FOUR-TIME USGA WINNER SMITH, 2013 SEMIFINALIST CONNERS LEAD QUARTERFINALISTS AT U.S. AMATEUR

Release from United States Golf Association:

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Four-time USGA champion Nathan Smith, of Pittsburgh, and 2013 semifinalist Corey Conners, of Canada, were among a group of eight players who each won two matches Thursday to advance to the quarterfinal round of match play in the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club’s 7,105-yard, par-71 Highlands Course.

Smith, at 36 the oldest remaining contestant, defeated Brandon McIver, 4 and 3,  in the second round, and 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Byron Meth, 21, of San Diego, in 21 holes in the third round. Smith, an investment advisor, was the final player to advance to the 64-man match-play field through a playoff on Wednesday morning.

Smith, who is playing in his 14th U.S. Amateur, is making his deepest run in the USGA’s oldest championship this year. His previous best finish was advancing to the third round in 2000.

The 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, starting at 8:30 a.m. The quarterfinal round of match play is set for Friday and the semifinal round is scheduled for Saturday.

Conners, a senior at Kent State, defeated Jon Rahm of Spain, 3 and 1, in the third round after a 4-and-3 morning win over Jesse Heinly.

 

Conners and Pendrith were co-players of the year in the Mid-American Conference.

Conners built a 3-up lead through nine holes but Rahm, who is 14th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™, won the next three holes to square the match. He then won three of the next four holes, two with birdies to secure the victory.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals with third-round wins were: Gunn Yang, 20, a Korean citizen who plays college golf at San Diego State, who defeated Georgia Tech All-American and world No.1 Ollie Schniederjans, 1 up; Oklahoma State sophomore Zach Olsen, 20, of Cordova, Tenn., who beat 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Will Zalatoris, 5 and 3; University of Houston senior Roman Robledo, 21, of Harlingen, Texas, who defeated SMU’s Bryson DeChambeau, 3 and 1; high school senior Cameron Young, 17, of Scarborough, N.Y., who edged Baylor All-American Kyle Jones, 1 up; Pepperdine senior Fred Wedel, 19, of The Woodlands, Texas; who beat 2013 British Open contestant Jimmy Mullen of England, 2 and 1; and University of Virginia senior and 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur semifinalist Denny McCarthy, 21, of Rockville, Md., who came from behind to beat 2013 Canadian Amateur winner Eli Cole, 1 up.

All quarterfinalists earn an exemption into the 2015 U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club.

Pairings for Friday’s quarterfinal round of match play at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Championship at 7,490-yard, par-71 Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course) (All times EDT):

Quarterfinal Round

Upper Bracket

11 a.m. – Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. (145) vs. Frederick Wedel, The Woodlands, Texas (144)

11:20 a.m. – Cameron Young, Scarborough, N.Y. (140) vs. Gunn Yang, Republic of Korea (141)

Lower Bracket

11:40 a.m. – Corey Conners, Canada (142) vs. Zachary Olsen, Cordova, Tenn. (141)

Noon – Roman Robledo, Harlingen, Texas (144) vs. Denny McCarthy, Rockville, Md. (141)