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Competing in the US Amateur, the most prestigious amateur golf tournament in the world, is already stressful enough. Showing up to the first tee to take on one of the top seeds in the field with just two golf balls to your name, well, that presents a whole new level of stress, and one that Ryder Cowan experienced at Merion Golf Club on Wednesday.
Cowan, a senior at Oklahoma, made his way through a 16-man playoff for 11 spots to earn the No. 59 seed in the 64-man match play bracket and drew junior phenom six-seed Miles Russell in his first match.
Despite entering the week ranked eighth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) fresh off of co-low amateur honors at the U.S. Open, Cowan was the underdog against Russell, who won't graduate high school until 2027.
Amateur Ryder Cowan of the United States lines up a putt on the 1st hole during the final round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 21, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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Russell is the top-ranked junior player in the world, ranked fourth in the WAGR, and has put together a junior career comparable to Tiger Woods.
Cowan was certainly aware of the situation, but it didn't allow it to phase him, at least not during his match against Russell. Prior to teeing off is a different story.
Ryder Cowan of the United States bounces a ball on his putter after finishing the 16th hole on day three of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club on August 12, 2026 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
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According to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, Cowan forgot to bring sleeves of new golf balls to the course, leaving him with one new golf ball and one "fairly used" one in his golf bag. He stuck with the new golf ball for the first 10 holes of the match before swapping to the used one.
The used golf ball came with a bit of magic, too, with Cowan chipping in for par on the 17th hole to pull off the upset against Russell 2&1. The Sooner actually flubbed his first chip shot on the Par 3 before holing his next attempt with pristine touch.
When you're one of the top amateur golfers on the planet, the stresses of playing with just one spare golf ball are different than if a 15 handicap pulled the same move.
Ryder Cowan of the United States hits his second shot on the 10th hole on day two of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club on August 11, 2026 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
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Just like professional golfers do, Cowan likely switches to a new golf ball a handful of times over the course of 18 holes, especially if he is hitting a lot of full wedge shots, which can cause serious wear and tear. There is also, of course, the possibility of hitting a cart path or even a tree, which can damage a golf ball enough to virtually make it unplayable when we're talking about the highest level of amateur player.
As for the 15 handicap, their biggest fear would be losing both golf balls and having to embarrassingly ask their playing partner for a spare.
