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What a story unfolding here in the U.S. Amateur - 39-year-old Jimmy Ellis has stunned the golf world by claiming medalist honors in record-breaking fashion. Ellis, a natural gas worker by trade who qualified via his Florida Mid-Amateur victory, fired the lowest round in tournament history, a scorching 9-under 61, to finish stroke play with a one-shot lead.
By his own admission, Ellis is not your typical top player. He buys balls and gloves from the pro shop, and his wedge setup is mismatched. But paired with a magical round of scoring, none of that mattered. The Florida resident carded 10 birdies against just one lone bogey to edge out the stacked field led by Ethan Evans.
“It’s just blind squirrel, honestly,” Ellis said. “I literally made everything today. I bet if we play this tournament 100 times, there’s zero percent chance I would be the medalist.”
Now the unlikeliest of top seeds heads into match play targeting an even deeper run. With his carefree attitude and red-hot stroke, Jimmy Ellis is sure to captivate the golf world from here.
Jimmy Ellis was dialed in on the greens at Chaska Town Course, shooting a 61 to earn medalist honors in the 124th U.S. Amateur. (USGA/Chris Keane)
Ellis continued to confound expectations at the US Amateur yesterday, following up his record round with another surge up the leaderboard. After making seemingly every putt that rolled into the cup on day one, the self-proclaimed "blind squirrel" found his touch inside 10 feet even more readily.
Ellis told me his regular partner back home is 15-year-old Miles Russell, an Atlantic Beach Country Club phenom who narrowly missed the match play cut. Despite his age gap with the field, Ellis isn't daunted - when I asked if he recognized any names ahead of him, he jokingly said "Some of the names are so funny. I just assumed it would be Gordon Sargent, like, all of the names you hear on TV"
True to his underdog style, Ellis has purchased balls and gloves to get him through the week. He's even tinkering with his bag, replacing a newly-shafted gap wedge that didn't quite fit. But none of the usual concessions seem to faze him with his name at the summit. "It’s funny to see my name. I might not even win my club championship." he laughed.
Talking to Jimmy Ellis, you get the sense he's still surprising himself with his success. The 39-year-old attended Florida Gulf Coast and Ohio State in his collegiate days, but only really found his groove after the COVID stoppage. Since then, the trophies have been piling up at the senior/mid-am level.
Jimmy Ellis shakes hands with competitors and caddies after finishing the second round of stroke play on the 18th hole of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Chaska Town Course in Chaska, Minnesota, on Tuesday, August 13, 2024. (Chris Keane, USGA)
This week marks Ellis' second US Amateur appearance, having played Ridgewood Country Club in 2022. Yet remarkably, no one has been able to keep pace with his scoring over the first two rounds. "This is the best round I’ve ever played, not even close," he admitted. At nearly double the age of many competitors, Ellis knows he's an underdog in more ways than one. “I’m old enough to be most of their dads. And yeah, they’re hitting it probably 40 yards past me. But I’m just going to play my game and see what happens.”
It makes his feats here all the more satisfying. While out driven by 40 yards on average, Ellis' tactical nous and nerveless putting are propelling him towards match play as top seed. His journey shows that ability knows no age restrictions.
Golf fans everywhere are rooting for the unlikely legend of Jimmy Ellis to continue his captivating story for as long as possible.
