Medalist Brian Harman Is The Golfer To Beat At The U.S. Junior Amateur

 

San Francisco, Calif. -- Defending champion Brian Harman, 17, of Savannah, Ga., stood out as the golfer to beat at the U.S. Junior Amateur after he earned medalist honors by eight strokes after 36 holes of stroke play with his 7-under-par total of 67-133 Tuesday at The Olympic Club.

 

Harman is trying to become only the second golfer in the history of the Championship to win back-to-back titles, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, who won three Junior Amateurs from 1991-93.

 

Harman was the only golfer to break par after two rounds. Matt Savage, 17, of Louisville, Ky., was better than all but Harman, at 73-141 (1 over). Korean-born Sunghoon Kang, 17, of Carrollton, Texas, was another stroke back at 67-142. Lucas Lee, 16, a native of Brazil now living in Los Angeles, Calif., and Roberto Galletti, 16, of Clayton, Calif., were at 69-143. Korean-born Seung-Su Han, 17, of Bradenton, Fla., and Charlie Harris, 16, of Fresno, Calif., finished at 144

 

Harman won the title a year ago with a 5-and-4 victory in match play and was the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year.

 

"I don't even think I playing my best golf, but I'm pretty confident" said Harman, a 5-foot-7 lefty. "I didn't come all this way to come in second."

 

"He's the best junior golfer in the country, and he's the one to beat at every tournament," said Savage. "But he's not unbeatable. Hopefully, I get to play him, and we'll just see what happens." If the two each win five matches, they would meet in the 18-hole Championship final on Saturday.

 

The top 64 scorers over this par-70, 6,790-yard layout that has hosted four U.S. Opens, advance to match play, beginning Wednesday. The Championship is for qualified golfers age 17 and younger.

 

A 10-man playoff at 12-over 152 decided the final nine spots in match play. The first round of match play will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PDT)

 

"I actually was kind of disappointed in not finishing lower," said Han, who posted the lowest morning score by two strokes. "It was playing pretty easy, and I missed about five close putts that I should have made."

 

A native of Korea who has been in the United States for less than four years, Han was the 2002 AJGA Player of the Year, the title Harman won last year.

 

Savage took another view.

 

"Yesterday was an easy 68; today was a tough 73," he said.

 

Among the other notable finishers was Tom Glissmeyer, 17, of Colorado Springs, Colo., who qualified for the 2003 U.S. Open. He finished a way back at 11-over 151, but safely advanced to match play.

 

"I expect myself to play better and I'm getting ahead of myself, said Glissmeyer. "This wasn't any barometer of how I can play."

 

Among the local favorites to safely advance were Chris Jensen, 16, of Los Altos, Calif., and 14-year-old Steve An of Daly City, Calif. Jensen, who shot 146, lives 30 minutes south of The Olympic Club. An, a diminutive native Korean who shot 147, lives even closer.

 

Olympic Club junior member Jordan Cox, 16, of Redwood City, Calif., wasn't so fortunate, as he finished at 17-over 157. Cox just won the Junior Open Championship in Scotland last week. But, he didn't use being too tired from travel as his excuse.

 

"It was more just poor play than being tired," said Cox. "It just wasn't my week. I'm obviously disappointed. I was really looking forward to playing in this tournament."

 

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

 

  

Story written by Craig Smith, director of media relations at the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at csmith@usga.org.

 

 

San Francisco, Calif. - Results from the second round of stroke play at the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, played Tuesday at the par 35-35--70, 6,790-yard Olympic Club (Lakeside Course) (Note: * = qualified in 10-man playoff for final nine spots for match play)

  

  Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga., 67-66--133

   Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky., 68-73--141

  Sung Hoon Kang, Korea, 75-67--142

   Lucas Lee, Los Angeles, Calif., 74-69--143

   Roberto Galletti Jr, Clayton, Calif., 74-69--143

   Charlie Harris, Fresno, Calif., 70-74--144

  Seung-Su Han, Korea, 75-69--144

   Daniel Lim, Gilroy, Calif., 71-74--145

   Alex Martin, Middletown, Ohio, 75-71--146

   Chris Jensen, Los Altos, Calif., 71-75--146

   Daniel Woltman, Beaver Dam, Wis., 73-73--146

   David May, Auburn, N.Y., 73-73--146

   Matthew Swan, Montgomery, Ala., 72-74--146

   Bradley Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., 73-74--147

   Jake Yount, Danville, Calif., 70-77--147

   Randy Lowry, Spring, Texas, 76-71--147

   Steve An, Daly City, Calif., 71-76--147

   David Chung, Fayetteville, N.C., 72-76--148

   Kent Copeland, Hickory, N.C., 74-74--148

   Kyle Takesue, Cerritos, Calif., 74-74--148

   Seann Harlingten, Rancho Mirage, Calif., 77-71--148

   Timothy McKenney, Scottsdale, Ariz., 74-74--148

   Ben Tewes, Lincoln, Neb., 77-72--149

   Daniel Kefale, Woodbridge, Va., 74-75--149

   Drew Weaver, High Point, N.C., 75-74--149

   James Lee, Korea, 74-75--149

   Juan Pablo Candela, Colombia, 76-73--149

   Kyle Stanley, Gig Harbor, Wash., 73-76--149

   Michael Soowal, Phil adelphia, Pa., 75-74--149

  Robby Ormand, Austin, Texas, 71-78--149

   Robert Streb, Edmond, Okla., 76-73--149

   Sihwan Kim, Fullerton, Calif., 76-73--149

   Andrew Carroll, Little Rock, Ark., 74-76--150

  Cashel Rosier, Grand Ledge, Mich., 75-75--150

  Ji Moon, Ellicott City, Md., 77-73--150

   Marc Gladson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 76-74--150

   Mark Silvers, Savannah, Ga., 78-72--150

  Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif., 74-76--150

   Ryan Blue, Athens, Ga., 76-74--150

   Andrew Nottenkamper, Boynton Beach, Fla., 76-75--151

   Ben Fox, Studio City, Calif., 77-74--151

   Brad Blakley, Mead, Wash., 76-75--151

   Chris Rockwell, Owings Mills, Md., 77-74--151

   Craig Smith, Springfield, Tenn., 76-75--151

   Greg Forest, Palm City, Fla., 75-76--151

   Henry Zaytoun, Raleigh, N.C., 78-73--151

   James Dalthorp III, Los Angeles, Calif., 81-70--151

   Joe Kubick, Lincoln, Neb., 72-79--151

   Kevin O'Connell, Cary, N.C., 77-74--151

   Lance Lopez, Missouri City, Texas, 72-79--151

   Phil ip Chauncey, Durham, N.C., 75-76--151

   Robert Riesen, Pinehurst, N.C., 76-75--151

  Toby Ragland, Jacksonville, Fla., 75-76--151

   Tom Glissmeyer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 72-79--151

   Zach Barlow, Percy, Ill., 76-75--151

*    Alex Wagner, St Charles, Ill., 77-75-152 (3)

*    Brad Valois, Warwick, R.I., 75-77-152 (3)

*    Erik Flores, Grass Valley, Calif., 76-76-152 (3)

*    Glenn Northcutt, Dothan, Ala., 76-76-152 (3)

*    Jon Curran, Hopkinton, Mass., 73-79-152 (3)

*    Kevin Schultz, Richardson, Texas, 77-75-152 (3)

*    Marshall Pickett, Wilmington, N.C., 72-80-152 (2)

*    Seath Lauer, Bradenton, Fla., 75-77-152 (3)

*    Tyler Obermueller, River Falls, Wis., 72-80-152 (3)

 

Failed To Qualify

   Andy Winings, Franklin, Ind., 77-75-152 (4)

   Arnond Vongvanij, Bradenton, Fla., 79-74--153

   Blake Trimble, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 76-77--153

   Clayton Rotz, Chambersburg, Pa., 77-76--153

   Dave Poggi, Salt Lake City, Utah, 74-79--153

   Geoff Gonzalez, Diablo, Calif., 77-76--153

   George DeHuff IV, Coto De Caza, Calif., 76-77--153

   Hunter Townsend, Glen Allen, Va., 77-76--153

   Michael Beausejour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 74-79--153

   Tyler Morris, San Diego, Calif., 76-77--153

  Will Haydon, Palo Alto, Calif., 76-77--153

   Andrew Putnam, University Place, Wash., 79-75--154

   Ben Bastel, Upper Sandusky, Ohio, 80-74--154

   Michael Pinjuv, Las Vegas, Nev., 81-73--154

   Sun Ho Kim, Flushing, N.Y., 80-74--154

   Thomas Greene, Roselle, Ill., 77-77--154

   Tim Courtney, Midlothian, Va., 78-76--154

   Bobby Hudson, Memphis, Tenn., 79-76--155

   Corey Nagy, Charlotte, N.C., 80-75--155

   George Bryan IV, Columbia, S.C., 81-74--155

   Hunter Hamrick, Montgomery, Ala., 79-76--155

   Jeffrey Zimmerman, Excelsior Springs, Mo., 77-78--155

   Mark Volk Jr, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 77-78--155

  Rui Takamatsu, Japan, 81-74--155

   Tom Miles, Dublin, Ohio, 76-79--155

   Ben Barr, Hot Springs, Ark., 82-74--156

   Ben Martin, Greenwood, S.C., 78-78--156

   John Popeck, Washington, Pa., 80-76--156

   Josh Thompson, Indianapolis, Ind., 77-79--156

   Landon Banks, Portland, Ore., 77-79--156

   Larry Blatt, Orland Park, Ill., 75-81--156

   Matt Boyd, Sugar Land, Texas, 77-79--156

   Michael Quagliano, White Plains, N.Y., 84-72--156

   Travis Reid, Clovis, N.M., 81-75--156

   Tyler Rucarean, Gainesville, Fla., 81-75--156

   Zechariah Potter, Cheney, Kan., 78-78--156

  Zen Brown, Arvada, Colo., 80-76--156

   Damian Telles, The Dalles, Ore., 80-77--157

   Jeffrey Griest, Glen Mills, Pa., 80-77--157

   Jordan Cox, Redwood City, Calif., 78-79--157

   Justin Hueber, Fort Wayne, Ind., 80-77--157

   Tim Cha, Chino Hills, Calif., 76-81--157

   Warren West, Chestertown, Md., 76-81--157

   Andrew Freeman, Jensen Beach, Fla., 81-77--158

   Bryan Blake, Westerville, Ohio, 80-78--158

   Cole Turner, Marion, Ind., 81-77--158

   Drew Younts, Stokesdale, N.C., 82-76--158

  Hector Arias, Colombia, 74-84--158

   Kyle Parsons, Wethersfield, Conn., 79-79--158

   Michael Mulieri, Silver Spring, Md., 80-78--158

   Spencer Rives, Lafayette, La., 79-79--158

   Tyler Tarney, Galena, Ohio, 78-80--158

   Alex Eby, Boise, Idaho, 81-78--159

   Brett Kanda, Los Angeles, Calif., 76-83--159

  Sang Yi, Carrollton, Texas, 78-81--159

   Shungwoo Lee, Artesia, Calif., 81-78--159

   Branden Barron, Centennial, Colo., 82-78--160

   Justin Hare, Charleston, S.C., 82-78--160

   Matt Hill, Canada, 81-79--160

  Nick Kirsch, Steubenville, Ohio, 79-81--160

  Nick Shimon, Peoria, Ariz., 81-79--160

  Parker Ferren, Tallahassee, Fla., 75-85--160

   Jonathon Krick, Peoria Heights, Ill., 81-80--161

   Michael Basinski, East Grand Rapids, Mich., 79-82--161

   Nicholas Grigsby, Veradale, Wash., 82-79--161

   Alex Volpenhein, Edgewood, Ky., 79-83--162

   Blake Stark, Atlanta, Ga., 83-79--162

   Brian Sparks, Shelby Twp, Mich., 81-81--162

   Kyle Peterman, Sherman, Ill., 79-83--162

   Riley O'Neill, Aberdeen, S.D., 82-80--162

   Steve Saunders, Albuquerque, N.M., 82-80--162

   Travis Allread, Fairfield, Ohio, 84-78--162

   Benjamin Kishigian, Warner Robin s, Ga., 83-80--163

   Kyle Henderson, Clermont, Fla., 83-80--163

   Austin Weathington, Alpharetta, Ga., 83-81--164

   Mike Van Sickle, Wexford, Pa., 83-81--164

   David Byrne, Canada, 81-84--165

   Chris Hoffman, Solon, Ohio, 82-84--166

   Sean Maekawa, Paauilo, Hawaii, 88-78--166

   Steve Hocker, Suwanee, Ga., 82-84--166

   Ben Ziemann, Eau Claire, Wis., 85-82--167

   Cole Roblin, Canada, 85-82--167

  Connor Smith, Cedar Park, Texas, 86-81--167

   Dalton Owens, Mt Vernon, Mo., 81-86--167

  J F Sorbella, Port Chester, N.Y., 83-84--167

   Matthew Scytkowski, South Hadley, Mass., 86-81--167

   Billy Horschel, Grant, Fla., 84-84--168

  Zack Hicks, Pittsford, N.Y., 86-83--169

   Andrew Mahnke, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 83-88--171

   Jack Freeman, Garland, Texas, 87-85--172

   Michael McComb, Egg Harbor Twsp, N.J., 94-81--175

  Michael Broad, Raleigh, N.C., 79-WD