Defending Champion Reavie Ousted In Second Round

Washington, Mich. - Chez Reavie, the defending U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, fell 6 and 5 to Burke Spensky in the second round of match play at the 7,001-yard, par 72 Orchards Golf Club.

Spensky, 21, of Huntington, W.V., closed out Reavie on the 13th hole after a shaky performance by Reavie, who bogeyed four of his last six holes.

Ryan Moore beat Alan Hill, the 40-year-old semifinalist at last year's APL, 3 and 2. Moore advanced after an up and down performance that left the 19-year-old U.S. Open qualifier just happy to get to the next round.

"If you'd have seen us out there, we were just two guys hacking it around," said Moore, the runner-up in the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur. "We were swapping bogeys all over the place. It was really about who could play less badly."

I closed with two birdies, which really gets the momentum going for my next match. I just wish I had the putting going like I did the last time (in the Junior)."

John Finnin, the 42-year-old owner of a janitorial and carpet cleaning service, roared back to win the final four holes and dispose of reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion Henry Liaw, 1 up. Liaw had held a 3-up lead with four holes to play. Finnin, of Crete, Ill., remains the oldest player in the field and faces Moore in the third round.

Much of the local attention this week has been focused squarely on Eric Jorgensen, 22, of Grandville, Mich., and his teammate at Michigan State, Casey Lubahn. Lubahn, 21 of East Lansing, Mich., routed opponent Richard Dukelow 7 and 5 in his morning match.

Jorgensen, who won the North & South Amateur earlier in the month and has attracted attention due to the fact that his mother has been caddieing for him all week, scored a 1-up victory over Keith Hendrickson.

Both Jorgensen and Lubahn are in the same bracket, but would not meet each other until the semifinal match, should they progress that far.

Also surviving his second round match was Fernando Mechereffe, 19, of Brazil. He bested Minnesota Golden Gopher Justin Smith 1 up, winning the 18th hole to advance to the next round. Mechereffe, the reigning Brazilian Amateur champion, and the first Brazilian to play in the APL, will face Jorgensen in the third round.

Play continues Thursday in the third round of match play. On Friday, the remaining eight competitors will play in the morning quarterfinal round for the right to advance to the afternoon semifinal. Play continues through 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

Washigton, Mich. - Results from the second round of match play on the 7,001-yard, par-72 Orchards Golf Club

Round of 32

Tele Wightman, Chicopee, Mass. (146) def. Luke Stephan, Hoffman Estates, Ill. (143), 1 up
Billy Zihala, Little Rock, Ark. (140) def. Matt Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn. (144), 1 up
Brady Stockton, San Ramon, Calif. (138) def. Garrett Clegg, Bountiful, Utah (143), 5 and 4
Brent Wanner, Mashpee, Mass. (138) def. Bjorn Widerstedt, Sweden (142), 2 up
Lee Williamson, Crawfordsville, Ind. (137) def. Geoff Lound, Australia (142), 2 and 1
Haymes Snedeker, Oxford, Miss. (141) def. Kurt Watkins, Chandler, Ariz. (145), 1 up
Wren Fowler, Thomson, Ga. (142) def. Jake Grodzinsky, Cornville, Ariz. (145), 19 Holes
Burke Spensky, Huntington, W.Va. (139) def. Chez Reavie, Phoenix, Ariz. (141), 6 and 5
Eric Jorgensen, Grandville, Mich. (136) def. Keith Hendrickson, Syosset, N.Y. (142), 1 up
Fernando Mechereffe, Brazil (144) def. Justin Smith, Franklin, Pa. (140), 1 up
Chris Stroud, Groves, Texas (142) def. J J Jakovac, Napa, Calif. (138), 1 up
Jay Choi, Cerritos, Calif. (138) def. Gabe Alcala, Bastrop, Texas (143), 4 and 3
Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. (142) def. Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas (137), 3 and 2
John Finnin, Crete, Ill. (140) def. Henry Liaw, Rowland Heights, Calif. (141), 1 up
Justin Walters, Raleigh, N.C. (142) def. Steve Lohmeyer, Dayton, Ohio (145), 1 up
Casey Lubahn, East Lansing, Mich. (141) def. Brett Jones, Paducah, Ky. (145), 7 and 6

Pairings

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

Round of 16

12:30 pm Tele Wightman, Chicopee, Mass. (146) vs. Billy Zihala, Little Rock, Ark. (140)
12:40 pm Brady Stockton, San Ramon, Calif. (138) vs. Brent Wanner, Mashpee, Mass.
(138)
12:50 pm Lee Williamson, Crawfordsville, Ind. (137) vs. Haymes Snedeker, Oxford, Miss.
(141)
1:00 pm Wren Fowler, Thomson, Ga. (142) vs. Burke Spensky, Huntington, W.Va. (139)
1:10 pm Eric Jorgensen, Grandville, Mich. (136) vs. Fernando Mechereffe, Brazil (144)
1:20 pm Chris Stroud, Groves, Texas (142) vs. Jay Choi, Cerritos, Calif. (138)
1:30 pm Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. (142) vs. John Finnin, Crete, Ill. (140)
1:40 pm Justin Walters, Raleigh, N.C. (142) vs. Casey Lubahn, East Lansing, Mich. (141)