Meet The Quarterfinalists

Logan Harrell, 17, of Huntersville, N.C….will be a senior at Hopewell H.S. in September….playing in his second U.S. Junior Amateur….shot 77-78 to miss the cut in 2008, at Shoal Creek in Alabama….shot a 36-hole total of 138 at Gaston C.C. to qualify for this championship....likes to have two tees and chapstick in his pocket while playing golf.

Jay Hwang, 16, of San Diego, Calif….plays golf at Torrey Pines H.S…..in his first USGA championship….lowest career round is a 68 on the Torrey Pines South Course – site of the 2008 U.S. Open….recently finished tied for sixth at the Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines, with rounds of 77-68-76-74.

Shugo Imahira, 16, of Japan…is playing in his first USGA championship….shot a 36-hole total of 139 to qualify at Lake Wales, Fla….won the 2008 Japan Junior Championship in the 15 to 17-year-old division….also won the 2008 Fuji Sankei Junior….has a lucky golf club head cover that is a lion.

Juan Luna, 17, of Colombia….was born in Bogota….plans to attend the University of Memphis in September….playing in his first USGA championship….won the Colombian National Junior Championship…shot a course record, 6-under 66 in the first round on the New Course at Trump National Golf Club. 

Yaroslav Merkulov, 17, of Penfield, N.Y…..was born is Smolensk, Russia….will be a senior at Penfield H.S. this September….won one of two spots in a three-man playoff to get into the championship…..this is his second appearance in the U.S. Junior Amateur (2007, MC)….won the 2009 New York State Amateur by two strokes just last week, at Ravenwood Golf Club….also won the 2008 New York State Junior Amateur…..was the Rochester Junior Golfer of the Year in 2007….had open heart surgery at age 11 to correct a congenital heart defect.

Nicholas Reach, 17, of Moscow, Pa. ….will be a junior at Scranton (Pa.) Prep in September….shot 77-68 at Glenmaura National to qualify for this championship, his first USGA appearance….received an exemption into a Nationwide Tour event as a 16 year old, where he shot 67-76, to miss the cut by four strokes…..the 67 was his career low round….plays on the International Junior Golf Tour….received a gold medal on the National Latin Exam.

Jordan Spieth, 15, of Dallas, Texas….was a semifinalist at the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur….won four AJGA events in 2008…..was named a first-team AJGA Rolex All-American….represented the USA at the 2008 Junior Ryder Cup….shot a 62 at the 2009 Junior Byron Nelson Championship, which he won….won the 2009 Texas UIL State Championship while playing for Dallas Jesuit H.S….also likes to play basketball.

Cameron Wilson, 16, of Rowayton, Conn….playing in his third U.S. Junior Amateur (‘07, ‘08)….was eliminated in the first round of match play each time….has attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open each of the last four years, including this year when he advanced out of local qualifying for the first time, but fell short at the Purchase, N.Y. sectional qualifier….has made two holes in one, the first at Doral and the second at Baltusrol…was one of four people used by the USGA to “tweet” messages on Twitter during the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park.

Compiled by Dave Fanucchi, USGA Communications. He can be reached at dfanucchi@usga.org.

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