College golfer delivers US Amateur upset with added pressure of having just one extra golf ball

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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,