Medalist Overton Advances, Defending Champion Moore Ousted

 

Galloway Township , N.J. – Medalist Jeff Overton, 20, of Evansville , Ind. , who tied two USGA records in stroke play, advanced to the third round of match play and defending champion Ryan Moore, 20, of Puyallup, Wash., was eliminated Thursday at the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club’s East Course.

 

Overton, a two-time all-Big 10 choice at Indiana University , defeated Alan Hill , 41, of Spring Branch, Texas, and a semifinalist in 2001, 2 and 1. Moore was knocked off by Brandt Snedeker, 22, of Nashville, Tenn., 4 and 3.

 

Overton, who tied a USGA standard for low 36-hole score at 132, meets Tim Kunick of Bismarck , N.D., in the third round Thursday afternoon. He held a 5-up lead with five holes remaining but lost three in succession before halving the par-3 17 th to win the match.

 

 Moore, who was also the runner-up at the 2000 Junior Amateur and has a USGA match play record of 15-3, held a 2-up edge after eight holes but dropped six of the next seven holes.

 

Snedecker made four birdies in that stretch while Moore could not find his stroke on the greens.

 

“We both didn’t play that well on the front nine,” said Snedeker, a first-team All-American at Vanderbilt . “I got things going on the back nine and Ryan couldn’t get a putt to go down. It went my way.”

 

Moore said: “I was right around the hole all day but my alignment was just off this entire week. I hadn’t gotten onto it.”

 

Snedecker faces Brendan Steele of Idylllwild , Calif., in the third round.

 

Joe Kunz of Webster , N.Y., eliminated Henry Liaw, 17, of Rowland Heights, Calif., the 2001 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, 1 up.

 

Danny Green of Jackson, Tenn., 1999 Mid-Amateur champion also advanced with a 3-and-1 win over Eric Riehle, Hemet , Calif. (149), 3 and 1.

 

The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, 18-hole matches, are set for Friday. The 36-hole final is scheduled for Saturday.

 

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

 

Results

Galloway, N.J. – Results from Thursday’s second round of match play at the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship played at the 7,127-yard, par-71 Blue Heron Pines Golf Club’s East Course:

 

Jeffrey Overton, Evansville, Ind. (132) vs. Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas (147), 2 and 1

Tim Kunick, Bismarck, N.D. (150) def. John Limanti, Jacksonville, Fla. (145), 3 and 1

Nick Desai, Zambia (151) def. Lenny Park, Tempe, Ariz. (149), 2 and 1

Dayton Rose, Stillwater, Okla. (143) def. John Larson, Springfield Minn. (149), 3 and 2

Joe Kunz, Webster, N.Y. (148) def. Henry Liaw, Rowland Heights, Calif. (140), 1 up

Matthew Every, Daytona Beach, Fla. (145) def. Travis Johnson, Bellflower , Calif. (145), 2 and 1.

Joey Stansberry , Bloomington , Minn. (140) def. Isaac Weintraub , Santa Cruz , Calif. (147), 3 and 2

Chris Stroud, Groves, Texas (149) def. Jay Reynolds , Austin , Texas (144), 4 and 3

   Brandt Snedeker, Nashville, Tenn. (139) def. Ryan Moore, Puyallup, Wash. (148), 4 and 3

Brendan Steele, Idyllwild, Calif. (145) def. Jay Woodson, Powhatan, Va. (150), 3 and 1

Brady Stockton, San Ramon, Calif. (143) def. Roger Fine, Carrollton, Texas (147),. 20 holes

John Cassidy, Yelm, Wash. (151) def. Jon Antunes, Belton, Texas (146), 2 and 1

Timothy Kane , Simsbury , Conn. (151) def. Jeffrey Castle, Hampstead , N.H. (147), 4 and 3

Danny Green, Jackson , Tenn. (150) vs. Eric Riehle, Hemet, Calif. (149), 3 and 1

Jason Harris, Clemmons , N.C. (151) def. Scott Seibert, Chesterfield , Mo. (148), 4 and 2

Luke List , Ringgold , Ga. (144) def. Jeff Gilchrist , Sacramento, Calif. (146), 5 and 4