Former NFL running back Danny Woodhead failed to advance out of the stroke play portion of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship held at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash.
Woodhead and his partner, Michael Wilheim, shot a combined 1-over par 144 during their two rounds at Chambers Bay and secondary venue The Home Course. The cut to advance to match play was 8-under par 135, which was good enough for an 11-for-6 playoff to advance as one of the 32 teams to the match play portion. The Four-Ball is a two-man better-ball competition.
“It’s a lot of fun. Obviously, we didn’t play very good but, I mean, what do you do? That’s going to happen sometimes and it is what it is,” Woodhead said.
Woodhead spent 10 years in the NFL after a standout college career at Division II Chadron State where he won the Harlon Hill trophy twice, which is the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for the D-II level. After being signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent, Woodhead also played for the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
Woodhead rushed for 2,238 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career and caught 300 passes for 2,698 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“It’s pretty amazing. It’s really, really cool,” Woodhead said of playing at the site of the 2015 U.S. Open. “Hopefully we get opportunities to play in more of these and actually play relatively well. It’s fun. It’s fun to see the tees that they saw and it makes things interesting, it makes things harder, obviously, and you appreciate what (the pros) do. ... This is one of the coolest courses I’ve played and I’ve been fortunate to play some really, really cool courses and this is up there with them.”
Former Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams qualified for the 2019 event held at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. He and partner Greg Berthelot made the round of 16 before being eliminated.