Hoban senior Jack Vojtko and alumnus Solomon Petrie ‘22 competed at the United States Amateur Championship golf tournament in Denver, Colorado the week of August 14. 

The U.S. Amateur, the biggest golf tournament in the United States which does not include professionals, can be equated to the Masters of amateur golf. Of the 314 golfers who qualified, two had Hoban ties. 

The qualifying process occurred in July at locations across the country and consisted of 36 holes of stroke play in a single day. Vojtko and Petrie took different paths, although each needed to finish first or second out of approximately 70 participants to earn a spot.

Vojtko qualified on the familiar Scarlet Course at the Ohio State University, firing a 5-under 137 to finish as medalist. Petrie competed at Moraine Country Club in Dayton and was 5-over through his first nine holes. He then played his final 27 holes in 9-under par to force a tie for second and birdied the first playoff hole to advance.

“Qualifying meant a lot, especially how I did it,” Petrie said.

Hoban boys golf coach Quinn Parker expressed excitement that this was the first time a current or former golfer qualified for the U.S. Amateur.  

“It was pretty cool to have a grad and current golfer that were both there representing Hoban,” Vojtko enthusiastically said.

Neither Vojtko nor Petrie are accustomed to this level of competition. As a high schooler, Vojtko is normally one of the older golfers at junior events. Stepping onto the course in Denver however, he was one of the youngest competitors. Petrie similarly plays his first college tournament in a couple of weeks, putting him on the younger side too. This ultimately was to their advantage. 

“I got to soak in a lot of information and just learn from people more experienced than me,” Vojtko remarked. 

“The main thing I learned is plain and simple— I need to get better to compete with these top guys,” Petrie said. 

Going into the tournament, both Vojtko and Petrie were feeling more confident and excited than nervous. 

“It was one of those situations where you jump in and you either drown or you swim, so you have to figure it out quickly,” Vojtko excitedly expressed. 

Consistency in preparation was key for both players too. When Vojtko golfed a practice round in Colorado, he discovered that due to the altitude difference, the ball flew seven percent farther. While this might not seem like a huge adjustment, as Vojtko described, “when you are used to playing tournaments and you have yardages, it is a hard adjustment, but you just have to get out there and take notes on how the ball moves.” 

It is these very traits that Parker says make them both so successful. 

Vojtko is feeling confident for the rest of the season and hopes to win a state championship not only as a team but also as an individual. The future is already looking bright. In his first match back with the Knights, he shot a 66 to break the school record. 

Parker shares this same confidence. After having a golfer on his team that competed at such a high level, he had to adjust his coaching style. Expectations continue to be met and redefined as Parker challenges his golfers more. 

“The goal for this team is regardless if you play on A team, B team, or JV to compete and do your very best by representing yourself and our school in the right way,” he said.

Vojtko will be graduating in December, and leaving for Ohio State in the spring. At OSU, he hopes to win a Big Ten championship and eventually go on to play professionally. 

Petrie is optimistic about his future golfing. He is currently attending the University of Kentucky and is scheduled to be golfing in his first college match with the team in the coming weeks.