Sam Udovich

Sam Udovich is an American amateur from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, who completed his freshman season at Texas Christian University in 2025-26. He immediately became one of the most productive players in program history, posting a team-leading 70.45 scoring average (-0.71 versus par), the fifth-best single season in TCU history. For his efforts he was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and the All-Big 12 Tournament Team, and he became the first TCU Horned Frog to earn all-region honors as a freshman since Julien Brun in 2012.

Before college, Udovich built a strong junior resume in Minnesota. He was the 2022 Minnesota Golf Association Junior Player of the Year, finished third at the state tournament that year, and is a former Drive, Chip and Putt national champion. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur and won his first AJGA event before committing to Division I TCU.

Udovich advanced deep into 2026 U.S. Open qualifying. He was a co-medalist at local qualifying at Wichita Falls Country Club in Texas with a 4-under 67, earning a place in final qualifying. At his final-qualifying site, The Lakes Golf & Country Club in Westerville, Ohio, he finished at 9 under par but drove into the water and three-putted for double bogey late, leaving him in a four-for-three playoff alongside J.B. Holmes, Vaughn Harber and Arni Sveinsson.

Udovich was the odd man out of that playoff and was named the first alternate from the site. As a result he is not in the 156-player field for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills; he does not appear in the official field list or in the Round 1 and Round 2 tee times, and would only play if called up to replace a withdrawal.