University of Delaware Athletics
Starting Out Swinging: Melville Competes in the 2018 U.S Amateur
10/1/2018 2:08:00 PM | Men's Golf
Standing on the famed Pebble Beach golf course, overlooking the glistening Pacific Ocean, Delaware men's golfer Jack Melville stood in awe, taking in a sight he once thought he'd only see on TV. Making it to the U.S. Amateur Championship is a dream for many young golfers, but through dedication, discipline and of course, a qualifying score, Melville found himself among the few to make it there.
He revealed that making it to this competition had been a "lifelong dream" of his, and the fact that it was held on the most famous golf course in the country this year only made it that much more surreal.
The Maple Glen, Pennsylvania native qualified in July at the Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, tying for first place despite the fact that he'd been challenged by whipping winds on the course all day.
"It didn't hit me at all through the first round," recalled Melville. "I told myself to not look at the leaderboard, because they have live scoring online and you can check whenever you want. Checking scores would change my mentality, so I told myself to not even look and just keep playing. That's what I did."
After being one of the first players to finish the course, he sat in anticipation for two hours waiting for the other scores to come in. Finally, he felt a wave of shock rush over him when he realized that he had advanced.
"I was watching the scoreboard, and names kept dropping," said Melville. "I was like 'oh my gosh, this is happening.'"
When he arrived in California for the U.S Amateur this August, Melville was momentarily overwhelmed by a sense of wonderment and disbelief that he was actually at Pebble Beach. Surrounded by some of the best golfers in the world, the practice rounds were initially a bit intimidating. As the tournament continued, however, he realized "if you avoid mistakes, you can hang with anyone."
Melville started out strong, tied for first after nine holes. He approached each shot like he would any other tournament, not allowing the grandiose stage to affect his game. Although he didn't finish atop the leaderboard, the feeling of being inside of the ropes, standing where the best golfers in history stood before him, was a dream come true.
Ultimately, this experience gave Melville confidence and a fresh mentality heading into his junior season. As a freshman he competed in only one tournament, and never thought that he would be able to compete at such a prestigious level. However, making it to the U.S. Amateur allowed him to prove to himself that he certainly can.
"It's given me a lot of confidence so that I can compete with anyone," he remarked. "Making it to this stage, it's like, alright now you can. Let's just do it."
As if competing on one of the most prestigious courses in the world was not enough, Melville was able to get a picture with golf legend Jack Nicklaus, who was in attendance for the event.
Melville is uncertain of what the future holds, but would love the opportunity to get back to a top-notch event like the U.S. Amateur.
"It's tough to make it," he said. "Everything has to go your way."
But regardless of what happens next year, he feels fortunate to have gotten this unique experience under his belt. Nothing will be driving a wedge between Melville and success this season.
Written by Brianna PisacaneÂ
Players Mentioned
