson won the par-4 15th with a birdie and ended the match with a par victory on the par-3 17th on the Donald Ross-designed South Course that Ben Hogan dubbed "The Monster" in his 1951 U.S. Open victory.
Carlson will face 20-year-old Australian Curtis Luck, a 2-up winner over Pepperdine sophomore Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills, California.
"It's always good to have a crowd," Luck said about the home support for Carlson. "I'm looking forward to it. We'll just see. Hopefully, maybe I'll have to give them something to clap about even if they don't want to. That's how it is. I understand, being from Michigan, he's going to have a big following. And it's great to see he's got such a massive crowd supporting him this week."
Carlson is 1,981st in the world amateur ranking. He averaged 73.90 in 11 events for Michigan as a freshman, with his best finish a tie for third in the 2015 Windon Memorial Classic. In the Big Ten Match Play Championships in February, he was 0-2-1.
"I'm the calmest I've ever been this week," said Carlson, playing in his first USGA championship. "I'm not really sure what's going on. I'm not sure who is playing golf for me, but it's happening, and it's pretty cool."
Boote is 41st in the rankings.
In the other quarterfinals, Oklahoma sophomore Brad Dalke of Norman, Oklahoma, beat former Stanford player David Boote of Wales 3 and 2, and Southern California junior Jonah Texeira of Porter Ranch, California, topped LSU sophomore Luis Gagne of Orlando, Florida, 3 and 2.
Luke is seventh in the rankings, Texeira 223rd, and Dalke 265th.
Nick Carlson drives on the 17th tee during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Nick Carlson tries body language to sway the ball closer to the hole on the 17th green during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Dylan Meyer pumps his fist after his putt on the 13th green during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Dylan Meyer drives off the 17th tee during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Dylan Meyer hits onto the 10th green during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Sahith Theegala hits from a sand trap on the eighth hole during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Curtis Luck, of Australia, hits from a sand trap on the eighth hole during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
David Boote, of Wales, lines his putt on the fourth green during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Brad Dalke watches his second shot on the second hole during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Luis Gagne hits from a sand trap off the fourth fairway during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Jonah Texeira clenches his fist after a putt on the fourth hole during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press
Jonah Texeira drives on the fifth tee during a quarterfinal round of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016 in Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Associated Press