Akshay Bhatia of North Carolina won his semi-final, 4 and 2, at the 71st Junior Amateur Golf Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ on Friday, July 20th. (Photo: GREG MATTURA / NORTHJERSEY.COM)

SPRINGFIELD – Presentation of the two friends and finalists of the 71st Junior Amateur Championship of the United States.

We first have Akshay Bhatia, 16 years old, born in Los Angeles. and now lives in Wake Forest, NC

"I'm just excited," said Bhatia about the 36-hole final on Saturday at the Baltusrol Golf Club. "Match play, we do not play enough, so I'm looking forward to it."

His opponent, Michael Thorbjornsen, is a 16-year-old boy born in Cleveland and now residing in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

"I can not wait until [Saturday] Thorbjornsen said after surviving a 21-hole semifinal on Friday." I play with one of my best friends and that should be very amusing. "

Thorbjornsen posted a trio of games in the playoffs of the sudden death on the higher course to overtake Cameron Sisk, 18, of El Cajon, 1965 For more information: Golf: Ben Wong, the most experienced Junior AM player, faces the quarter-finals

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Thorbjornsen won the 18th hole par-4. Sisk of Thorbjornsen's 24-foot birdie stopped at less than one foot, and Sisk conceded after his 26-foot to pars on the edge.

"It was just who could make some putts in the end and who could grind the longer" Thorbjornsen said:

Sisk missed some birdie putts that could have won the match. With a chance to win at the 18th hole, Sisk missed a 12-foot. At the first hole of the playoffs, the par 4 missed an eight-foot

"I hit two punches, I had two chances to finish it, and I guess that's not the case. was not my day. " "Sisk, a newcomer to the state of Arizona." I put big shots on both, and I guess that was not meant to be. "

For Bhatia, it seemed that He has never followed a semifinal win of 4 and 2 over the most notable name on the field, Texan Cole Hammer, qualified for the Internationals United States in 2015 and four-ball American champion this year

". Whenever you beat someone, that boosts your confidence, "said Bhatia," especially someone who has done such great things this year and over the past couple of years. "

Bhatia won with the top putting.Although he accidentally stepped on his putter earlier in the week and that he had to be repaired, he was hot, and his 9-footer for birdie the ninth gave him a 3-up lead.

"I thought to myself:" If I think right now, what each putt means, I'm not going to think about the putter. "" Bhatia said. "It's a putter, and I can do anything with n". Whatever … "

Hammer's putter continued to come in. He said the greens might not have been so fast during the semifinals of the season. afternoon that during the morning quarterfinals, and that he was maybe a little tired. says Hammer, a Houston resident and a freshman entering Texas. "I could not judge at all of my speed, and I left everything within two feet."