Lake-Lehman graduate Michael Lugiano lost in the Round of 64 in match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur golf tournament at the Oakland Hills Country Club south Course in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on Wednesday morning.
Seeded 47th, Lugiano lost to No. 18 Owen Coniaris of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 5 and 4.
Things started well for Lugiano. He took a 1-up lead on the par-4 first hole when he parred and Coniaris bogeyed.
However, after both golfers had par-5s on the No. 2 hole, Conairis won five of the next six holes. He birdied the par-3 No. 3 hole to tie the match. He then went 2-up when he had par-4s on the next two holes while Lugiano carded a double-bogey on No. 4 and a bogey on No. 5.
Both golfers had par-4s on No. 6. But Coniaris had a birdie on the par-4 seventh hole to Lugiano’s par to go ahead, 3-up. He then had par on No. 8 while Lugiano bogeyed the hole to extend the lead to 4-up. Both golfers closed out the front nine with par-3s.
On the par-4 No. 10, Coniaris bogeyed but was still able to increase his lead to 5-up when Lugiano double-bogeyed. But Lugiano got the shot right back when he won the 11th hole with a par-4 to Coniaris’ bogey.
But after each golfer shot par on the next two holes — the par-5 No. 12 and par-3 No. 13 — Coniaris sealed the match with a par-4 on No. 14 while Lugiano double-bogeyed. That gave Coniaris a 5-up lead with only four holes remaining.
To qualify for match play, Lugiano shot a 3-over 143 (75-68) during two rounds of stroke play Monday and Tuesday. Coniaris shot and even-par 140 (72-68).
Match play continues Thursday and Friday with the 36-hole championship match Saturday. The tournament champion gets an exemption from qualifying for future U.S. Junior Amateurs and an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
