PINEHURST, N.C. -- After a week full of autographs and adulation, Danny Lee is starting to feel like Tiger Woods at the U.S. Amateur. One more victory, and he'll surpass him. Lee moved to the brink of supplanting Woods as the youngest champion in U.S. Amateur history on Saturday by defeating Patrick Reed 3 and 2 in one semifinal. If Lee -- who is 18 years, 1 month old -- beats Florida State sophomore Drew Kittleson in Sunday's 36-hole final, he would be six months and 29 days younger than Woods was when he won his first U.S. Amateur in 1994. "I'm just having a really, really good week," Lee said. "Everything I hit, everything I putt just falls in the hole."
PINEHURST, N.C. -- After a week full of autographs and adulation, Danny Lee is starting to feel like Tiger Woods at the U.S. Amateur.
One more victory, and he'll surpass him.
Lee moved to the brink of supplanting Woods as the youngest champion in U.S. Amateur history on Saturday by defeating Patrick Reed 3 and 2 in one semifinal.
If Lee -- who is 18 years, 1 month old -- beats Florida State sophomore Drew Kittleson in Sunday's 36-hole final, he would be six months and 29 days younger than Woods was when he won his first U.S. Amateur in 1994.
"I'm just having a really, really good week," Lee said. "Everything I hit, everything I putt just falls in the hole."
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PINEHURST, N.C. – Adam Mitchell and Patrick Reed are giving the Georgia Bulldogs something to cheer besides football. The Georgia teammates advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday and kept alive the possibility of an all-Bulldog championship round. Mitchell rallied to defeat Charlie Holland 2 and 1 in one quarterfinal, and Patrick Reed defeated Graham Hill 4 and 3 to reach a Saturday semifinal matchup against perhaps the field’s hottest player: fellow 18-year-old Danny Lee. “I like our odds— we’re 50 percent right now over here. We have four people playing, two Bulldogs,” Reed said. “Adam’s playing really well, and if I can get by Danny Lee, it’s going to get interesting.” Lee, who hasn’t needed more than 15 holes to win any of his four match-play rounds, beat Morgan Hoffmann 4 and 3.
I played in the 1980 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2/CCNC and had one of my career rounds with an even-par 72 on No. 2 in the qualifying event to get into match play. The Bermuda rough there was the toughest and longest I’ve ever seen -- so thick you could lose a ball inches off the putting surface. Combine that with the undulations on the greens, and the U.S. Amateur was as tough as any PGA Tour event or major championship. This week, the U.S. Amateur returns to Pinehurst, which brings back great memories to me. The USGA does an awesome job of hosting major championships, and I was fortunate to have played in three U.S. Amateurs. Each one was special and unique, and the tournament deserves a much larger stage as we honor the best amateur each year.
I played in the 1980 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2/CCNC and had one of my career rounds with an even-par 72 on No. 2 in the qualifying event to get into match play. The Bermuda rough there was the toughest and longest I’ve ever seen -- so thick you could lose a ball inches off the putting surface. Combine that with the undulations on the greens, and the U.S. Amateur was as tough as any PGA Tour event or major championship.
This week, the U.S. Amateur returns to Pinehurst, which brings back great memories to me. The USGA does an awesome job of hosting major championships, and I was fortunate to have played in three U.S. Amateurs. Each one was special and unique, and the tournament deserves a much larger stage as we honor the best amateur each year.
PINEHURST, N.C. -- Adam Mitchell and Patrick Reed are giving the Georgia Bulldogs something to cheer besides football. The Georgia teammates advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday and kept alive the possibility of an all-Bulldog championship round. Mitchell rallied to defeat Charlie Holland 2 and 1 in one quarterfinal, and Patrick Reed defeated Graham Hill 4 and 3 to reach a Saturday semifinal matchup against perhaps the field's hottest player: fellow 18-year-old Danny Lee. "I like our odds -- we're 50 percent right now over here. We have four people playing, two Bulldogs," Reed said. "Adam's playing really well, and if I can get by Danny Lee, it's going to get interesting."
PINEHURST, N.C. -- Adam Mitchell and Patrick Reed are giving the Georgia Bulldogs something to cheer besides football.
The Georgia teammates advanced to the U.S. Amateur semifinals Friday and kept alive the possibility of an all-Bulldog championship round.
Mitchell rallied to defeat Charlie Holland 2 and 1 in one quarterfinal, and Patrick Reed defeated Graham Hill 4 and 3 to reach a Saturday semifinal matchup against perhaps the field's hottest player: fellow 18-year-old Danny Lee.
"I like our odds -- we're 50 percent right now over here. We have four people playing, two Bulldogs," Reed said. "Adam's playing really well, and if I can get by Danny Lee, it's going to get interesting."
PINEHURST, N.C. -- Kevin Tway took another step toward establishing himself, while a former NCAA champion made an earlier-than-expected exit from the U.S. Amateur. The son of former PGA champion Bob Tway defeated Philip Francis 2-up Wednesday in the first round of match play, winning a matchup of former U.S. junior amateur champions on the renowned No. 2 course at Pinehurst Resort. "My dad's making me play real smart," Tway said. Meanwhile, 2007 NCAA medalist Jamie Lovemark is headed home early after being eliminated 1-up by Matt Hill of North Carolina State. Lovemark, a 20-year-old junior at Southern California, held a 1-up advantage on Hill through 16 holes, before Hill birdied the 17th and parred the 18th to eliminate Lovemark, who earlier this summer at Pinehurst finished second at the North & South Amateur.
PINEHURST, N.C. -- Kevin Tway took another step toward establishing himself, while a former NCAA champion made an earlier-than-expected exit from the U.S. Amateur.
The son of former PGA champion Bob Tway defeated Philip Francis 2-up Wednesday in the first round of match play, winning a matchup of former U.S. junior amateur champions on the renowned No. 2 course at Pinehurst Resort.
"My dad's making me play real smart," Tway said.
Meanwhile, 2007 NCAA medalist Jamie Lovemark is headed home early after being eliminated 1-up by Matt Hill of North Carolina State.
Lovemark, a 20-year-old junior at Southern California, held a 1-up advantage on Hill through 16 holes, before Hill birdied the 17th and parred the 18th to eliminate Lovemark, who earlier this summer at Pinehurst finished second at the North & South Amateur.
PINEHURST, N.C. -- A whirlwind of a month is almost over for Danny Lee. First, he became only the sixth player in the 106-year history of the Western Amateur to sweep medalist and match play honors, joining a group that includes Phil Mickelson and Curtis Strange. Then came a tie for 20th over the weekend in his PGA Tour debut at the Wyndham Championship. Those performances leave the 18-year-old player from New Zealand as one of the favorites in the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, where he opened with a 1-over 71 in the opening round of stroke play Monday. Can his confidence level get any higher? "It actually doesn't stop," he said. "It goes up and up."
PINEHURST, N.C. -- A whirlwind of a month is almost over for Danny Lee.
First, he became only the sixth player in the 106-year history of the Western Amateur to sweep medalist and match play honors, joining a group that includes Phil Mickelson and Curtis Strange.
Then came a tie for 20th over the weekend in his PGA Tour debut at the Wyndham Championship. Those performances leave the 18-year-old player from New Zealand as one of the favorites in the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, where he opened with a 1-over 71 in the opening round of stroke play Monday.
Can his confidence level get any higher?
"It actually doesn't stop," he said. "It goes up and up."
MAINEVILLE, Ohio -- Anthony Paolucci won the Junior PGA Championship on Saturday, beating fellow Dallas player Jordan Spieth with a 6-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff at TPC River's Bend. Danielle Frasier of Encinitas, Calif., won the girls' division by seven strokes. The 15-yeare-old Paolucci closed with a 1-over 73 to match Spieth (68) at 12-under 276. Paolucci made a double bogey on No. 17, then made a 2-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force the third playoff in tournament history. "I stopped that 64-degree wedge on the last hole a dime pretty much. Thank goodness I had that club in my bag," Paolucci said. "Then after Jordan and I both missed putts on the first playoff hole, I made a putt on the second to win." Both players made par on No. 18, the first playoff hole. They then moved to No. 7, a par-3. Both players hit the green, but only Paolucci was able to convert his putt.
MAINEVILLE, Ohio -- Anthony Paolucci won the Junior PGA Championship on Saturday, beating fellow Dallas player Jordan Spieth with a 6-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff at TPC River's Bend.
Danielle Frasier of Encinitas, Calif., won the girls' division by seven strokes.
The 15-yeare-old Paolucci closed with a 1-over 73 to match Spieth (68) at 12-under 276. Paolucci made a double bogey on No. 17, then made a 2-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force the third playoff in tournament history.
"I stopped that 64-degree wedge on the last hole a dime pretty much. Thank goodness I had that club in my bag," Paolucci said. "Then after Jordan and I both missed putts on the first playoff hole, I made a putt on the second to win."
Both players made par on No. 18, the first playoff hole. They then moved to No. 7, a par-3. Both players hit the green, but only Paolucci was able to convert his putt.
This isn't how Danny Lee expected to prepare for the U.S. Amateur -- not that he's complaining. The world's top-ranked amateur could have worked out the few kinks in his game with a practice round or two at Pinehurst, N.C., before the national championship of amateur golf begins there Monday. Instead, he went some 75 miles across the state to Greensboro to tune up with the pros after making his first start on the PGA Tour. Perhaps even more remarkably, he stuck around the Wyndham Championship longer than anticipated after making the cut. "Playing with all these great golfers out here and competing with those great golfers, I think, is going to make me develop my game and give me lots of confidence when I get ready for (the U.S. Amateur)," Lee said. "I think it's a good opportunity to play in this. "I didn't even think about playing this well," he added. "All I was trying to do was not make any mistakes."
This isn't how Danny Lee expected to prepare for the U.S. Amateur -- not that he's complaining.
The world's top-ranked amateur could have worked out the few kinks in his game with a practice round or two at Pinehurst, N.C., before the national championship of amateur golf begins there Monday.
Instead, he went some 75 miles across the state to Greensboro to tune up with the pros after making his first start on the PGA Tour. Perhaps even more remarkably, he stuck around the Wyndham Championship longer than anticipated after making the cut.
"Playing with all these great golfers out here and competing with those great golfers, I think, is going to make me develop my game and give me lots of confidence when I get ready for (the U.S. Amateur)," Lee said. "I think it's a good opportunity to play in this.
"I didn't even think about playing this well," he added. "All I was trying to do was not make any mistakes."
EUGENE, Ore. -- Duke star Amanda Blumenherst won the U.S. Women's Amateur on Sunday, rallying to beat NCAA champion Azahara Munoz 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final at Eugene Country Club. Blumenherst, the three-time national college player of the year, was 1-down after the morning 18 and still a hole behind through 27. She squared it with a birdie on the par-4 10th and took the lead with a par on the par-5 13th -- the 31st hole of the match. "That's a lot of golf to have never been ahead," Blumenherst said. "I think that's just a testament of how much patience that's required." Blumenherst pulled two holes in front with a birdie on the par-5 16th. Both players parred 17 to end the match, with Munoz missing a 6-foot birdie try that would have extended the match and Blumenherst ending it with a 5-footer.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Duke star Amanda Blumenherst won the U.S. Women's Amateur on Sunday, rallying to beat NCAA champion Azahara Munoz 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final at Eugene Country Club.
Blumenherst, the three-time national college player of the year, was 1-down after the morning 18 and still a hole behind through 27. She squared it with a birdie on the par-4 10th and took the lead with a par on the par-5 13th -- the 31st hole of the match.
"That's a lot of golf to have never been ahead," Blumenherst said. "I think that's just a testament of how much patience that's required."
Blumenherst pulled two holes in front with a birdie on the par-5 16th. Both players parred 17 to end the match, with Munoz missing a 6-foot birdie try that would have extended the match and Blumenherst ending it with a 5-footer.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Duke star Amanda Blumenherst and NCAA champion Azahara Munoz advanced to the U.S. Women's Amateur final Saturday at Eugene Country Club. Blumenherst, the three-time national college player of the year, beat 15-year-old Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., 3 and 2. Munoz, the Arizona State star from Spain, held off compatriot and close friend Belen Mozo 4 and 3. Blumenherst, a two-time Curtis Cup player, reached the 36-hole final for the second straight year. Last year at Crooked Stick, she lost 1-up to Maria Uribe. "I'm just going to go out and play my game and give it my best shot," Blumenherst said. "I'm putting better than I was last year, which is good.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Duke star Amanda Blumenherst and NCAA champion Azahara Munoz advanced to the U.S. Women's Amateur final Saturday at Eugene Country Club.
Blumenherst, the three-time national college player of the year, beat 15-year-old Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., 3 and 2. Munoz, the Arizona State star from Spain, held off compatriot and close friend Belen Mozo 4 and 3.
Blumenherst, a two-time Curtis Cup player, reached the 36-hole final for the second straight year. Last year at Crooked Stick, she lost 1-up to Maria Uribe.
"I'm just going to go out and play my game and give it my best shot," Blumenherst said. "I'm putting better than I was last year, which is good.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — NCAA player of the year Amanda Blumenherst shot a 6-under 66 Monday to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Eugene Country Club. Alison Walshe, of Westford, Mass., shot a 4-under 68. Australian Stephanie Na and Canadian Stephanie Sherlock are three shots back entering Tuesday's final round of stroke play. The field of 156 will be cut to 64 for five rounds of match play beginning Wednesday. Blumenherst, the three-time reigning NCAA player of the year from Duke, was the runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur last year, falling 1-up to Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia. Uribe played in the Women's British Open last week and is not defending her amateur title.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — NCAA player of the year Amanda Blumenherst shot a 6-under 66 Monday to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Eugene Country Club.
Alison Walshe, of Westford, Mass., shot a 4-under 68. Australian Stephanie Na and Canadian Stephanie Sherlock are three shots back entering Tuesday's final round of stroke play.
The field of 156 will be cut to 64 for five rounds of match play beginning Wednesday.
Blumenherst, the three-time reigning NCAA player of the year from Duke, was the runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur last year, falling 1-up to Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia. Uribe played in the Women's British Open last week and is not defending her amateur title.
From The Golf ChannelWEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Alexis Thompson defeated Karen Chung, 5 and 4, to claim U.S. Girls’ Junior on Sunday at Hartford Golf Club, becoming the second-youngest winner in the event’s 60-year history.At 13 years, 5 months and 17 days, Thompson is only two months older than 1999 champion Aree Song Wongluekiet, who was 13 years, 3 months, 7 days. Chung, also 13, would have been nine days older than Wongluekiet.This was also the first time two 13-year-olds had met in the championship.The long-hitting Thompson, who last year was the youngest-ever qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Open and youngest quarterfinalist in U.S. Women’s Amateur history, used her superior length to eventually wear down Chung, a first-time U.S. Girls’ Junior participant competing in her first match-play competition.Keep reading....
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Alexis Thompson defeated Karen Chung, 5 and 4, to claim U.S. Girls’ Junior on Sunday at Hartford Golf Club, becoming the second-youngest winner in the event’s 60-year history.At 13 years, 5 months and 17 days, Thompson is only two months older than 1999 champion Aree Song Wongluekiet, who was 13 years, 3 months, 7 days. Chung, also 13, would have been nine days older than Wongluekiet.This was also the first time two 13-year-olds had met in the championship.The long-hitting Thompson, who last year was the youngest-ever qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Open and youngest quarterfinalist in U.S. Women’s Amateur history, used her superior length to eventually wear down Chung, a first-time U.S. Girls’ Junior participant competing in her first match-play competition.
From GOLF.comSHOAL CREEK, Ala. (AP) — Cameron Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur title on Saturday, 10 and 8 over Evan Beck for the largest margin of victory in four years.The 17-year-old from Olympia, Wash., won six of the first eight holes and cruised over Beck, also 17, from Virginia Beach, Va.Peck earned a spot in the 2008 U.S. Amateur competition at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina starting Aug. 18."I don''t think it has sunk in yet," Peck said. "This is the biggest win in my life."Peck birdied the first, fifth, sixth and eighth holes to go 6 up. Beck cut the lead with wins on the 10th and 11th holes, but never got closer.Keep reading....
SHOAL CREEK, Ala. (AP) — Cameron Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur title on Saturday, 10 and 8 over Evan Beck for the largest margin of victory in four years.The 17-year-old from Olympia, Wash., won six of the first eight holes and cruised over Beck, also 17, from Virginia Beach, Va.Peck earned a spot in the 2008 U.S. Amateur competition at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina starting Aug. 18."I don''t think it has sunk in yet," Peck said. "This is the biggest win in my life."Peck birdied the first, fifth, sixth and eighth holes to go 6 up. Beck cut the lead with wins on the 10th and 11th holes, but never got closer.
SHOAL CREEK, Ala. (AP) — Cameron Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur title on Saturday, 10 and 8 over Evan Beck for the largest margin of victory in four years.
The 17-year-old from Olympia, Wash., won six of the first eight holes and cruised over Beck, also 17, from Virginia Beach, Va.
Peck earned a spot in the 2008 U.S. Amateur competition at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina starting Aug. 18.
"I don''t think it has sunk in yet," Peck said. "This is the biggest win in my life."
Peck birdied the first, fifth, sixth and eighth holes to go 6 up. Beck cut the lead with wins on the 10th and 11th holes, but never got closer.
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From GolfweekBy DAN MIROCHAAssistant EditorSHOAL CREEK, Ala. – For the second year in a row, an exempt U.S. Junior Amateur champion will not be in the field at the U.S. Amateur.Cory Whitsett, who was granted a two-year exemption into the U.S. Amateur after his victory at last year’s U.S. Junior at Boone Valley, missed the July 2 registration deadline for next month’s U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst.The United States Golf Association every year files a blank U.S. Amateur entry for the current year’s U.S. Junior champion (because the U.S. Junior is played after the deadline for the U.S. Amateur) but not for the previous year’s champion.Whitsett said he was not contacted by the USGA prior to registration. One USGA official on site at this week’s U.S. Junior at Shoal Creek in Alabama said it is not the association’s responsibility to contact players to register.Keep reading....
From ESPN.comSHOAL CREEK, Ala. -- Jorge Fernandez Valdes, a 15-year-old golfer from Argentina, shot a 7-under-par 65 Monday to take a three-stroke lead over Seth Reeves after the first round of the U.S. Junior Amateur.Valdes made six birdies on the final nine holes of the 7,251-yard course at Shoal Creek golf club, to lead the 156-player field.Reeves, 17, of Duluth, Ga., opened with a 68, and defending champion Cory Whitsett, 16, of Houston, was among five players who trailed Valdes by four shots. The others were Pat Rodgers, 16, of Avon, Ind.; Cameron Peck, 17, of Olympia, Wash.; Dashiell Lindsell, 17, of Burlingame, Calif., and 17-year-old Julian Suri of St. Augustine, Fla.Whitsett is trying to become the first repeat winner since Tiger Woods won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs from 1991-93 and is well-positioned to be among the 64 who advance to match play after two rounds of 18-hole stroke play.Keep reading....
SHOAL CREEK, Ala. -- Jorge Fernandez Valdes, a 15-year-old golfer from Argentina, shot a 7-under-par 65 Monday to take a three-stroke lead over Seth Reeves after the first round of the U.S. Junior Amateur.Valdes made six birdies on the final nine holes of the 7,251-yard course at Shoal Creek golf club, to lead the 156-player field.Reeves, 17, of Duluth, Ga., opened with a 68, and defending champion Cory Whitsett, 16, of Houston, was among five players who trailed Valdes by four shots. The others were Pat Rodgers, 16, of Avon, Ind.; Cameron Peck, 17, of Olympia, Wash.; Dashiell Lindsell, 17, of Burlingame, Calif., and 17-year-old Julian Suri of St. Augustine, Fla.Whitsett is trying to become the first repeat winner since Tiger Woods won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs from 1991-93 and is well-positioned to be among the 64 who advance to match play after two rounds of 18-hole stroke play.