CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. – The last time the U.S. Amateur came to Cherry Hills, Steven Fox, a 21-year-old rising senior at Chattanooga, pulled off the biggest upset in championship history, storming through the match-play bracket as the No. 63 seed before draining an 18-footer on the first extra hole to beat Cal’s Michael Weaver in the final.
Eleven years after Fox’s 2012 triumph, Fox finds himself back at Cherry Hills for another U.S. Amateur – only this time he’s not playing.
When Tennessee senior Bryce Lewis locked up his spot in the 312-man field via the World Amateur Golf Ranking, he immediately called Fox, who is a member at the same club as Lewis, Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Fox and Lewis also attended the same high school in Hendersonville, though at different times, and Fox is golf buddies with Lewis’ dad, Trey.
Full-field scores from the U.S. Amateur
“To get to come back here, I think I can offer a little bit as a caddie at Cherry Hills,” said Fox, now a 32-year-old husband to wife, Desiree, and father to two boys, 4-year-old Mason and 16-month-old Maverick, who gave up professional golf years ago to enter a career in commercial real estate.
“Once I got approval from the wife, I was excited.”
It’s not exactly the type of work that Fox had envisioned after he won the Havemeyer Trophy as the No. 127-ranked amateur in the world, taking down not only Weaver but then No. 1 amateur Chris Williams, now an assistant golf coach at Auburn, and Brandon Hagy, who played on the PGA Tour. But Fox missed all three major cuts in 2013 before turning pro and spending a few years on developmental tours. He earned his Korn Ferry Tour card in 2016, but he lost it after one season.
In 2020, he played his last event as a professional.
“Once you win a U.S. Am, the goal is to play 20 years on the PGA Tour,” Fox said. “Obviously, my story is a little different, but I love coming back. Whether it was to caddie or play with some members, I’d come back here any time.”
Fox went about a half-decade after his win before returning to Cherry Hills to play back-to-back Smith-Cole Invitationals. He regained his amateur status on July 1 after a 30-month waiting period, but he never thought about trying to qualify for this year’s U.S. Am. He also declined an exemption into next month’s U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow. He just wanted it for member-guests and client golf.
“I don’t know if I’ll try to have another amateur career with the family; that’s my first priority,” Fox said.
So, at this point, Fox’s only chance at another U.S. Am title is on Lewis’ bag. It’s not a bad chance either, as Lewis, ranked No. 37 in the world, opened in even-par 71 at Cherry Hills on Monday.
“Our personalities are similar,” Fox said. “We really don’t take many things too seriously. Back in 2012, when I played, I had no pressure. Bryce has no pressure this week.”
Maybe come Sunday afternoon he’ll have a Havemeyer trophy as well, just like his caddie.