Chaska, Minnesota, United States: The China trio of Paul Chang, Zhou Ziqin and Chang Xihuan have progressed to the match play phase at the 124th US Amateur Championship.

Joining them among the top-64 from the 36-hole stroke play segment are Thailand’s Phichaksn Maichon and Vietnam’s Le Khanh Hung.

Also hoping to qualify is incoming Stanford University freshman Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat who is among 14 players who will play-off on Wednesday morning for 11 spots in the draw.

Joint first-round leader after a six-under-par 64 at Chaska Town Course, Chang followed up with a one-under 71 at Hazeltine National Golf Club on Tuesday.

“It’s what I expect from a US Amateur Championship. Conditions are tough. Today with the [afternoon] breeze, it was tough. Every hole, every shot is going to be a grind. Just getting myself mentally prepared for the grind that is going to come,” said 23-year-old Chang.

With a two-round total of seven-under 135, Chang finished in a share of third place – two shots behind second-placed Ethan Evans and three adrift of Jimmy Ellis, a 39-year-old oil and gas landman who stole the show with a nine-under 61 at Chaska.

Ellis, who half-jokingly said he’d have trouble winning his club championship at Atlantic Beach Country Club, came within a few inches of matching the all-time USGA 18-hole scoring record en route to claiming medallist honours against a 312-player field that includes 18 of the top 20 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Zhou and Chang Xihuan were joint 22nd on 140 with Phichaksn and Hung a further shot back in equal 32nd.

Ratchanon appeared down and out after an opening-day four-over 74 at Chaska, but redeemed himself with a four-under 68 at Hazeltine on Tuesday to rise up the leaderboard. He was one of 14 players to finish in a share of 54th on 142.

There was disappointment, however, for 16 other Asia-Pacific representative who did not make it through stroke play.

Despite a 69 at Chaska, reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Jasper Stubbs, along with fellow Australians Phoenix Campbell and Quinnton Croker, China’s Andi Xu and Wang Yixiang and Korean Song Tae-hoon all ended two shots shy of the cut-off mark.

Also making an early exit were Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (145), Australian Josiah Gilbert (147), Hong Kong China’s Alexander Yang and Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh (both 149), China’s Xiong Tianyi (151) and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chi-chun (152).

Rayan Ahmed of the United Arab Emirates (155), China’s Liu Yuqi (156) and Qiu Zihang (157) and Singapore’s Hiroshi Tai (157) also bowed out.