Resilient Taishi Takes Down Top-Seeded Ryan

Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States: Taishi Moto showed skill and stamina in equal measures to steal the headlines on the opening day of match play at the 126th US Amateur Championship.

On what proved to be a marathon day for the Japanese at the historic Merion Golf Club, Moto survived a tense early morning play-off to qualify for the main draw and then ousted medallist and top seed Joshua Ryan in a nerve-tingling Round of 64 contest that went to extra time.

The upshot of it all is that Moto, a rising junior at the University of Arizona, is through to the Round of 32 on Thursday when he’ll face off with Ryan’s American compatriot Gaven Lane.

Also progressing were the New Zealand duo of Zackary Swanwick and Joshua Bai who played alongside Moto as members of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s victorious team in the Ryder Cup-style Bonallack Trophy against Europe last year.

On Wednesday at Merion, Swanwick beat American Josiah Gilbert 3&2 while Bai, the 2023 US Junior Amateur runner-up, eliminated 10th seed and 2025 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cupper Eliot Baker, 3&1.

But there were Round of 64 defeats for the remaining Asia-Pacific representatives, Korean Lee Byung-ho suffering a 3&1 loss to German Wolfgang Glawe; Hong Kong, China’s William Lisle falling to Dutchman Nevill Ruiter 3&2; Thai Pongsapak ‘Fifa’ Laopakdee going down 2&1 to American Jack Turner and China’s Xiong Tianyi being overwhelmed by American Anson Munzlinger 7&6.

For Moto, Bai and Fifa it was an especially demanding day that they began as part of a 16-man play-off for the final 11 spots in the match play draw.

Bai and Fifa both birdied the short 13th, the first play-off hole, to qualify. After pars at 13 and 14, it came down to a straight shootout between Moto and Guatemala’s Gabriel Palacios for the final place. With both players feeling the strain, it was Moto who edged through with a bogey-five to his opponent’s double-bogey six.

Following that drama few gave the Japanese much hope against Ryan, who had been in dominant form during the stroke play segment, firing rounds of 67 and 65. But Moto refused to be overawed in a match in which neither player led by more than a single hole at any stage.

One-down with seven holes remaining, Moto turned the tie on its head by winning the 12th and 14th to move in front. Then it was Ryan who battled back by taking the 16th only for Moto to move ahead once more thanks to a winning par at 17. However, at 18, he snap-hooked his tee shot out of bounds to lose the hole.

Regaining his composure, Moto made a par at the 19th, Merion’s first hole. With Ryan in trouble, it was good enough for him to advance.

With two match play rounds due to be played on Thursday, it could be another epic day in store for Moto.