Bounced

Final-hole birdie by Ball State team ousts former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz and partner Drew Kittleson in opening-round match at U.S. Four-Ball

By Gary Baines – 5/19/2025

After a couple consecutive years of happily going the duration at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz and teammate Drew Kittleson have had their stays at the championship cut unceremoniously short by a couple of college golfers the last two years.

Runners-up in the U.S. Four-Ball in both 2022 and ’23, the two Drews lost 1 up and never led in the match play round of 32 last year — falling to Coloradans Hunter Swanson (University of Colorado) and Max Lange (Colorado School of Mines).

And Monday in Edison, N.J., proved to be a near duplicate as Stoltz and Kittleson again never led and were ousted 1 up by a couple of college golfers — in this case Braxton Kuntz and Carter Smith, teammates at Ball State.

Kuntz, from Canada, and Smith, from Sellersburg, Ind., posted a better-ball birdie to win the par-4 18th hole to prevail. Smith did the honors with an approach to 2 feet and converting the putt.

Stoltz, winner of the 2004 CGA Amateur and the 2001 5A state high school individual title in Colorado, and Kittleson, a fellow reinstated amateur who was runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Amateur, have advanced to match play at the last four U.S. Four-Balls, exiting in the finals twice and the round of 32 twice. On Monday, they birdied the 478-yard par-4 17th hole to tie the match before falling victim to the birdie on 18 by Smith.

Stoltz, 40 and Kittleton, 36, started the day with consecutive better-ball bogeys on Monday before getting untracked and finishing with a better-ball score of 1 under par.

Here are the results for the teams with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in Edison, N.J.:

MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32 (Monday)

Braxton Kuntz, Canada, and Carter Smith, Sellersburg, Ind., def. former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz, Scottdale, Ariz./Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1 up

STROKE PLAY (Saturday and Sunday)

Advance to Match Play

Former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz, Scottdale, Ariz./Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz. 69-67–136

Failed to Advance to Match Play

Nick Nosewicz, Aurora/Cole Nygren, Longmont 69-73–142

Kevin Carlin, Denver/Nick Sharp, Denver 72-74–146

For all the results from the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, CLICK HERE.