Oakmont is hosting the championship’s 121st edition – its 17th USGA championship overall and record-tying sixth U.S. Amateur.

Holmgren, a recent graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University who earned the No.7 seed in stroke play, defeated Maxwell Moldovan, 3 and 2, in the Round of 64, then ousted Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, of Argentina, 4 and 3, on Thursday afternoon.

Holmgren, who learned the game at The First Tee program in the Three Rivers Park District in Plymouth, squandered a 3-up lead against Moldovan before rallying to capture three consecutive holes and close out the Ohio State sophomore. In the afternoon, he never lost a hole and closed out de Oliveira, a University of Arkansas junior, on the 15th hole of the match.

Three other players completed Round-of-32 wins before play was suspended for the day at 6:35pm. It was the fourth weather delay in three days – totalling more than 10 hours. The rest of the Round-of-32 matches, all of which were in progress, are scheduled to resume on Friday morning, conditions permitting.

Austin Greaser, who was a quarterfinalist in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur at Inverness Club, also notched two wins on Thursday. The University of North Carolina junior eliminated Bo Andrews, 2 and 1, then rallied to defeat Xavier Marcoux, 3 and 2, in the afternoon after trailing by two holes through the first six.

“You never want to trail, obviously, but at the same time, just be patient,” said Greaser, the No.24 seed. “My caddie and I talked about it. We said, we’ve still got 12 holes and this is Oakmont. There is more than plenty of time. Just staying patient is the biggest thing for me.”

Ross Steelman, the No.17 seed, and James Piot, the No. 31 seed, also posted two victories on Thursday to reach the Round of 16.

Steelman defeated the last Aussie in the field, Louis Dobbelaar, 2 up in the Round of 64.

A birdie at the penultimate hole having resumed their match at the 15th hole gave the Queenslander hope of sending his match with Steelman to extra holes. But a bogey at Oakmont’s 18th saw the reigning Australian Amateur champion bow out of the championship.

The No.1 seed in match play, Mark Goetz lost the last four holes and the match to David Nyfjall 1 up, on Wednesday morning. Nyfjall’s 25-foot birdie putt clinched the come-from-behind win.

A Northwestern University junior who is No.200 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Nyfjall was on the 21st hole of his Round-of-32 match against Ricky Castillo when play was suspended. Castillo, a 2021 USA Walker Cup Team member, sent that match to extra holes with a 26-foot birdie putt on No.18.