Stanford’s Salinda sinks clutch birdie to advance

Isaiah Salinda finally reached the 18th hole in match play at Pebble Beach — and he promptly conquered the picturesque par-5 like an old pro.

Salinda, who grew up in South San Francisco and will begin his senior year at Stanford next month, made a clutch birdie Thursday to earn a 1-up victory over Stewart Hagestad and advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur.

This one, unlike Salinda’s first two matches, included some drama. He rolled to victories Wednesday (in 13 holes) and again Thursday morning (in 14), so he hadn’t played the closing hole with a match teetering in doubt.

But Salinda and Hagestad — a 27-year-old from Newport Beach (Orange County) making his eighth U.S. Amateur start — stood all-square through 17 holes. Salinda then crushed his drive and smacked a 4-iron shot onto the green, about 30 feet left of the hole.

Hagestad was in trouble, short of the green in thick rough. His third shot scooted well past the hole, and his attempt at an improbable birdie stopped inches short.

Salinda converted, knocking home his 3-foot birdie putt to win the hole and the match.

Salinda, 21, sailed into the round of 16 earlier Thursday with a 5-and-4 victory over Trevor Phillips of Inman, S.C. Salinda seized an early lead, making four birdies on the first seven holes, and cruised home from there.

Two other Bay Area players fell in the second round. Shintaro Ban of San Jose lost to UCLA’s Devon Bling and Joshua McCarthy of Danville was eliminated by Texas-bound Cole Hammer.

Ban, who graduated from UNLV in May, made birdie on No. 16 to trim Bling’s lead to 1-up. They matched pars on No. 17, and then Bling’s birdie on No. 18 secured his 2-up victory.

McCarthy, who attends Pepperdine, had a great chance to topple Hammer, a co-medalist in stroke play this week. McCarthy led 1-up through 14 holes, but he fell behind after bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16. Hammer held on for a 1-up win.