Top-seed falls early at U.S. Amateur Public Links
Rico Hoey
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by Jack Persons
NEWTON, Kan. (July 16, 2014) -- Four
medalists entered the round of 64, and only
three survived.
Co-medalist and one-seed Zane Thomas fell to
64-seed Joshua Lee at the U.S. Amateur Public
Links on Wednesday, while Doug Ghim, Rico
Hoey (pictured above), and Byron Meth all
secured easy
victories on their way to the round of 32.
Lee, a rising sophomore at Florida State, defied
the odds on his way to a victory over Thomas.
He chipped in on the third playoff hole to grab
the 64th and final spot in match play on
Tuesday, and then rode the momentum into a
1-up decision against Thomas to reach the
round of 32.
“Anybody out here can beat anyone else on a
given day,” said Lee in an interview with the
USGA. “That’s what made yesterday so scary
in the playoff, but it’s what makes this
championship so exciting.”
Thomas’ three co-medalists had an easier time
with their matches. Ghim defeated Ted Moon 3
& 2, Hoey took down Paul McClure 4 & 2, and
Meth went 19 holes with Vinnie Murphy before
notching the victory. None of the three players
trailed in their matches on Wednesday.
Defending champion Jordan Niebrugge played
much better on Wednesday compared to his
two stroke play qualifying rounds. After taking
the 52nd seed, he put on a clinic against
Zecheng Dou, making six birdies and no bogeys
on his way to a 4 & 2 win.
“I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and
kept the pressure on him,” Niebrugge told the
USGA. “That’s how I want to play in match
play.”
The round of 32 commences on Thursday
morning, with the round of 16 set for the
afternoon. Wednesday’s results and Thursday’s
live scoring can be viewed at the link below.
Fo
llow live scoring from the USGA »
ABOUT THE
U.S. Amateur Public Links
The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13
national championships conducted by the
USGA.
It is designed for players who do not have
playing
privileges at a private club. See USGA
website for
details and complete description of
eligibility
requirements.
View Complete Tournament Information