SAN FRANCISCO — Clark Van Gaalen has traveled all over the country to test and refine his skills at some of the nation’s toughest courses. But last week, the 2024 Turlock High graduate and current University of Oklahoma sophomore relished the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages yet in his career — the 125th U.S Amateur Championship at the storied Olympic Club.

An automatic qualifier to this year’s tournament with a World Amateur Golf Ranking of 62, the 6-foot-4 Van Gaalen opened the tournament last Monday and Tuesday by shooting 1-over par in 36-hole stroke play to tie for 23rd place in the 312-player field. That was more than enough to advance to Wednesday’s Round of 64 match play. Facing Josh Duangmanee of Fairfax, Va., Van Gaalen fell 4 and 3.

Despite not advancing to later in the week, Van Gaalen enjoyed playing in his first USGA event.

“It was a good experience,” the 19-year-old Van Gaalen said. “It’s a place that really tests your skills, but to play in this event and have some good moments was nice.”

Van Gaalen’s first round of stroke play began on the Ocean Course on Monday, where he recovered from an opening-hole bogey with a birdie on the 566-yard, par-5 fourth hole. The Turlocker was challenged again on the seventh, a par-4 measured 450 yards and is tucked into the left side of a steep, rocky hill and a tight fairway required a right-to-left tee shot, heading downhill toward the green surrounded by bunkers. Van Gaalen carded an 8.

The back nine proved more favorable, as Van Gaalen cashed in with three birdies through the first four holes. After a bogey on 15, he birdied the par-4 18th to finish with a 1-over par 71.

Tuesday brought the prominence of the main Lake Course, which has hosted five men’s U.S. Opens. It also brought a much smoother day for Van Gaalen, who started on the ninth hole and headed to the first tee 2-under after birdies on 12, 14, 15, followed by a bogey on 18. Another bogey on No. 2 and a double-bogey on the fifth had Van Gaalen at 1-over on the day before finishing with an even 70 thanks to a birdie on the ninth.

“I felt like my putting was really good, I was hitting well with my irons, driving maybe could have done a bit better,” said Van Gaalen. "But the fairways, I think, were the biggest factors. The fairways are very slim. Of course, you have the bunkers, the rough, the slopes are a major factor, too, but what really stood out the most, just how tight the fairways were.”

The hilly terrain of the Olympic Club was also noticeable, with the Ocean Course carrying a slope rating of 155 and the Lake Course a 145.

Van Gaalen had never played the Olympic Club, but was able to complete four practice rounds leading up to last week’s tournament. Despite the rich history of the Lake Course, Van Gaalen said the Ocean Course was a tougher test due to its proximity to the coastline.

“The cold, the wind, it all has an impact and can make life hard for you,” Van Gaalen said. “That’s the toughest course out there. It’s damp. Quite a few mudballs. … I know that the Lake Course is very well-known, and it’s hosted all the best players and has had all the majors, but the Ocean Course is the hardest.”

Wednesday, match play took place on the Lake Course, though Van Gaalen could never find an advantage over Duangmanee. The University of Virginia standout took the lead by saving par the par-4 fourth hole while Van Gaalen settled for bogey. Van Gaalen was never to even the match, as the score remained unchanged through the ninth hole. Duangmanee eventually found a groove on the back nine, winning three of the last six holes to clinch a spot in the Round of 32.

“Josh is a really good guy, and he played really well,” Van Gaalen said. “I’ve seen him at a lot of the college events, and I’ve gotten to know him a little bit, so there was some familiarity there.”

Van Gaalen also appreciated the support of several other Turlock residents, as a contingent of about 20 to 25 followed him throughout stroke play. 

“The fans can get a bit rowdy out there,” Van Gaalen said with a laugh. “But our group was good, and seeing some of the familiar faces was really cool.”

Ian Doss was another familiar face, serving as Van Gaalen’s caddy through his three days of competition. Doss is a longtime family friend from Turlock and a member of the Olympic Club.

“He was huge,” Van Gaalen said. “Definitely was able to help with some of the reads, giving some tips on how the greens play, so him being with me was a big help.”

Van Gaalen said his freshman year at Oklahoma, where he played 31 rounds over 10 events, also prepared him for the tournament. 

He made a start for OU at this year’s SEC Championship and had a runner-up finish at the NCAA Amherst Regional with a 205 (-5). He made even bigger waves on the national scene with a team-best 13th-place (-2) finish at the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, earning all-tournament honors and later being named a freshman All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America. He was also named all-region and an All-America honorable mention by PING.

With the tournament behind him, Van Gaalen is already looking ahead to his sophomore campaign with Oklahoma, which begins the season Aug. 29-31 with the Carmel Cup from the Spyglass Hill Golf Club in Pebble Beach.

Mason Howell of Thomasville, Ga., took down Jackson Herrington of Dickson, Tenn., to capture the Havemeyer Trophy after a commanding 7-and-6 victory in Sunday’s 36-hole championship match on the Lake Course. This was the fourth year the Olympic Club has hosted the Amateur.