Paul McConnell, 21, of Garland, Texas
Senior at the University of Texas-Arlington… 2011-2012 Southland Conference First Team…Finished T-3 in stroke play qualifying at 2011 APL and lost in the second round…Shot a 64 at the Honors Golf Club of Dallas during the 2012 Texas Amateur…Lists hitting a drive at the Byron Nelson Junior Clinic as a 5-year-old in front of Justin Leonard, D.A. Weibring and Peter Jacobsen as one of his golf highlights...Started playing the guitar at age 12…At the 2012 APL defeated Tyler Eckenberg, 2 up (first round), Zac Blair, 2 and 1 (second round) and Benjamin Griffin, 3 and 2 (third round)…Born April 2, 1991 in Garland, Texas.
Kyle Beversdorf, 20, of Plymouth, Minn.
Junior at the University of Minnesota…Lost in the first round of the 2011 APL and missed cut at 2011 U.S. Amateur…Transferred to the University of Minnesota from the University of Northern Iowa in 2011…2009 Minnesota Golf Association Junior Player of the Year…Won back-to-back state championships with his high school golf team…At the 2012 APL defeated Chad Johnson, 2 up (first round), Jace Long, 4 and 3 (second round) and Cody McManus, 6 and 5 (third round)…Born May 17, 1992 in Plymouth, Minn.
T.J. Vogel, 21, of Miami, Fla.
Senior at the University of Florida…Lost in the second round of the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur and third round of the 2008 Junior Amateur…2012 NCAA Division I second team All American…Won two collegiate tournaments in 2012, the JU Invitational and the Charleston Shootout… Transferred to Florida in 2011 from University of Southern California where he was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year…Wears NBA socks in most golf tournaments and is an avid Miami Heat fan…Father, Joe, is caddieing for him this week…At the 2012 APL defeated Paul Misko, 1 up (first round), Greg Condon, 1 up (second round) and Anton Arboleda, 4 and 3 (third round)…Born December 30, 1990 in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Derek Ernst, 22, of Clovis, Calif.
Completed eligibility at University of Nevada, Las Vegas this past spring…Runner-up at the 2011 APL, losing to Corbin Mills in 37 holes at Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort…Aced the 299-yard, par-4 eighth hole at Bandon Trails in the first round of match play during the 2011 APL…Competing in third APL and 10th USGA championship overall…Has limited vision in his left eye from a childhood accident when a piece of PVC pipe broke off from a toy while he was making a Valentine’s Day gift for his mom. The injury required 10 stitches and left permanent scarring…Three-time Mountain West conference champion…Member of the 2012 USA Palmer Cup team…At the 2012 APL defeated Kirby Pettitt in 19 holes (first round), Richard Hattori, 5 and 4 (second round) and Xander Shauffele, 5 and 4 (third round)…Born May 16, 1990 in Woodland, Calif.
Kevin Aylwin, 23, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Recently completed eligibility at the University of North Florida…Playing in his fourth APL and seventh USGA championship overall…Won the Florida Golf Association Public Links in 2007 and 2008…Enjoys playing basketball and says his Twitter handle is Aquafina03 because my jump shot is pure…His superstition on the golf course is marking his ball with a 1964 silver quarter…At the 2012 APL defeated Jack Teal in 19 holes (first round), Scott McNeil, 3 and 1 (second round) and Steven Fox, 2 and 1 (third round)…Born March 7, 1989 in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
Carlos Rodriguez, 22, of Colombia
Recent graduate of University of West Florida…Finished with four career wins, including three as a senior…One of his wins was at The McLaughlin, hosted by St. John’s and held at Bethpage State Park’s Red Course, where he shot a school-record 64…Named to Division II All-America first team…Selected to the Golf Coaches Association of America’s All-Nicklaus Team…Playing in his first USGA championship…Represented Colombia in the 2010 World Amateur Team Championship in Buenos Aires…Was a tennis player before switching to golf at age 14 because my whole family played…At the 2012 APL defeated Joel Dahlenberg, 3 and 2 (first round), Garrett Rank, 4 and 3 (second round) and Michael Kim in 20 holes (third round)…Born November 5, 1989 in Cali, Colombia.
Alberto Sanchez, 18, of Nogales, Ariz.
Will attend Arizona State University in the fall…Qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, where he missed cut by one stroke (72-77—149)…Has lived in Arizona his entire life, but his family drove him across the border to attend school in Mexico from preschool through fourth grade to absorb the language and culture of his family’s heritage…Likes to play soccer…At the 2012 APL defeated Michael Blair, 4 and 3 (first round), Jordan Wetsch, 2 and 1 (second round) and Jacob Knapp, 1 up (third round)…Born June 17, 1994.
Brad Schneider, 23, of Orlando, Fla.
Recent graduate of University of Central Florida…Winner of the 2011 Northern Intercollegiate…2012 David Toms Award winner…2012 All-Conference USA first team…2012 All-Southeast Region team…Lowest competitive round is 63 during the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional at Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento, Fla….Lost in the first round of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur and in the second round of the 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur…played in the 2006 U.S. Amateur but didn’t qualify for match play…Plays golf with a brace on his left leg due to an injury suffered while playing pick-up football with friends in 2006…At the 2012 APL defeated Sam Horsfield, 4 and 2 (first round), Justin Keiley, 3 and 2 (second round) and Korky Kemp, 4 and 3 (third round)…Born September 7, 1989 in Valrico, Fla.
Compiled by Michael Trostel, curator/historian of the USGA Museum. Email him at mtrostel@usga.org.