FRENCH LICK, Ind. – The longest playoff in the 16-year history of The Legends Tour and the first in the Legends Championship’s four-year run was an epic, no doubt about it.

England’s Trish Johnson battled defending champion Juli Inkster through six extra holes on Sunday before an Inkster letdown handed the title and $37,700 first prize to Johnson.

“I wish I could say I enjoyed that, but I really didn’t,’’ said Johnson. “It was a battle for survival at the end.’’

Indeed it was, just like the final round of a year ago when Inkster – making her Legends Tour debut – overtook Johnson with three birdies on the last five holes. There were some similarities this time.

Johnson and Inkster were in a three-way tie with Becky Iverson at the start of the day. Johnson’s early birdies gave her a three-stroke lead on the field, but she got nervous after three-putting at No. 6.

“I totally lost my confidence,’’ she said. “After that I didn’t feel comfortable at all.’’

Still, she retained her three-stroke edge at the turn and another birdie at No. 10 put Johnson up four shots with eight holes to play. The tournament was far from over at that point, however.

“Juli did the same as she did last year,’’ said Johnson. “She made three birdies in the last five-six holes, and I felt I should have done better coming in. I got a little defensive, and I knew what Juli was gong to do because she always does that.’’

Actually, despite her big lead, Johnson was in danger of losing the title in the regulation 36 holes when Inkster – playing in the next-to-the-last twosome in front of Johnson — made a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to get to 5-under-par for the tournament. That pulled her into a tie for the lead and Johnson and to scramble for a par to force the playoff.

The 18th hole, set up at 480 yards on Sunday, was designated as the lone playoff hole – and Johnson didn’t like that.

“I love the French Lick Resort, but I hate No. 18. I can’t play it,’’ she said. “I’ve played it 20 times (in Legends Championships) and I never made a birdie. It doesn’t suit my eye.’’

Both players had their chances to win in the extra session. Johnson had a 12-foot birdie putt hit the hole and spin out on the second extra hole and Inkster had a 10-footer that did the same on the fourth.

Finally they got to the sixth extra hole, with spectators staying around to watch the drama from mounds beside the No. 18 fairway. After both players made pars on the first five holes Inkster cracked first. She hit he second shot on the dogleg right par-5 in to the heather and it took a small search party to find it.

Inkster took an unplayable lie, adding a stroke, and then made a bad drop. Her ball stayed in thick rough and she moved her first attempt to get out only four yards. Her next attempt – her fifth shot on the hole – hit the green, but Johnson ended the playoff by two-putting for another par.

Johnson and Inkster dominated the field for the second straight year. Both shot 71s in the second round to finish at 5-under 139 for the regulation 36 holes. Endland’s Laura Davies was three shots back in third place but Jean Bartholomew had the best round of the tournament – a 7-under-par 65 – in finished in a tie for sixth.

The Honors Division, for seven players 63 and over, again went to Jan Stephenson. She has now won the division in four straight Legends Tour events.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. – Becky Iverson started fast, Juli Inkster finished strong and Trish Johnson’s consistency was critical. In the end they shared the lead after Saturday’s first round of The Legends Championship on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.

Rounds started off both the Nos. 1 and 10 tees after afternoon rains entered the weather forecast and the last players putted out before the weather turned bad.

“We got incredibly lucky,’’ said Johnson, last year’s runner-up to Inkster in this, the major tournament of the season on The Legends Tour. “I thought we were going to get annihilated when we started hearing the storm on the 12th tee. Then it stopped. We got away with murder.’’

All the 58 players in the field were happy to get the round in, and plans for Sunday’s final 18 call for all to start off No. 1.

Iverson was at the top of the leaderboard most of the day after making three birdies in the first four holes. All came off solid iron shots that left her short birdie puts and she eventually got to 5-under for the round before struggling in with a 4-under 68.

“I was pretty tired,’’ said Iverson. “Golf should be 14 holes. It would have been great if we had quit after 14.’’

Iverson, who works as director of golf at The Bridges course in Madison, Wis., was the only one of the leaders to begin play at No. 10 and her highlight came on a 40-foot birdie putt at No. 13. She showed signs of stumbling after a bogey at No. 7 – her 16th hole of the day – and she needed to sink 10-footers to save pars on her last two holes.

Inkster, beginning defense of her title, threatened to fall off the pace when she lost a ball on the par-5 fourteenth hole.

“But I made a good bogey there, and that was key. It kept my round together,’’ said Inkster, who bounced back with an 18-foot birdie putt on the next hole and then posted her 68 – good for a share of the lead — with a four-foot birdie on a left-to-right breaker at No. 18.

For Johnson, winner of the Scottish Open just two years ago, the key was steady play. Her four birdies came from six feet or less.

“It’s an incredibly difficult golf course but, like anything, if it suits your eye you seem to play well,’’ said Johnson. “Who knows why?’’

Johnson was the first-round leader last year but Inkster, then making her debut on the circuit for players who have reached their 45th birthday, made birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 17 and 18 in the final round to beat Johnson by two strokes.

In today’s final round they’ll also have to battle with perennial contender Rosie Jones and Michele Redman, the University of Minnesota women’s coach. They’re just one shot back and Wendy Doolan and Patty Sheehan trail the leaders by two.

A repeat also looms in the seven-player Honors Division, whose players who have reached their 63rd birthday. Jan Stephenson has ruled the Honors category at the last three Legends tournaments offering that competitive category. The string started last year at French Lick.

Stephenson, who shot 74 for a three-stroke lead over Shelley Hamlin, wasn’t happy with her putting. She had three three-putts.

“But this golf course does fit me,’’ she said. “I love the trophy. I love winning playing against the girls I grew up playing with I’ve got no shot against the others, but I know I can shoot low out here.’’

SILVIS, IL. – This was one strange John Deere Classic.

First there was the PGA Tour’s decision to schedule the 46-year old tournament opposite the Olympics instead of July as usual. Then there was the weather; numerous rain delays wreaked havoc with the tournament schedule for three days.

And then there was the lack of drama on Sunday, the best day weather-wise. The JDC is always one of the lowest-scoring tournaments on the circuit and birdies abound in the pressure of the final round in most years. Not Sunday, however.

In the end Ryan Moore “won’’ the tournament with his gritty play on Saturday. No one really challenged him in Sunday’s final round at TPC Deere Run as he led throughout for a two-stroke victory over playing partner Ben Martin.

Moore wasn’t fazed by birdie binges from Morgan Hoffmann and Martin during a long Saturday, one in which many of the players – Moore included – had to play nearly two rounds after numerous rain delays wreaked havoc with the tournament schedule.

It was smoother sailing for Moore on Sunday, however, as he upped a one-stroke lead at the start of the final 18 to three shots on the front nine thanks to birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 9. Sinking a tricky 24-foot putt at the fourth was key.

“It was important to show the guys behind me that I’m not here to mess around, that I was here to play,’’ said Moore. His lead grew to five when Moore made his last birdie at No. 10 and Hoffmann took a bogey at No. 11.

Martin then made three birdies in a row from Nos. 12-14 to cut his own deficit against Moore to two but Moore’s eight straight pars to finish the round were all he needed to capture his fifth win on the PGA Tour and first since 2014.

“When I had a five-shot lead I knew that wasn’t safe on this golf course,’’ said Moore, whose steadiness was the key to winning. He played the last 46 holes of the tournament without making a bogey and his 67 in the final round led to a 22-under-par 262 score for the 72 holes. That was two strokes better than Martin, who finished with a 68. Korean Wee Kim and Hoffman were another three shots back in a tie for third. Moore earned $864,000 from a purse of $4.8 million.

“Hats off to (Moore),’’ said Martin. “I don’t think he ever really sniffed a bogey. He did what you’re supposed to do when you play with the lead on Sunday. I got to see golf the way you’re supposed to play it from him all day.’’

Of the early starters only Adam Hadwin and Kevin Na maintained significant challenges. Both shot 64 but needed to make up much more ground than that. Peter Malnati also created some excitement, getting to 10-under for the day in his first 16 holes. Needing and eagle-birdie finish for a 59, Malnati faded fast with a triple bogey eight at No. 17 and a bogey at No. 18.

Moore is in his 12th season on tour. He’s one of a handful of players to get PGA Tour playing privileges without ever going to qualifying school. A brilliant amateur career culminated in 2004 when he won the U.S. Amateur, Western Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and NCAA championship. That impressed pro tournament organizers who gave him plenty of sponsor exemptions, and he used those to meet money requirements to continually keep his card.

His professional record, though, isn’t as impressive as his amateur one was.

“Amateur golf and professional golf are two completely different animals,’’ he said. “I fought some injuries and I fought a lot of different stuff over the years. Honestly, just to keep my card for 12 seasons without ever losing it is a bit of an accomplishment these days, as tough as the competition is. I’m slowly trying to get better.’’

SILVIS, IL. – Finally, after two days of stormy weather that resulted in over three inches of rain pelting the TPC Deere Run course, the John Deere Classic is back on track and — conditions being what they are now – today’s final round is going to be a birdie-filled shootout.

The JDC has always been one of the lowest-scoring events on the PGA Tour and Saturday’s dawn to dusk session showed just how vulnerable TPC Deere Run can be under mild conditions. Saturday produced a race to finish. None of the players wanted to return early today to finish Round 3.

Ryan Moore, who lipped out his birdie putt on the final green at 8:25 p.m. in near darkness, posted his third straight 65. He’s 18 under par for the 54 holes, but that great scoring is good for only a one-stroke lead over Ben Martin and Morgan Hoffmann. They both shot 62 in Saturday’s third round.

The lift, clean and place rule was in effect on the fairways on Saturday, and the 73 players who made the cut after the second round ended at mid-day took full advantage once the third round began in the afternoon. Martin made birdie on the first five holes and on four of his last five. Hoffman strung six birds in his back nine blitz.

Moore, though, wasn’t fazed.

“That’s just how I play golf,’’ he said. “I’m a position guy – just put it out there and keep giving myself opportunities. My putting has felt better than it’s felt in a while, which is very encouraging.’’

The spectacular play wasn’t just by the front-runners on Saturday. Aaron Wise, the NCAA champion from Oregon, shot 63 and Charlie Danielson – like Wise in the field on a sponsor’s exemption – had the shot of the day. The former University of Illinois star holed out from 146 yards for eagle at No. 18.

Today’s cast of finalists includes the tourney’s two most popular stars, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker, but neither took advantage of the good scoring conditions and are far back in the standings. In fact, a changing of the guard looms for today’s final round as the champions from the last seven years are either far off the pace or — in the case of two-time winner Jordan Spieth — not here.

Concerns over the Zika virus led to Spieth dropping out of the Olympics’ golf competition, and he decided to take the week off altogether rather than defend his title here.

Johnson, Stricker and 2014 JDC champion Brian Harman formed the featured threesome in the first two rounds, both of which were spread over 2 ½ days and played in less than desirable weather. They had to play their entire second round on Saturday morning and Johnson and Stricker returned for another 18 holes in the afternoon.

Harman didn’t survive the 36-hole cut, made after the second round was completed on Saturday morning. Johnson, the 2012 champion and perennial contender, saw his string of 29 straight rounds in the 60s at TPC Deere Run come to an end with a par-71 showing in Round 2 and he shot the same score in the afternoon. Stricker, who won the title three straight times from 2009-11, needed two late birdies just to survive the cut. He shot 68 in both his Saturday rounds and is tied for 37th place. Johnson is tied for 50th.

“I’m happy to be around,’’ said Stricker. “The course is wet. It’s tough to control your ball out of the fairway and if you hit it in the rough, it’s thick and lush. We’re lucky to be playing. The course took a lot of rain. It’s still in great shape, but it’s tough.’’

“Today is the hardest I’ve seen this course since the time we played in September (in 2003), said Johnson. “The course is significantly different. It was one of those gusty days where you’re in between clubs a lot.’’

Obviously, many of their rivals didn’t agree.

Hot streaks also were provided by Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo, who posted four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine, and South Korea’s Wee Kim, who birdied his last five holes to climb into a tie for fifth, one shot behind fourth place Johnson Wagner.

SILVIS, IL. – This 46th playing of the John Deere Classic has lots of golf remaining. Because three inches of rain fell on the TPC Deere Run course over the last two days, the second round is barely half over and will have to be completed Saturday morning before the third round can begin.

That aside, the tourney already has a heart-tugging story line. Tom Gillis is in the hunt again. One of the lucky ones to complete his second round on Friday, Gillis’ 64-68 start put him two strokes behind clubhouse leader Wesley Bryan and one behind Steve Marino after 36 holes.

Gillis was a tragic figure after the 2015 JDC. A 48-year old veteran of 171 PGA tour events, he was in position for his first victory on golf’s premier circuit. He let a lead slip away late in the final round, however, and ended up losing a two-hole playoff to 21-year old phenom Jordan Spieth who is not defending his title this week.

Spieth, who came from four strokes down with six to play to force the playoff, was the golden boy of 2015, having previously won the Masters and U.S. Open. Gillis was a journeyman player who accepted the defeat with dignity – at least on the day of his collapse.

“I never really watched the watched the video that day and when I did watch it I wished I hadn’t,’’ Gillis said. “It showed that I was in command all day. That bothered me all year. It will always bother me. I haven’t shown any form since then.’’

Gillis is in his 26th year as a touring pro and he’s played tournaments in 28 countries. Last year’s JDC is a classic example of what might have been.

“It could have really been special,’’ said Gillis. “What stung is that I realized that to win a lot has to happen right.’’

It didn’t that day 13 months ago, but it could this week. Last year he finished the tournament with a 7-under-par 64 to at least briefly pass Spieth, who started with the day with a two-stroke lead. This year he started with a 64, in a round that was spread over Thursday and Friday, and followed with another solid round in a long day on the course Friday.

Rain hampered the tournament again. Play was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. but the first round couldn’t resume until noon thanks to more bad weather. Those who finished their first rounds on Thursday couldn’t start their second rounds until nearly 6 p.m. Among those who have lots of golf to play today are Zach Johnson, the 2012 champion who was one of three golfers to post 65 on Thursday before severe weather curtailed play.

Bryan, off to a 66-64 start after playing 25 holes on Friday, earned his place on the PGA Tour off a strong showing on the Web.com Tour this year. Marino had a similarly long day on Friday. He arrived at the course at 5 a.m., anticipating a resumption of play two hours later.

“I had eaten breakfast, then went back to the hotel and ate breakfast again,’’ said Marino. “There was never a negative thought about what was going on.’’

Still, the weather has impacted every player at one time or another. Johnson and three-time JDC winner Steve Stricker were scheduled to start their second rounds at 7:40 p.m. They, along with playing partner Brian Harman, the 2014 winner, were standing on the No. 1 tee when another storm hit.

Play was suspended for the day at 7:52 and is scheduled to resume at 7 a.m. today. An improved weather forecast suggests the third round will at least begin on Saturday afternoon after the second is completed and the cut to the low 70 and ties is made.

SILVIS, IL. – The John Deere Classic doesn’t draw one of the best fields on the PGA Tour, and this week’s 46th playing of the tournament has to contend with the first Olympic Games golf competition since 1904.

The JDC does have Steve Stricker, however – and that counts for a lot.

Stricker has won the tournament at TPC Deere Run three times and shot 60 in one memorable round there. He’ll in the featured pairing off the No. 10 tee, along with past champions Zach Johnson and Brian Harman, at 8:20 a.m. today. Play begins off both Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:20.

“It’s always special coming back here. It’s a special place for me and my family,’’ said Stricker, one of five former University of Illinois golfers in the 156-man field. “There’s a great hometown feel here. This is the way the PGA Tour used to be week in and week out, and we don’t get this feel very often anymore.’’

At 49, Stricker is embroiled in an unusual season as his PGA Tour career is winding down. It all started with a second-place finish at Memphis.

“That got me thinking about getting in majors,’’ he said. “I had tried qualifying for the U.S. Open but missed out on a playoff by a shot. I was trying to gain some Ryder Cup points and some FedEx Cup points and Memphis got me into the British Open.’’

Not only did Stricker get into the Open, he finished a strong fourth after going to Europe a week early to play in the Scottish Open the week before.

“I played well a couple times and that got me into a tournament or two that I wasn’t expecting to get into,’’ he said. “It’s been fun getting back into the swing of things.’’

Stricker is feeling so good about his game that he even envisions making the Ryder Cup team again. How he plays this week will have an impact on his chances, but Stricker will be at the team competition against the Europeans regardless. U.S. captain Davis Love III already named him as one of his assistant captains.

“I’m trying to play my way on,’’ he said. “I don’t know if I can make it on points, but I can get the attention of Davis and the other (assistant captains). I’ve got to play a couple good tournaments to show that I’m worthy.’’

One big thing that he’ll have going this week is his familiarity with TPC Deere Run. He’s making his 15th appearance in the tournament and has found the course better than ever.

“It’s the best I’ve ever seen it. The course is in unbelievable shape,’’ said Stricker. “It’s going to be a great week for everybody here.’’

SILVIS, IL. – Organizers of what is now established as the John Deere Classic have coped with a variety of challenges for 45 years as a small market tournament on the PGA Tour – but never was the challenge anything like this one.

Golf will be contested at the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904 beginning on Thursday. That’s also the same day the John Deere Classic tees off at TPC Deere Run in this small town the outskirts of Moline, IL., and Davenport, IA.

Normally the JDC is held in July, the week before the British Open. That’s been a good date for the event, especially after tournament director Clair Peterson hired a jet to take any interested players directly to The Open as soon as the last putt dropped in the JDC. That was an amenity widely appreciated by the players.

Going head to head with the Olympics is different, though the Games didn’t get the respect anticipated from the golf’s top players. Six of the top 10 in the world rankings decided against going to Brazil, many citing concerns over the Zika virus. They included Jordan Spieth, who would be defending this JDC title this week if he hadn’t decided to take the week off altogether.

Of the four American players competing in Rio three didn’tt arrived until late Monday. Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed all played in the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in Hartford, Ct., which ended on Sunday. Only Rickie Fowler was in Rio for the Opening Ceremonies.

So where did that leave the JDC? At least long-time favorites Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson are in the field. Both are making their 15th straight appearance at TPC Deere Run.

“It’s a special place for me,’’ said Stricker, who won the tournament three times. “The fans really get behind me and Zach. The course is in unbelievable shape – the best I’ve ever seen it. It’s going to be a great week for everybody here.’’

Johnson felt the same way, though he called the scheduling of the tournament opposite the Olympics “unfortunate.’’

“The Olympics has put a wedge in our schedule. It’s affected every tournament post-U.S. Open,’’ said Johnson, a JDC board member. “I don’t know if there’s a positive for anybody. There may not be many negatives either. It’s just different.’’

Olympics or not, the JDC is meaningful a lots players – whether they’re here or not.

“You can look at it a number of ways,’’ said Johnson, a former Masters and British champion. “There are only two weeks left before the (FedEx Cup) Playoffs. There are only so many weeks left of Ryder Cup points. There are a lot of things at stake, so guys want to play and get some points here and there. But the Olympics touched the majors, too. It made you think about when to play and when to rest, which is more important this time of year.’’

Johnson has been a major contender the last seven stagings of the JDC. That stretch included a victory (in 2012), a playoff loss, two runner-up finishes and two ties for third.

Last week Johnson was paired the first two rounds with Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Ct. Furyk barely survived the 36-hole cut before shocking the golf world with a record 58 on Sunday. TPC Deere Run was the site of Paul Goydos’ 59 in 2010, on the same day that Stricker shot a 60.

“(Low scores) are much more attainable here,’’ said Johnson. “You have three par-5s and a drivable par-4. TPC River Highlands (in Hartford) is harder top to bottom.’’

The JDC has led the PGA Tour events in birdies in four of the last five years, and another low-scoring affair seems likely. Johnson and Stricker head the field, as usual, and the rest of the competitors include more than the usual number of college stars who have just entered the professional ranks. They include Aaron Wise, of Oregon; Charlie Danielson, Illinois; Jordan Niebrugge, Oklahoma State; Jon Rahm, Arizona State; and Lee McCoy, Georgia.

First-time winners are not unusual at the JDC. Twenty players have notched their first PGA Tour title at the JDC, the last being Brian Harman in 2014.

The 156 starters will be playing for an $4.8 million purse with Sunday’s champion receiving $864,000. The starters also include former major championship winners Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and David Toms plus former JDC champions John Senden and Jonathan Byrd.

Dylan Meyer wasn’t one of the high-profile players on the University of Illinois’ powerhouse golf teams the last couple seasons. New pros Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry filled that role.

When school resumes later this month, though, it figures to be Meyer’s turn – and on Saturday he proved ready for the challenge.

About to enter his junior season for the Illini, Meyer captured the 114th Western Amateur title at the Knollwood Club, in Lake Forest, with a 3 and 1 victory over Sam Horsfield, who dominated the tournament until the title match.

Horsfield, a University of Florida sophomore from Manchester, England, was the tourney medalist by nine strokes and survived his first three matches after that. He was even 2-up on Meyer five holes into the title match before the momentum changed.

Meyer won Nos. 6 and 7 to get the match to all square and took the lead for good with his first birdie at the 601-yard par-5 tenth. Horsfield lipped out a putt from 10 feet that would have halved that hole, and he had lipouts three more times before conceding the par-3 17th hole and the match to Meyer.

“There wasn’t a point that I had total control. Sam’s a great player, and I expected him to do everything,’’ said Meyer. “When I was 2-down my mind was re-setting. My caddie and I had a plan – to be relentless.’’

It eventually paid off, as Meyer now joins a select group that includes Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods as Western Amateur champions.

“I didn’t play bad at all. Dylan played great,’’ said Horsfield, who is No. 1 in the Scratch Players World Amateur Rankings (compared to No. 15 for Meyer). “It’s been a great week. I’m proud of how I played and excited where my game’s at.’’

There’s still one big event before school starts – the U.S. Amateur at Michigan’s Oakland Hills course. It begins on Aug. 15 and all the Western Amateur stars will be there, including Meyer and Nick Hardy, his Illini teammate from Northbrook who won the Illinois State Amateur by a shocking 10 strokes three weeks ago. Meyer stayed with Hardy’s family during the Western Am.

Meyer, from Evansville, Ind., needed to survive a sudden death playoff on Thursday to make the Sweet 16 match play qualifiers. He switched drivers in the middle of the tournament, which improved his game but didn’t enabled him to approach Horsfield’s prodigious blasts off the tee. Most impressive of those came at the 426-yard fifth hole, where Horsfield’s tee shot came up just 50 yards short of the green.

That was the pattern throughout the match, but Meyer – a slender 140 pounds – wasn’t distracted.

“I know my place. I know my game. I know my stature,’’ said Meyer. “I just accept it. I’m not going to be Jason Day or Dustin Johnson. I’d be a Zach Johnson. I’d short-game a golf course to death.’’

That’s pretty much how he won this tournament. He reached the final four by whipping Doug Ghim, a University of Texas player from Arlington Heights, in Thursday’s quarterfinals and then baffled Will Gordon, of Davidson, N.C., in Saturday’s semifinals, going 3-up on the front nine before winning 4 and 2.

Horsfield had a more difficult semifinal. His opponent, Davis Riley of Hattiesburg, MS., shot a 6-under-par 30 on the front nine and birdied the 10th to go 4-up. Horsfield then won the next six holes and the match to put himself in position to be the first medalist to win the title since Chris Williams in 2012. Meyer, however, spoiled that dream.

Friday was not a good day for the local players who made it to match play in the 114th Western Amateur at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest.

Northbrook’s Nick Hardy lost in the Round of 16 to Davis Riley, of Hattiesburg, Miss., 4 and 2 and Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights, survived his first match in 19 holes but was walloped by Hardy’s University of Illinois teammate Dylan Meyer 5 and 4 in the quarterfinals.

Friday’s matches whittled the field in the prestigious championship to four players. Tourney medalist Sam Horsfield, a University of Florida sophomore from Manchester, England, will face Riley, a sophomore at Alabama, in the first semifinal at 8 a.m. and Meyer will take on Will Gordon, a sophomore at Vanderbilt from Davidson, N.C., at 8:15.

Meyer, from Evansville, Ind., needed to survive a playoff on Thursday to make it into the Sweet 16 for the match play portion of the tournament. He was sorry to see Hardy eliminated.

“We root for each other, and I we really wanted to play each other in the finals,’’ said Meyer, “but we’ll meet up again at the U.S. Amateur.’’

That’ll be the last big summer event before the collegiate stars return to their school teams. The U.S. Amateur will be played at Oakland Hills, in Michigan, starting on Aug. 15. Ghim will be there, too.

“It’s been fun testing my game against such a difficult golf course,’’ said Ghim, soon to be a junior at Texas. “I still consider this a good week, though I didn’t have my best game. I tried to be patient, but I kept burning the edges. It didn’t happen this week, but there’ll be more matches in the future.’’

Hardy started slowly against Riley and never recovered. He missed five putts inside of 10 feet on the front nine. The Meyer-Ghim match was similar, in that Meyer built a 3-up lead in the first eight holes and remained in control the rest of the way.

Horsfield, who was nine shots better than the rest of the field in the 72-hole stroke play portion of the tournament, needs to win both his matches today to become the first medalist to win the overall title since Chris Williams did it at Exmoor, in Highland Park, in 2012.

Just qualifying for the Sweet 16 at the Western Amateur is a great accomplishment, and Northbrook’s Nick Hardy and Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim both did that on Thursday at Knollwood Club in Lake Forest.

They were only bit players in the third and fourth round of the stroke play portion in the 114th playing of this championship, however. Sam Horsfield, a University of Florida sophomore from Manchester, England, dominated the 72-hole portion that determined the 16 who advance to match play on Friday.

Horsfield opened with a course record 9-under-par 63 on Tuesday, stumbled to a 75 on Wednesday and then cruised in with a 67-64 finish on Thursday to posted a 15-under-par 269 total for the 72 holes. That at least approached the records for the prestigious tournament. The record books are sketchy with the tourney’s Sweet 16 era going back “only’’ to 1956.

Using that as guideline, Horsfield had the fourth-best stroke play score in the history of the tournament, the best being a 265 by Aron Price at long-time host site Point O’Woods, in Benton Harbor, Mich., in 2004.

Danny Lee, the last medalist to go on to win the overall title in 2008, shot 268 at Point O’Woods and Chris Williams also posted that number at North Shore in Glenview in 2011. Their scores in relation to par and margin of victory were not available.

Horsfield, who won his qualifying medal by nine strokes over runner-up Michael DeMorat of Merritt Island, FL., was concerned with only one record.

“I knew the course record was 63 and I tried to make my birdie putt on the last hole for 62,’’ he said. That putt didn’t drop and Horsfield missed his comeback putt as well.

“Finishing bogey-bogey somewhat sucks, but I achieved my goal of making it to match play,’’ he said. “It was a special day. I had all things clicking.’’

At least that was the case most of the time. He needed a tuneup on the range between rounds on Thursday to work out a minor kink in his swing. After that it was clear sailing.

“In the afternoon I was in control of my game’’ he said. “Once I got to 3-under after nine I had nothing to worry about. My caddie and I decided to look at the rest of the round like it was a practice round.’’

Horsfield reached 17-under and led by 11 at one point on the final nine but that was incidental.

“If somebody told me I’d get to 17-under before the round I wouldn’t have believed it,’’ he said. “I told my girlfriend I wanted to get to 15-under, and once I was there I kind of just hit it around.’’

Earning medalist honors in no way guarantees that match play will be a similar walk in the park.

“Match play is a different animal,’’ said Horsfield, who was also a Sweet 16 qualifier last year. “You’re not playing the golf course, you’re playing your opponent. A lot of great names have won the medal. It’s a pretty neat accomplishment, but it’s over. I came here to win the tournament.’’

Hardy, the reigning Illinois State Amateur champion, finished 71-69 and tied for fourth. Ghim went 73-70 on Thursday and ended in a tie for sixth. They’ll be in the first round of match play, which starts at 8 a.m. on Friday. Winners will play in the afternoon quarterfinals, and the four survivors will decide the title on Saturday with semifinals in the morning and the title match in the afternoon.

Hardy will host Davis Riley, of Hattiesburg, MS., in the Round of 16 while Ghim will take on Max McGreevy, of Edmond, Okla. Horsfield’s opponent is Joaquin Niemann of Chile, who survived a six-man playoff for the final five spots in match play.

Among the other playoff survivors was University of Illinois golfer Dylan Meyer, who will face DeMorat. Four members of the Sweet 16 are foreigners.