Meet the 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur Quarterfinalists

Patrick Murphy barely qualified for match play, but the No. 63 seed has won three matches to reach the quarterfinals. (USGA/Chris Keane)

Tom Brandes, 59, of Bellevue, Wash.

Born on Aug. 25, 1956, in Portland, Ore.
Runner-up in the 2013 Seniors Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A
Made a hole-in-one during the first round of match play in the 2011 U.S. Senior Amateur at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
The 2011 Washington State Senior Open champion, he is also a four-time Washington State Senior Amateur champion and won the Pacific Northwest Senior Amateur in 2012 and 2013
A Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame member, he is a four-time PNGA Senior Player of the Year and five-time Washington State Golf Association Senior Player of the Year
Though no one in his family played golf, he picked up the game while he was in high school because he got bored with baseball
Works in the highway safety products business
Graduated from Seattle University in 1978

Path to the quarterfinals:

Earned the No. 10 seed by carding 71-73–144 in stroke-play qualifying
Round of 64: defeated James Volpenhein (150), 2 up
Round of 32: defeated 2010 and 2012 U.S. Senior Amateur champion Paul Simson (149), 1 up
Round of 16: defeated Jack Hall (143), 1 up

Kevin Cahill, 55, of Waukesha, Wis.

Born on Dec. 13, 1959, in Waukesha
Playing in his first U.S. Senior Amateur
A three-time Wisconsin state high school tennis champion, he and his three brothers own a combined 10 state high school titles
Works as a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisor

Path to the quarterfinals:

Earned the No. 46 seed by carding 78-71–149 in stroke-play qualifying
Round of 64: defeated 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur champion Patrick Tallent (146), 19 holes
Round of 32: defeated Brian Rothaus (145), 1 up
Round of 16: defeated Don DuBois (141), 20 holes

Tim Jackson, 56, of Germantown, Tenn.

Born on Feb. 16, 1959, in Memphis, Tenn.
Won the 1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships, setting a record for longest span between Mid-Amateur victories
Played on two USA Walker Cup Teams (1995 and 1999)
Won the 2003 USGA Men’s State Team title for Tennessee with Danny Green and Brandt Snedeker
A six-time Tennessee Player of the Year, he is a Southern Golf Association Hall of Fame member
Earned medalist honors in the 2009 U.S. Amateur and shares the record with Vinny Giles as a three-time U.S. Senior Open low amateur (2009-11)
In 2009, he set the U.S. Senior Open record for lowest 72-hole amateur score (282) and lowest round by an amateur (66)
Has been a Tennessee Golf Association board member since 1988
A 1984 University of Tennessee graduate, he is a business entrepreneur who has held partnerships in hotels and apartments, and is currently a partner in Carwash USA Express

Path to the quarterfinals:

Randal Lewis, 58, of Alma, Mich.

Born on May 8, 1957, in Alma
His wife, Melanie, is caddieing for him this week
Won the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur at age 54, becoming the championship’s oldest winner; also finished runner-up at the 1996 U.S. Mid-Amateur and will play in the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur starting on Saturday at John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Fla.
A 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur semifinalist, he’s playing in his 31st USGA championship
Named the Michigan Golf Association’s Player of the Decade for the 1990s, he was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, and won the 1992 and 1999 Michigan State Amateur championships
A 1980 graduate of Central Michigan University, he works as a financial advisor

Path to the quarterfinals:

Earned the No. 1 seed and medalist honors by carding 70-68–138 in stroke-play qualifying
Round of 64: defeated Lee Sandlin (151), 20 holes
Round of 32: defeated Jack Kearney (148), 3 and 2
Round of 16: defeated Bill Leonard (146), 1 up

Steven Liebler, 56, of Irmo, S.C.

Born on Dec. 8, 1958, in Newport News, Va.
His first USGA championship was the 1973 Junior Amateur
Played in the 1984 and 1985 U.S. Open Championships
Won the 2010 Carolinas Mid-Amateur, 2010 and 2012 South Carolina Mid-Amateurs, and 1981, 1994 and 2011 Eastern Amateurs
A two-time South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year and 1981 graduate of the University of South Carolina
Works in sales at Colonial Life

Path to the quarterfinals:

Earned the No. 6 seed by carding 72-71–143 in stroke-play qualifying
Round of 64: defeated John Grace (150), 3 and 1
Round of 32: defeated Bob Kearney (147), 4 and 2
Round of 16: defeated 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur runner-up Bryan Norton (149), 1 up

Chip Lutz, 60, of Reading, Pa.

Born on Jan. 11, 1955
A 2010, 2011 and 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur semifinalist, he claimed medalist honors in the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur
Won back-to-back titles in both the Canadian Senior Amateur Championship and Seniors Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A, in 2011 and 2012
Has won a record nine Berks Amateur titles and is the only person to win the Philadelphia Junior (1972), Philadelphia Amateur (1977), Philadelphia Mid-Amateur (1998, 2007) and Philadelphia Senior Amateur (2014)
Five-time Golf Association of Philadelphia Player of the Year (2010-14)
National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame member
Played golf for the University of Florida and earned a law degree from Delaware Law School in 1985
Former president of the Berks County Golf Association and executive committee member of the Philadelphia Golf Association, he also served as chairman of the Berks County Chamber of Commerce, the third-largest chamber in Pennsylvania

Path to the quarterfinals:

Patrick Murphy, 57, of Provo, Utah

Path to the quarterfinals:

Gary Robinson, 56, of Fayetteville, N.C.

Born on Oct. 15, 1958, in Fayetteville
He and his daughter, Lauren, have won three consecutive Carolinas Parent-Child championships, conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association (2011-13)
Won the 2007 North Carolina Mid-Amateur Championship
Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame member
After spending more than 30 years in the construction field, he’s now president of Gary Robinson Homes
He is a graduate of Fayetteville Community College and Fayetteville State University, where he studied mathematics and computer science

Path to the quarterfinals:

Earned the No. 5 seed by carding 73-70–143 in stroke-play qualifying
Round of 64: defeated Glenn Smeraglio (150), 4 and 3
Round of 32: defeated 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion George Zahringer (148), 3 and 2
Round of 16: defeated Rick Cloninger (145), 20 holes

Compiled by Vanessa Zink, assistant manager of championship communications for the USGA.