Campbell steady; Knapp misses cut at U.S. Open

Last year, Brian Campbell missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst by one stroke.

This year, the Irvine native is in and then some. Campbell, a former Mater Dei standout who recently graduated from the University of Illinois, shot 2-over-par 72 Friday and is tied for 12th, four shots off the lead after two rounds at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash.

Jake Knapp, the former Estancia High standout, missed the cut for the weekend after shooting 6-over in the second round.

Campbell, who grew up on the golf course at Mesa Verde Country Club where his parents are members, remains confident, heading into Saturday’s third round.

“No, I’m not surprised, to be honest,” Campbell said of being so high on the leaderboard and in contention. “I like to think I play well at tough courses and tough venues. I think it brings out the best in me. Instead of playing at a tournament where there are a bunch of birdies, I think this suits my game.”

Campbell held a share of the lead for a short time early in his round, which included birdies on Nos. 2 and 3. But the amateur bogeyed No. 4 and had a double bogey on No. 7 to fall behind. Still, he recovered after the double bogey with a birdie on No. 8 (par 5, 582 yards). He was tied for fourth after the first round when he went 3-under.

Jordan Speith (68-67) and Patrick Reed (66-69) hold a share of the lead at -5.

Campbell is paired with Shane Lowry of Ireland and will begin on No. 1 at 1:44 p.m. in the third round.

“It’s an awesome feeling to have two great rounds, but there is still a lot of golf to be played,” Campbell said. “I’m still in tournament mode, and not trying to let the tournament get the best of me. I’m having fun with family and friends. But I know there is still a lot of work.”

The work will be on a challenging golf course. But that’s OK for Campbell.

“It’s very tough,” Campbell said. “It’s very demanding on the approach shots onto the green. You need to hit the fairways to have a chance. It’s a nice challenge. You have to be really creative at times. I really like it. I think it fits my game a lot. You just to keep it in play and be very efficient with your short game.”

Knapp struggled with his putts. He was among the leaders in driving distance after the first rounds. With an average of 338.25 yards he was No. 2 in driving distance. Also, he was the only golfer to eagle No. 18 in the first two rounds.

Knapp, who like Campbell qualified for the U.S. Open at the sectional in Newport Beach, finished at 10-over with rounds of 74 and 76.

“The experience was amazing,” Knapp said of playing in his first U.S. Open. “I not only got to play in front of so many people, but I also got to play on a golf course that is set up so challenging and difficult. It really tests everything in your game. If everything isn’t working for you it’s really tough to make up for it. It’s only going to reward you if you’re playing at your best.”

Knapp, a UCLA senior-to-be, will next play in the California Amateur Championship, which begins Monday at Lake Merced Golf Course

“There’s a lot of good I can pull from it,” Knapp, a Mesa Verde Country Club honorary member, said of his first U.S. Open experience. “I think I handled it well. I think I was able to handle my nerves which I was happy about. I didn’t score as well as I liked. You have to respect the golf course. I don’t think I attacked it. I was too conservative, I think and I wasn’t as aggressive. The greens weren’t really good. It was nice to see my driving wasn’t an issue, but it just shows why the number of players were struggling this week. I have a huge advantage off the tee, but I need to get better and take more advantage of it in the future.”

— Compiled by Steve Virgen