Open Qualifier Moore Advances to Semifinals

Washington, Mich. – Ryan Moore, who qualified for the 2002 U.S. Open, defeated Casey Lubahn 2 up to advance to the semifinal round of match play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Moore and Lubahn went toe-to-toe over 18 holes at the 7,001-yard, par 72 Orchards Golf Club. Neither one blinked.

Moore, 19, of Puyallup, Wash., matched seven birdies with flawless play, hitting every fairway to fire a course-record equivalent of 65. Lubahn, 21, of East Lansing, Mich., strung together six birdies to hang with Moore, recording his a lone bogey on the home hole. Moore, the runner up at the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur, and Lubahn halved four holes in the match with birdies.

“Never in my life have I been a match like that,” said Moore, “He matched me every single time. He (Lubahn) was really clutch today.”

Throughout the championship Moore’s ball striking has never been in doubt. It has been his work with the flat stick that, until today, has caused him fits. He made five long putts of more than 12 feet for birdies, and a 15-footer for par on the 18th that shut the door on Lubahn’s hopes.

“My putting, well, it showed up,” said Moore. “A little tip my dad gave me last night on the phone did the trick. He said I should try to change my ball position a little bit. I made a 30-footer on the first hole and I was off from there.”

While Moore’s putting sealed the match, it was a good-luck charm that showed up halfway through the round that may have proved the difference.

“On the 11th hole I was walking off the tee, and this guy in the crowd said, ‘Hey, you don’t have a caddy, what’s up with that? I’ll carry for you.’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and from there I went four under,” said Moore.

The “guy” that picked up Moore’s bag was 30-year old Mark Soldan, of neighboring Macomb Township, Mich. Soldan was off work from his job on the assembly line at the local Ford Motor Co. plant. He had come out to watch the championship when he noticed Moore didn’t have a caddy carrying his clubs in the humid and hazy conditions.

“I live in the area and play here (The Orchards) a lot,” said Soldan. “I noticed he was carrying his bag, so I offered to help out. The only thing I charge is a trip to Augusta.”

Soldan said he would have to take time off work at Ford Motor Co. to carry Moore’s bag in Friday afternoon’s semifinal round.

Casey Lubahn’s Michigan State teammate Eric Jorgensen fell 1 up to Chris Stroud, of Groves, Texas. Stroud, 19, hung in with Jorgensen throughout the morning, with both actively trading birdies and the lead in the match. Stroud inched ahead after draining a 4-foot putt on the 17th hole and adding a birdie on the 18th to secure the match victory and spot in the semifinals.

Fellow Spartans Jorgensen and Lubahn had designs on meeting in the semifinal round, but it was not meant to be.

Lee Williamson, the Big-10 Player of the Year and 1st Team All-American at Purdue won his Friday morning match easily, dispatching Georgia Tech’s Wren Fowler 5 and 3.

Williamson’s semifinal opponent is Arizona State’s Brady Stockton, who beat Billy Zihala 2 up in the first match of the day.

All eight quarterfinalists at the U.S. Amateur Public Links were collegians.

Play continues Friday in the semifinal round of match play and concludes with Saturday's 36-hole final at The Orchards Golf Club.

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

Story written by David Normoyle, USGA

Results

Washington, Mich. - Results from the quarterfinal round of match play at the 7,001-yard, par-72 Orchards Golf Club

Quarterfinal Round
Brady Stockton, San Ramon, Calif. (138) def. Billy Zihala, Little Rock, Ark. (140), 2 and 1
Lee Williamson, Crawfordsville, Ind. (137) def. Wren Fowler, Thomson, Ga. (142), 5 and 3
Chris Stroud, Groves, Texas (142) def. Eric Jorgensen, Grandville, Mich. (136), 1 up
Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. (142) def. Casey Lubahn, East Lansing, Mich. (141), 2 up

Pairings

Washington, Mich. - Pairings for the semifinal round of match play at the 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship (all times are EDT)

Semifinal Round

2:15 pm – Brady Stockton, San Ramon, Calif. (138) v. Lee Williamson, Crawfordsville, Ind. (137)
2:30 pm – Chris Stroud, Groves, Texas (142) v. Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. (142)