PARAMUS, N.J. (Release via CNU Athletics) – In what can only be described as one of the finest individual performances by a Christopher Newport student-athlete in any sport, senior Alex Price showcased his skills in a pair of showdowns against top-tier competition on Thursday and escaped unscathed. With wins over Georgia Tech veteran Christo Lamprecht (1UP), ranked No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and Florida senior Ricky Castillo (3 and 2), ranked No. 20, Price advances to the 122nd U.S. Amateur Quarterfinals on Friday.
Price is the only NCAA Division III player to reach the U.S. Amateur Quarterfinals since at least the 1990’s, and continues what is inarguably one of the finest runs ever by a DIII student-athlete in the U.S. Amateur. Records beyond 2001 are unavailable, but at least through the last 21 editions of the event, the Captains’ lefty stands as the only Division III student-athlete to advance to the final eight.
With his performance through the first four days, Price earns an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Amateur, to be played at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Starting action on Monday of this week, Price has played five rounds in four days including three match-play victories against players ranked in the top-50 of the WAGR.
As impressive as his entire week of play has been, perhaps nothing was more jaw-dropping than the Captains’ run to start the back nine in the Round of 16. With four birdies in five holes, Price took a commanding 4UP lead on Castillo with four holes to play. The Gators’ senior and seasoned U.S. Amateur participant rallied for one hole with a birdie, despite Price continuing his impressive streak with a par, but the CNU veteran halved 16 to win the match.
In the Round of 16 battle, Price was incredible, firing six birdies and nine pars with just one bogey. He never trailed, and for the third consecutive match, raced out to a 1UP lead on the first hole.
Earlier in the day, it looked like he might not even get to take his shot at Castillo as the CNU lefty trailed Lamprecht, 1DN, with five holes remaining. But another outstanding run on the back nine lifted Price to a 1UP victory against the talented Georgia Tech golfer. Starting with back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15, Price notched three in a four-hole stretch to take the lead heading into the final hole. The pair halved 18 with matching pars and Price moved on to his next match less than an hour later.
Price will take on Ben Carr, a Division I All-American from Georgia Southern who defeated Nathan Franks in 19 holes in the Round of 16. Carr, ranked No. 70 in the WAGR, advances to face the Captains’ leader at 10:00 a.m. on Friday with a semifinal berth on the line scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Full scores for all matches are available online at USGA.org or by clicking here. CNU Athletics would like to thank Captains Robb Kinder and Kevin Quinto for providing shot-by-shot coverage of both matches on Thursday.