Medalist Kang Easily Advances At 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur

Korea's Sung Hoon Kang during first-round action at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur (John Mummert/USGA)

Chevy Chase, Md. – Medalist Sung Hoon Kang, 16, of Korea, took advantage of a hot putter to easily advance in the first round of match play at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the 6,586-yard, par-70 Columbia Country Club.

In his first 10 holes against Kyle Davis, 17, of Kennett Square, Pa., Kang needed just 11 putts. He had three birdies on the front nine, and made a 12-foot putt on the par-5, 534-yard 5th hole for eagle. He also birdied the par-5, 503-yard 12th hole. In three days of play, he has five birdies and an eagle on the two par 5s on the course.

“That was his strategy – to even out the par 4s and attack the par 5s,” said his coach, Young Lim, who serves as Kang’s translator.

The match was the first of Kang’s career – he has only played in stroke-play events previously.

“On the first tee, he was nervous, which he didn’t expect to be,” Lim said. “On the first hole, his opponent made a birdie and then he answered, and that gave him a little confidence.”

Also advancing to the second round was Jarrod Texter, 17, of Lancaster, Pa., who is playing in his fourth U.S. Junior Amateur. Texter, who earned medalist honors a year ago but was knocked out in the first round, earned a 3-and-2 victory over Kevin Lozares, 17, of Mountain View, Calif.

“I finally won a first-round match, and now I’ll see how far I can go,” said Texter, who also lost in the first round at the 2001 Junior Amateur. “I was disappointed last year, but it’s a good start so far.”

Patton Kizzire, 17, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., who finished a stroke behind Kang in stroke-play qualifying, struggled in his first-round match against David Dragoo, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz.  Kizzire made just two birdies, but was still able to earn a 5-and-4 victory.

“I know I didn’t play my best today,” said Kizzire. “I’m not going to win playing like I did today, but I played well enough to move on. Sometimes you have to get lucky – it’s not all skill. If I play the next two days like I did the first two, then I’ll be fine.”

Local-favorite Greg Carlin hits onto the green during the first round of match play.

Greg Carlin, 17, of Kensington, Md., a member at Columbia Country Club., built up a five-hole lead against Charlie Harris, 15, of Fresno, Calif., but Harris came back to square the match with a par on the par-3, 160-yard 16th hole. Carlin won the match on the par-4, 433-yard 18th hole when Harris three-putted.

“I just about threw it away,” said Carlin.

Jon McLean, 17, of Weston, Fla., the son of famed teacher Jim McLean, also advanced, with a 5-and-4 win over Dustin Groves, 17, of Keswick, Va. With the usual match-play concessions, McLean was 4-under-par 31 for his first nine holes.

The second and third rounds of the U.S. Junior Amateur will be played Thursday and the quarterfinal and semifinal matches on 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 first round of match play at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at the par-70, 6,586-yard Columbia Country Club.

Round of 64

Upper Bracket

Sung Hoon Kang, Korea (137) def. Kyle Davis, Kennett Square, Pa. (151), 4 and 3

Matthew Leon, Canada (148) def. Ryan Solan, Charlotte, N.C. (148), 1 up

Jarred Texter, Lancaster, Pa. (145) def. Kevin Lozares, Mountain View, Calif. (149), 3 and 2

Bud Reynolds, Knoxville, Tenn. (145) def. Tyler Hurst, Bakersfield, Calif. (149), 5 and 4

Will Osborne, Wichita Falls, Texas (143) def. Brandon Burris, White House, Tenn. (150), 4 and 3

Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. (146) def. Dustin Groves, Keswick, Va. (148), 5 and 4

James Sacheck, Zionsville, Ind. (144) def. Todd Obergoenner, Cape Girardeau, Mo. (150), 22 holes

Brandon Lawson, Elburn, Ill. (148) def. Steve Saunders, Albuquerque, N.M. (146), 3 and 2

Jon Curran, Hopkinton, Mass. (140) def. Charlie Hendrickson, Columbus, Ohio (151), 19 holes

Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz. (148) def. Robert Gates Jr., Gainesville, Fla. (147), 23 holes

Jordan Cox, Redwood City, Calif. (144) def. Nicholas Park, Ithaca, N.Y. (149), 21 holes

Stephen Walton, West Chester, Pa. (149) def. Andrew DiBitetto, Rochester, N.Y. (146), 5 and 3

Jesse Speirs, Bangor, Maine (151) def. Zechariah Potter, Cheney, Kan. (142), 19 holes

Taylor Hall, La Grange, Ga. (147) def. Ryan Lidkea, Canada (148), 4 and 3

Chris Smith, Alpharetta, Ga. (144) def. Christopher Ross, Canada (149), 4 and 3

Michael Randle, Austin, Texas (146) def. Kevin Grabeman, Springboro, Ohio (149), 4 and 3

Lower Bracket

Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (138) def. David Dragoo, Scottsdale, Ariz. (151), 5 and 4

Chase MacFarland, Savannah, Ga. (148) def. Jimmy Lytle, Ocean Ridge, Fla. (148), 19 holes

Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky. (149) def. Will Wilcox, Pell City, Ala. (145), 1 up

Seann Harlingten, Rancho Mirage, Calif. (145) def. Jonathan Khan, Tucson, Ariz. (149), 5 and 3

Scott Barton, Dallas, Texas (143) def. Jarrod Page, Pylesville, Md. (150), 4 and 3

Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C. (146) def. Blake Trimble, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (148), 5 and 4

Clark Klaasen, Grand Rapids, Mich. (150) def. Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif. (144), 1 up

Trey Denton, Canton, Miss. (146) def. Dan Doyle, Rochester, Mich. (148), 2 and 1

Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. (139) def Justin Hull, Royal Oak, Mich. (151), 20 holes

Zach Bixler, Richland, Wash. (148) def. Philip Chauncey, Durham, N.C. (148), 2 and 1

Randy Lowry, Spring, Texas (149) def. Tom Miles, Dublin , Ohio (145), 3 and 2

Greg Carlin, Kensington, Md. (145) def. Charlie Harris, Fresno, Calif. (149), 1 up

James Lee, Indio, Calif. (150) def. Juan Candela, Colombia (142), 2 and 1

Matthew Kinsinger, Reno, Nev. (146) def. Tyler Hitchcock, Orlando, Fla. (148), 5 and 3

Peter Ahn, Canada (144) def. Robert Riesen, Pinehurst, N.C. (149), 1 up

Adam Cohan, Wayne, Pa. (146) def. Joe Panzeri, Boise, Idaho (149), 1 up