Todd Baek, 19, San Diego, Calif.One of two San Diego State golfers to advance to the quarterfinals…Joins J.J. Spaun in round of eight…Just completed freshman season for the Aztecs…Father, Charlie, is one of Korea’s most decorated judo athletes and was once ranked No. 1 in his weightclass…Mom Stella pushed Todd toward golf…Moved to New Zealand when he was 11 with his mom and sister, Sally…He first played golf at 13 because his mom wanted Todd off the couch…Given Korean name is Woohyun…Had junior golf success in New Zealand and first came to the U.S. to play in the Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego…Family has since moved to the U.S., where his father has set up a judo studio…Attended Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego… Has a Jim Furyk-like loop in his swing…Competing in first USGA championship…Almost had to go back to Korea when family obtained green cards for permanent residency before a deadline in late 2010…Had they not gotten the cards, Baek would have been forced to return to Korea for mandatory military service…Qualified for match play by shooting 145 at Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald to earn the No. 10 seed…Defeated David Flynn in the first round, 5 and 3, and then went 19 holes to beat Bandon Dunes caddie Kevin Rei in round two. In round of 16, he beat T.J. Howe of Osceola, Fla., 3 and 1…Born Oct. 6, 1991 in Korea.
Harris English, 21, Thomasville, Ga.Quarterfinalist in 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links…Lost in 19 holes to eventual runner-up David McDaniel…Lost in third round of 2010 U.S. Amateur and in second round of 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur…Also lost in first round of 2007 U.S. Amateur…All-American selection as a junior at Georgia in 2010…Helped University of Georgia to runner-up finish at 2011 NCAA Division I Championship…Lowest competitive round is a 64 shot in Puerto Rico in 2010…Has one career hole-in-one when he was 14…Won three college tournaments, including 2007 Isleworth Collegiate…Won 2007 Georgia State Amateur…Named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2008…Enjoys fishing, hunting and basketball…Shot 143 in qualifying at Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald to earn No. 4 seed…Reached quarterfinals with a first-round win over Bryan Bergna (4 and 2), a 19-hole second-round win over Scott Kammann and a 1-up third-round win over James Erkenbeck…Born July 23, 1989 in Valdosta, Ga.
Derek Ernst, 21, Clovis, Calif.Registered the first hole-in-one on a par 4 in APL history when he aced the 299-yard eighth hole during the first round of match play…Hole-in-one records began being kept in 1982 for the 1982…It was the 11th ace since 1982 in the APL…Shot 145 in qualifying at Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald…Will be a senior at University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the fall…Competing in second APL and eighth USGA championship overall…Qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010…Lost in third round of 2007 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club to 14-year-old Cheng-Tsung Pan of Chinese Taipei…Advanced to the round of 16 at 2010 APL…Also played in two U.S. Junior Amateurs in 2005 and 2006…Lowest competitive round is a 62 shot during U.S. Amateur sectional qualifying at Sunnyside C.C. in Fresno…Won 2010 and 2011 Mountain West Conference title…Also won two other college events in fall of 2009 for UNLV…Named MWC Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011…Third-Team All-American in 2010…Has limited vision in his left eye from a childhood accident. Was making a Valentine’s Card for his mom when part of a PVC pipe from a toy broke off…Injury required 10 stitches and left permanent scarring…Enjoys playing tennis, eating tennis and watching the Golf Channel…Has one hole-in-one recorded at U.S. Amateur qualifying in 2007 at Northridge C.C. in Fair Oaks, Calif… Defeated Joseph David in 19 holes in first round, Chris Mory, 5 and 3, in round two and Alex Edfort, 4 and 3, in the round of 16…Born May 15, 1990 in Woodland, Calif.
Daniel Miernicki, 21, Santee, Calif.One of three University of Oregon golfers – Sean Maekawa and Andrew Vijarro are the others – to qualify for match play...Vijarro and Miernicki have advanced to the final eight…Member of the 2011 U.S. Palmer Cup Team that recently won at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn…Also played on 2010 U.S. Palmer Cup Team that played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland…Will be a senior at the University of Oregon…Competing in first USGA championship…Lowest competitive round is 62 shot at this year’s Amer Ari Tournament in Hawaii…Has four career holes-in-one…Owns four college wins…Helped Oregon to semifinals of 2010 NCAA Division I Championship…Runner-up at 2010 NCAA West Regional…Two-time NCAA All-American and member of Freshman All-American Team in 2009…Competed in PGA Tour Reno-Tahoe Open in 2010…Defeated Daniel Falcucci, 3 and 2, in first round; Jesse Droemer, 6 and 5, in round two; and Jack Schultz,4 and 3, in the round of 16…Enjoys basketball and football…Born Jan. 29, 1990 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Corbin Mills, 21, Easley, S.C.Earned stroke-play medalist honors by shooting 71-67, the latter coming at Old Macdonald in Tuesday’s second round of qualifying…The 4-under-par 67 was the low round of the championship…Competing in third USGA championship and second APL…Had previously missed the match-play cut in two previous USGA events, including the 2009 APL…Also played in 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur…Will be a junior at Clemson University…Lowest competitive score is a 65…Recorded the fifth ace in Clemson history at the U.S. Collegiate event at The Golf Club of Georgia this past season…Defeated Greg O’Connor of Alpharetta, Ga., 4 and 2 in first round, reigning NCAA Division I champion John Peterson of Fort Worth, Texas in round two, 1 up, and Talor Gooch of Midwest City, Okla., 4 and 3, to reach the quarterfinals…One of six children…Born April 30, 1990 in Greenville, S.C.
Jonathan Randolph, 22, Brandon, Miss.Was No. 2 seed out of stroke-play qualifying after firing consecutive even-par rounds at Bandon Trails (70) and Old Macdonald (71)…Just completed eligibility at University of Mississippi…Played on 2010 U.S. Palmer Cup Team that traveled to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland…Missed cut at 2010 British Amateur at Muirfield...Experience at Royal Portrush and Muirfield has helped Randolph this week on the links layouts of Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails…First-Team All-American in 2010 for Ole’ Miss…Previously competed in one U.S. Amateur and one U.S. Junior Amateur…Won three college tournaments in four seasons for the Rebels…Stroke average of 70.44 in 2009-10 was the lowest single-season average in school history…Also had a single-season record of 28 rounds under par in 2009-10 season…Said he injured same cartilage in sternum 12 months apart on the same golf course (Tunica National in 2008 and 2009)…Beat Max McKay in first round, 4 and 3, Alex Williams in the second round, 5 and 4, and Kevin Miller in the third round, 5 and 4, to reach the quarterfinals. Born Aug. 10, 1988.
J.J. Spaun, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif.Competing in fourth USGA championship and second APL…Missed match-play cut at 2009 APL…Advanced to round of 16 at 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur before falling to eventual runner-up Evan Beck (3 and 2) and lost in first round of match play at 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur…Qualified for match play with 146 total at Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald…Will be a senior at San Diego State…Successfully defended his title at ASU/Thunderbird Invitational this past spring, joining Phil Mickelson as the only two-time winners of the event…Also enjoys playing the guitar and drums…Advanced to quarterfinals with a 2-up win over Sean Maekawa (first round), a 5-and-3 win over Eric Steger (second round) and 3-and-2 win over Herbie Aikens (third round)…Has eschewed a caddie and is using a pull cart…Born Aug. 21, 1990 in Los Angeles.
Andrew Vijarro, 21, Bend Ore.Lone Oregon native to make match play after shooting 149 in stroke-play qualifying…One of three University of Oregon players to qualify for match play, joining Sean Maekawa and fellow quarterfinalist Daniel Miernicki …Will be a senior at Oregon this fall…Won 2009 Oregon Amateur at Bandon Dunes…Competing in fourth USGA championship…Lost in first round of 2010 APL and missed the match-play cut at 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2010 U.S. Amateur…Has twice shot 65, including this year at Heron Lakes in Portland, site of the 2000 APL…Helped Oregon reach the semifinals of the 2010 NCAA Championship…Won 2008 Oregon 5A high school championship…Runner-up in Oregon Stroke-Play Championship in 2009…Played on Oregon’s Junior America’s Cup Team in 2006 and 2007…Named to Oregon’s Pacific Coast Amateur Team in 2009 and 2010…Says parents would offer him $5 on road trips if he would be quiet, but he could never earn the money…Used to ski a lot before realizing that an injury could jeopardize golf career…Advanced to quarterfinals with 2-up win over Joon Heui Lee (first round), a 3-and-2 win over Minghao Wang (second round) and a 2-and-1 win over Robert Hoadley (third round)…Born Oct. 13, 1989 in Yakima, Wash.
Compiled by USGA senior staff writer David Shefter. E-mail him at dshefter@usga.org.