Todd White got to enjoy being the medalist at this year’s USGA Senior Amateur championship for as long as it took tournament officials to post the bracket for the Round of 64.

The Spartanburg golfer won the top spot in the draw shooting two rounds of even par and claiming medalist honors by three shots, but in a national championship being a medalist doesn’t mean much more for the top seed or the last seed, It only means you get to play again.

White took his number one seed into the Round of 64 match with the golfer who finished as the runner-up in the 2021 Senior Amateur, Jerry Gunthorpe.

“When I saw the draw after the playoff [for the final match-play spots], this is the reward I get for being medalist?” said White, “You expect that. Almost every guy you see on the board for match play, they are all tested. And you know they’re going to play.,” he said,

White had an early lead in the match, but Gunthorpe took advantage of a bogey by White on the 7th hole to take over the lead.

White struggled off the tee in the match only hitting five fairways making it difficult for the Spartanburg High School golf coach to take advantage of his usually strong iron game.

Neither golfer ever had more than a one-hole lead and after White lost the lead on number 7 he never led again until he won the match with a par to Gunthorpe’s bogey on the final hole.

White advanced to the round of 32 with a 1-up victory.

His reward for surviving a tough opening round match is to play 2023 R&A Senior Amateur champion Brent Paterson, of New Zealand.

Tuesday’s schedule includes the round of 32 and the round of 16.

Scores from the Round of 64 at the US Senior Amateur https://championships.usga.org/ussenioramateur/2023/articles/medalist-white-survives-against-64-seed-gunthorpe-at-martis-camp.html