(Photo Courtesy of SMU Athletics )

SMU’s Kelly Kraft upset No. 1-ranked amateur Patrick Cantlay of UCLA in Sunday’s 36-hole final to win the 111th U.S. Amateur Championship in men’s golf.

It was at Erin Hills (Wisc.) Country Club where Kraft etched his name in the Mustang history books, becoming the third to win the U.S. Amateur Championship, following SMU golfers Hank Kuehne (1998) and Colt Knost (2007).

The first nine holes was a heated battle with both Kraft and Cantlay alternating in taking the lead.

Kraft made the first decisive move by taking leads of two, three, and four holes on the back nine. However, Cantlay responded with a birdie on the 17th hole and capitalized on Kraft’s triple bogey on 18 to win his second-straight hole.

Cantlay carried his momentum over and tied up the match six holes into the final 18.

However, Kraft proved himself the more solid of the two and came from behind as he maintained his score and took advantage of Cantlay’s bogeys in the final four holes to finish two up for the title.

With the win, Kraft has earned a spot in the 2012 Masters, British Open and U.S. Open if he chooses to remain an amateur rather than entering PGA qualifying school this fall.

During the summer, Kraft triumphed in the Texas Amateur Championship and the Trans-Miss Amateur Championship.