Hunter Stewart knocks off the rust and Lee McCoy in U.S. Amateur

Hunter Stewart during the round of 64 at the U. S. Men's Amateur at Olympia Fields in Olympia Fields, Ill. ( Tracy Wilcox )OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – If Hunter Stewart goes deep into this week’s U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields – and he’s quite capable – it won’t take him long to tell you why he advanced as far as he did. After two days of medal-play qualifying during which he made very few putts, he faced a 12-footer for par on the 10th hole of Olympia Fields’ dewy South Course first thing Wednesday morning.

The consequences were black and white: Make it, and move on in the playoff, which involved 18 players vying for 10 spots. And if he missed? He was headed home. That simple. He took the putter…