St. Xavier's Thomas Bows Out At U.S. Amateur

Tigers senior, Justin Thomas, loses match play after 19 holes to Alabama's Steve Strohmeyer.

LOUISVILLE, KY (Catholic Sports Net) - Eighteen holes of golf was just not enough to decide a match play winner between Louisville Saint Xavier High School's Justin Thomas and Alabama's Steve Strohmeyer. After a riveting back and forth showdown between the two golfers on Thursday, it required an extra hole to decide who would move on at the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship.

And after Thomas came from three holes down, with six left to play, and birdied No. 18 to force a 19th hole, it seemed the St. X senior and future member of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's golf team was poised to complete the gutty comeback. It wasn't to be, however, as Strohmeyer made par on the par-4 hole, Thomas hit +1 for bogey, and the high school star's outstanding run at the country's most prestigious amateur golf tournament came to an abrupt end.

Later in the day, Strohmeyer lost to defending U.S. Amateur champion Beyong-Hun An 3&2, leaving the field with its final eight participants.