Greensboro, N.C. – Chris Williams and Wesley Graham each went the distance in their second and third-round matches Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,218-yard, par-71 Champions Course at Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center.
Williams, 19, of Moscow, Idaho, needed 20 holes to defeat 2010 NCAA Division I individual champion Scott Langley, 21, of St. Louis, Mo., in the second round and another 18 to edge 2009 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Bhavik Patel, 19, of Bakersfield, Calif., 1 up.
My second match was just as much of a battle as my first match today, said Williams, a rising sophomore at the University of Washington who received the 2010 Phil Mickelson Award as the outstanding freshman in NCAA Division I men’s golf. He played awesome. I knew it was going to come down to the last few holes and was lucky enough to come out with the victory.
Williams, who captured two collegiate titles in the 2009-10 season, has admittedly exceeded his expectations already.
I expect tomorrow’s matches to go down to the last hole, if not extras, said Williams. I just have to minimize my mistakes, have a good, loose attitude and just have fun.
Graham’s road to the quarters wasn’t much easier. The incoming junior at Florida State University ousted stroke-play medalist John-Tyler Griffin, 23, of Wilson, N.C., 1 up, in the second round and beat Garrett Rank, 22, of Canada, 2 up, in the third. He had to rely on miracle shots like one he had on No. 8 against Rank, where from 35 feet behind the green he hit a downhill flop shot that barely trickled into hole for birdie.
Graham, a semifinalist at the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur and a quarterfinalist in 2006, believes his experience in USGA championships will pay off.
It definitely gives you the experience of knowing how long the week is going to be if you keep on playing good and winning your matches, Graham said. You just have to stay patient and stay mentally tough out there.
Graham will face Kevin Phelan, 19, of St. Augustine, Fla., in the quarterfinals, while Williams takes on Lion Kim, 21, of Ann Arbor, Mich.
Joining them in the quarterfinals will be Harris English, 20, of Athens, Ga., David McDaniel, 25, of Tucson, Ariz., Darren Wallace, 21, of Canada, and Josh Anderson, 21, of Murrieta, Calif.
Wallace won the final match of the day, defeating Patrick Reed, 19, of Augusta, Ga., 1 up. To win, Wallace had to withstand a stunning display of golf from Reed, who played holes 10-13 five under par, including back-to-back eagles at Nos. 10 and 11. Earlier in the day, Wallace needed 20 holes to defeat 14-year-old Jim Liu, of Smithtown, N.Y.
None of the 12 players who shot under par in 36-hole stroke-play qualifying remain in the championship.
The quarterfinal round will begin Friday morning at 7 a.m., followed by the semifinal round at 12:30 p.m. The championship will conclude with Saturday’s scheduled 36-hole final.
The U.S. Amateur Public Links, established in 1922 for bona fide public-course players, is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Story written by Justin Hancher and David Normoyle, USGA Communications. Contact them with questions or comments at jhancher@usga.org or dnormoyle@usga.org .
Greensboro, N.C. – Results from the third round of match play at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,218-yard, par-71 Champions Course at Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center.
Round of 16
Wesley Graham, Port Orange, Fla. (144) def. Garrett Rank, Canada (146), 2 up
Kevin Phelan, St.
Augustine, Fla. (144) def. Kyle Souza, Livermore, Calif. (146), 2 and 1
Chris Williams,
Moscow, Idaho (142) def. Bhavik Patel, Bakersfield, Calif. (134), 1 up
Lion Kim, Ann Arbor,
Mich. (143) def. Chase Wright, Muncie, Ind. (145), 2 and 1
Harris English, Athens, Ga. (142)
def. Derek Ernst, Clovis, Calif. (134), 1 up
David McDaniel, Tucson, Ariz. (145) def. Robert
Butler, Atlanta, Ga. (146), 19 holes
Darren Wallace, Canada (142) def. Patrick Reed, Augusta,
Ga. (134), 1 up
Josh Anderson, Murrieta, Calif. (143) def. Chris Igawa, Hilo, Hawaii (147), 3
and 2
Greensboro, N.C. – Pairings for the quarterfinal round of match play at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,218-yard, par-71 Champions Course at Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center.
Quarterfinals
7:00 a.m. Wesley Graham, Port Orange, Fla. (144) vs. Kevin Phelan, St. Augustine, Fla. (144)
7:15 a.m. Chris Williams, Moscow, Idaho (142) vs. Lion Kim, Ann Arbor, Mich. (143)
7:30 a.m. Harris English, Athens, Ga. (142) vs. David McDaniel, Tucson, Ariz. (145)
7:45 a.m. Darren Wallace, Canada (142) vs. Josh Anderson, Murrieta, Calif. (143)