Medalist Advances; Quarterfinals Set At U.S. Junior Amateur

Chevy Chase, Md. – Korea’s Sung Hoon Kang, 16, outlasted Jarred Texter, 17, of Lancaster, Pa., in third-round action Thursday to advance at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the 6,586-yard, par-70 Columbia Country Club.

Korea's Sung Hoon Kang reacts after making a putt during the third round. (John Mummert/USGA)

Kang, the medalist at this year’s championship, had a seesaw match against Texter, the Junior Amateur medalist a year ago. Kang won the first two holes to hold an early lead, but Texter came back to take the lead after a birdie on the par-4, 455-yard 6th hole. Kang again built a two-hole lead at the par-3, 13th hole, but Texter won the next three holes to regain a one-hole lead.

At the par-4, 320-yard 17th , Kang made an 8-foot birdie hole to square the match, and won the par-4, 433-yard 18th, and the match, when Texter three-putted from 10 feet.

“He’s a great competitor,” said Texter. “He hit every clutch shot he had to. He made no mistakes.”

It was the second close match in a row for Kang, who earned a 2-and-1 victory over Canada’s Matthew Leon, 16, in the morning’s second-round action.

“This was his most difficult round of golf ever,” said his coach, Young Lim, who serves as Kang’s translator and caddie. “He’s never been in a situation like this. Physically, he can play 35 holes in a day, but mentally, he’s never felt that way.”

Until Kang’s third-round match, he had seven birdies and an eagle on the two par 5s on the course - the 534-yard 5th and 503-yard 12th holes. That under-par run ended with a bogey on the 5th hole against Texter, but he did come back with an eagle on the 12th .

Kang’s quarterfinal opponent will be James Sacheck, 17, of Zionsville, Ind., who needed 19 holes to get past Will Osborne, 17, of Wichita Falls.

Patton Kizzire, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., during third-round action. (John Mummert/USGA)

Also advancing to the quarterfinals was Patton Kizzire , 17, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., who finished a stroke behind Kang in stroke-play qualifying. Kizzire also went to the 18th hole in his match against Seann Harlingten, 16, of Rancho Mirage, Calif.  In another back-and-forth match, Kizzire took a 1-up lead on the 17th hole when he sank a 25-foot birdie putt, and held on for the victory when the two players traded pars on the 18th .

“It was a tough match,” said Kizzire. “My opponent never made any mistakes. I kept asking my caddie, ‘does this guy miss a shot?’ Luckily, I made four birdies and an eagle, and just won more holes than he did.”

Kizzire will face Webb Simpson, 17, of Raleigh, N.C., who never trailed en route to a 2-and-1 win over Clark Klaasen, 16, of Grand Rapids, Mich.

The youngest competitor to advance to the quarterfinals was Jordan Cox, 15, of Redwood City, Calif., who ousted Philip Francis, 14, of Scottsdale, Ariz., 5 and 4.

Brian Harman, of Savannah, Ga., also advanced to the U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinals. (John Mummert/USGA)

In the afternoon’s other third-round matches, Michael Randle, 17, of Austin, Texas, won, 2 and 1, over Jesse Speirs, 16, of Bangor, Maine.; Brian Harman, 16, of Savannah, Ga., won, 3 and 2, over Randy Lowry, 16, of Spring, Texas; and James Lee, of Indio, Calif., earned a 6-and-4 victory over Adam Cohan, 17, of Wayne, Pa.

In Thursday morning’s second-round action, Osborne twice took a four-hole lead against Jon McLean, 17, of Weston, Fla., the son of famed teacher Jim McLean. McLean was able to battle back and extend the match to the 18th hole, but when the two matched pars Osborne had a 1-up victory.

Greg Carlin, 17, of Kensington, Md., a member at Columbia Country Club, was down four holes after 10 in his second-round pairing against Lowry, but squared the match at the par-3, 160-yard 16th hole. Lowry came back to win the last two holes to earn a 2-up victory.

The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the U.S. Junior Amateur will be played Friday. The 18-hole championship final is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, at 9 a.m.

The Junior Amateur is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association each year, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Chevy Chase, Md. – Results from the second and third rounds of match play at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the par-70, 6,586-yard Columbia Country Club.

Round of 32

Upper Bracket

Sung Hoon Kang, Korea (137) def. Matthew Leon, Canada (148), 2 and 1

Jarred Texter, Lancaster, Pa. (145) def. Bud Reynolds, Knoxville, Tenn. (145), 4 and 3

Will Osborne, Wichita Falls, Texas (143) def. Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. (146), 1 up

James Sacheck, Zionsville, Ind. (144) def. vs. Brandon Lawson, Elburn, Ill. (148), 1 up

Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. (148) def. Jon Curran, Hopkinton, Mass. (140), 4 and 2

Jordan Cox, Redwood City, Calif. (144) def. Stephen Walton, West Chester, Pa. (149), 4 and 3

Jesse Speirs, Bangor, Maine (151) def. Taylor Hall, La Grange, Ga. (147), 3 and 2

Michael Randle, Austin, Texas (146) def. Chris Smith, Alpharetta, Ga. (144), 4 and 2

Lower Bracket

Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (138) def. Chase MacFarland, Savannah, Ga. (148), 4 and 3

Seann Harlingten, Rancho Mirage, Calif. (145) def. Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky. (149), 1 up

Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C. (146) def. Scott Barton, Dallas, Texas (143), 3 and 1

Clark Klaasen, Grand Rapids, Mich. (150) def. Trey Denton, Canton, Miss. (146), 2 and 1

Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. (139) def. Zach Bixler, Richland, Wash. (148), 4 and 3

Randy Lowry, Spring, Texas (149) def. Greg Carlin, Kensington, Md. (145), 1 up

James Lee, Indio, Calif. (150) def. Matthew Kinsinger, Reno, Nev. (146), 2 and 1

Adam Cohan, Wayne, Pa. (146) def. Peter Ahn, Canada (144), 4 and 3

Round of 16

Upper Bracket

Kang def. Texter, 1 up

Sacheck def. Osborne, 19 holes

Cox def. Francis, 5 and 4

Randle def. Speirs, 2 and 1

Lower Bracket

Kizzire def. Harlingten, 1 up

Simpson def. Klaasen, 2 and 1

Harman def. Lowry, 3 and 2

Lee def. Cohan, 6 and 4