Noah Kent performs his second shot on the 14th gap in the course of the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Novice at Hazeltine Nationwide Golf Membership in Chaska, Minn. on Friday.
Chris Keane/USGA
CHASKA, Minn. — Noah Kent isn’t afraid to confess it bothers him. But it surely additionally motivates him.
The rising Iowa sophomore could also be ranked 560th on the planet, however nobody watching the 2024 U.S. Novice would guess that primarily based on Kent’s play the final 4 days in Minnesota.
“Yeah, I imply, they speak about it, and it’s such as you’re 560 on the planet, however I do know I can beat anyone right here,” Kent mentioned Friday. “It doesn’t matter in the event that they’re ranked 1, 1,000, 10, 20 — it doesn’t actually matter to me. It’s only a match.”
The 19-year-old beat Ethan Fang 3 and a couple of within the U.S. Am quarterfinals on Friday at Hazeltine Nationwide Golf Membership, which was simply the newest of his 4 match-play romps. He’s received two different matches 4 and a couple of and has but to play the 18th gap. This all comes after he shot a six-under 64 at Chaska City Course on Tuesday, which allowed him to make the highest 64 and advance to match play after he stumbled to a gap 77 at Hazeltine on Monday.
However since that opening day at Hazeltine — he known as it 4 unhealthy swings — nobody has been higher.
“I didn’t get off to a superb begin in any respect, then I obtained sizzling at Chaska,” Kent mentioned on Thursday. “I knew my recreation, I hit it actually far. I don’t actually put myself in hassle that always. I used to be going to be actually onerous to beat in match play. I’ve form of simply confirmed that.”
Chris Keane/USGA
Kent grew up enjoying hockey and stop when he was 14, and he didn’t begin enjoying golf critically till his freshman yr of highschool. (A gathering with Rory McIlroy round that very same time with the assistance of Kent’s stepdad, course architect Dana Fry, additionally helped solidify his love for the sport.) Kent was named first crew all-conference thrice and received Southwest Florida Participant of the Yr, however the Florida child finally discovered his technique to Iowa as a result of he mentioned it was the primary faculty to consider in him and provides him an opportunity.
His 72.8 scoring common led the Hawkeyes final season and a 63 he shot tied the second-lowest 18-hole rating in crew historical past. He additionally recorded the third-lowest 54-hole rating (202) at school historical past.
He certified for the U.S. Junior Novice final yr however wasn’t in a position to play after he broke his left wrist. Now, in his first U.S. Novice — along with his monster drives and sizzling putter — he’s ripping by the competitors.
On Friday in opposition to Fang, Kent birdied the primary 4 and holed a flop shot for eagle on 11. He birdied the subsequent gap to play the primary 12 in seven beneath. Fang, who made it out of a 14-for-11 playoff simply to advance to match play, wasn’t enjoying poorly — it was simply that tough to beat Kent on Friday.
“I form of obtained within the zone actually early,” he mentioned, “and the whole lot simply form of felt proper at first of the spherical.”
Kent faces Illinois’ Jackson Buchanan within the semifinals (their match is at 1 p.m. native on Saturday). He’s obtained about 15 household and pals following him this week, and extra is perhaps on the way in which. His faculty coach, Tyler Stith, arrived on Friday, and so did a raucous group that consisted of Kent’s uncle and a few of his buddies.
“I made a remark to my caddie, ‘With them by me on the first tee, the opposite particular person is 1 down with all of them going loopy,’” Kent mentioned.
He’s enjoying for others not on-site, too. He’s texted with John Harris every single day this week, they usually talked on the cellphone on Friday morning. Harris, who now lives in Naples, Fla., was a star athlete for the College of Minnesota within the Seventies, serving to the Gophers males’s hockey crew win the 1974 NCAA Division I nationwide championship whereas additionally competing as a standout on the golf crew.
Harris later went on to win the 1993 U.S. Novice at Champions Golf Membership in Houston, Texas. He was 43 on the time, and he’s nonetheless the final mid-amateur (25 or older) to win the Havemeyer Trophy.
Linked by a former faculty coach, Kent and Harris have grow to be shut, and Kent even calls him a mentor. Harris, 72, is battling well being points however watching from afar. “I’m doing it for you, Mr. Harris,” Kent mentioned throughout his post-round interview on Golf Channel.
Kent has three units of initials scribbled on his golf glove this week: his personal, his girlfriend’s, and Harris’. Of their dialog on Friday morning, Harris informed Kent to maintain it easy.
“Maintain doing what you’re doing,” he mentioned. “You’re adequate — and also you belong right here.”
