Photos courtesy of R&A/Getty Images
Georgia Tech rising senior Christo Lamprecht continued what has been a most memorable 2023 by winning the Silver Medal at The Open Championship, which is awarded to the amateur with the lowest finishing score. The 22-year-old native of South Africa was the only one of six amateurs in the field to survive the 36-hole cut, finishing tied for 74th place (295, +11) at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England.
Lamprecht opened with an incredible first 18 holes, shooting a 5-under 66 on Thursday to hold a share of the overnight lead. He finished with seven birdies and just two bogeys in that opening round. Lamprecht followed with rounds of 79, 76 and 74 to finish 11-over for the tournament. He earned his spot in the field for The Open by winning The Amateur Championship in late June in nearby Southport, England.
The 6-foot-8 Lamprecht added the Open Championship performance to a calendar year 2023 in which he was named a first-team All-American, made the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, led a Yellow Jacket team that won the ACC Championship, won the NCAA Salem Regional and finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Championship.
He was a member of the International team at the Arnold Palmer Cup for the second year in a row and has been named to represent his native South Africa in the World Amateur Team Championship for the second straight year.
Congratulations Christo Lamprecht, our 2023 Silver Medallist 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/LKgmlQBeaX
— The R&A (@RandA) July 23, 2023
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Silver Medal winner Christo Lamprecht believes he has ‘felt every emotion’ over the course of an Open debut which has only enhanced his desire to become a regular on golf’s biggest stage.
The South African was the sole amateur of six in the field to survive the cut at Royal Liverpool having flown out the traps with an opening-day 66 that saw him share the overnight lead.
Three successive over-par rounds led to Lamprecht finishing the week 11-over-par, enough for him to stand alongside the Champion Golfer on the 18th green and conclude a memorable summer which has also included an Amateur Championship victory.
“Now that everything is done, it is nice to look back and know I’m the last amateur standing,” he said.
“I’m very proud of myself. I didn’t have the best stuff for the last three days and I’ll need to reflect on that but I have learned a lot of lessons.
The first South African golfer to get his hands on the Silver Medal at @TheOpen 🥈🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/AUHgeGzt83
— The R&A (@RandA) July 23, 2023
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Maybe we should have guessed that Christo Lamprecht would hit the ground running at The 151st Open when you look at the mentors who gave him tips upon arrival at Royal Liverpool.
Louis Oosthuizen lifted the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2010, Charl Schwartzel was awarded the Green Jacket the following year and Branden Grace was the first man to shoot 62 in a major – doing so six years ago at The 146th Open just up the road at Royal Birkdale.
The trio were all happy to pass on knowledge to the Amateur Champion ahead of his Open debut but it was the 2010 Champion Golfer who has had the biggest influence on the 6’ 9” Lamprecht.
When the two were drawn together in the same group for the opening round at Royal Liverpool, Lamprecht could not have been happier, but even in his wildest dreams, a 66 and the clubhouse lead at mid-afternoon was above and beyond expectations.
A summer to remember for Christo Lamprecht 🇿🇦🥈
Amateur Champion 👉 Silver Medallist at @TheOpen pic.twitter.com/qWXTOE09QZ
— The R&A (@RandA) July 23, 2023
*****
Christo Lamprecht was T-1 after Day 1 of The Open Championship, but after four rounds, he dropped more than 70 spots on the leaderboard.
There was still a reason to celebrate, though.
The 22-year-old Georgia Tech senior, making his first start in a world-ranked tournament, claimed The Open’s silver medal as the amateur champion, becoming the first South African to notch that feat since the honor was first awarded in 1949. Lamprecht opened with a 66, but followed with rounds of 79-76-74.
“It’s been a really — I guess I told my caddie yesterday it’s been a week with every bit of emotion felt, kind of coming off a high on Thursday and just not having it the last three days,” said Lamprecht, who finished T-74 at 11 over and was the lone amateur to make the cut.
The Silver Medal winner in waiting, Christo Lamprecht, is enjoying himself.
He gets the crowd going and makes a beautiful save on the 17th.
Watch the 17th live on https://t.co/uD88irbPY5.
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2023
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In the final three rounds of the Open Championship, Christo Lamprecht could never match the round that earned him the top of the leaderboard and the attention of fans and the media on Thursday.
But the tall South African will leave the week with a tremendous amount of experience and a close look at what it takes to compete with the world’s best both on and off the course. He got to the sleep on the lead of a major championship after his 5-under first-round 66. Then, he survived a brush with potentially missing the cut and earned his spot on the weekend despite an 8-over 79 on Friday.
A summer to remember for Christo Lamprecht 🇿🇦🥈
Amateur Champion 👉 Silver Medallist at @TheOpen pic.twitter.com/qWXTOE09QZ
— The R&A (@RandA) July 23, 2023
Photos courtesy of the R&A
