Patrick Cantlay proved his mettle in loss

Even though Kelly Kraft beat Patrick Cantlay 2 up to take the 111th U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills on Sunday, Cantlay proved why he is the best American player of his generation.

Coming into the week at the 7,760-yard par-72 links-styled layout, the 19-year-old UCLA sophomore was the No. 1 amateur in the world and a proven commodity in pro tournaments. The Pac-10 player of the year was the low amateur at this year's U.S. Open at Congressional, where he finished in a tie for 21st.

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/6904011/patrick-cantlay-proved-mettle-us-amateur-loss