Medalist Overton, Defending Champion Moore Advance
Galloway Township , N.J. – Medalist Jeff Overton, 20, of Evansville, Ind., who tied two USGA records in stroke play, and defending champion Ryan Moore, 20, of Puyallup, Wash., each won his first-round match Wednesday at the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club’s East Course.
Overton, a junior at Indiana University , defeated Marc Hocking, of Colorado Springs, Colo., 2 and 1, overcoming an early two-hole deficit. He tried to stay focused despite the mantle of winning medalist honors.
“It was kind of hard to sleep because my Dad snores,” said Overton when questioned about staying awake with worry. “I just tried to shake it all off. It’s exciting to shoot 64 and 68. That’s awesome but there is really nothing to get nervous about. I just try to have fun and enjoy the experience. I’m just trying to soak it all in.”
Overton, who tied a USGA standard for low 36-hole score at 132, squared the match with pars on the 8 th and 9 th holes and then gained his winning advantage on holes 12, 14 and 15. He also shot 64 in the first round of stroke play to tie for lowest round in 77 years of Public Links history.
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In addition, Overton’s enviable stretch of play over the past six weeks includes a final-round 64 en route to a 12-stroke victory in the Indiana State Amateur, a second-place finish at the North and South Amateur and birdieing three of his last five holes in APL qualifying to earn the lone berth to the championship at that site.
Overton meets Alan Hill , 41, of Spring Branch, Texas , and a semifinalist in 2001 Thursday.
Moore, who plays Brandt Snedeker , 22, of Nashville, Tenn., in the second round, began slowly in his 3-and-2 win over Zack King, of Ventura, Calif.
“If I wasn’t as experienced as I am, being three down through six holes, I could have started putting pressure on myself and started worrying,” said Moore, who plays college golf at Nevada-Las Vegas. “But, I said it was match play and it can turn around like that.”
Despite his 3-down deficit, he won four of the next five holes to gain an edge he didn’t lose. With birdies on the 14 th and 15 th holes, he increased his lead to 3-up.
In a match of age contrasts, 17-year-old 2001 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Henry Liaw , 17, of Rowland Heights , Calif., defeated 50-year-old Timothy Murphy of Greensburg , Pa., 2 and 1.
Chez Reavie, 21, of Mesa , Ariz., who won the 2001 Public Links championship, lost to Jay Woodson, 21, of Powaton , Va. , 2 and 1; and 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Danny Green , of Jackson , Tenn., beat Parker McLachlin, of Honolulu, Hawaii , 1 up.
The second and third rounds of match play will be contested on Thursday with the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on 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 of Wednesday’s first 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) def.. Marc Hocking, Colorado Springs , Colo. (152), 2 and 1
Alan Hill , Spring Branch, Texas (147) def. Matt Van Cleave, Maryville , Mo. (147), 3 and 2
Tim Kunick , Bismarck , N.D. (150) def. Matthew Johnson , Fairfax , Va. (145), 5 and 3
John Limanti , Jacksonville , Fla. (145) def. Pete Stone , Bountiful , Utah (150), 5 and 3
Nick Desai , Zambia (151) def. John Ellis , San Jose , Calif. (143), 2 and 1
Lenny Park , Tempe , Ariz. (149) def. Shawn Pattison , Spokane , Wash. (147), 5 and 3
Dayton Rose , Stillwater , Okla. (143) def. Aloysius Falussy , Dix Hills , N.Y. (151), 2 and 1
John Larson , Springfield , Minn. (149) def. Lloyd Fisher , Grand Rapids , Mich. (146), 1 up
Henry Liaw , Rowland Heights , Calif. (140) def. Timothy Murphy , Greensburg , Pa. , (151), 2 and 1
Joe Kunz , Webster , N.Y. (148) def. Kevin Messer , Missouri City , Texas (147), 19 holes
Travis Johnson , Bellflower , Calif. (145) def. Miles Maillet , Bishop, Calif. (150), 4 and 3
Matthew Every, Daytona Beach, Fla. (145) def. Jason Bataille, South Plainfield, N.J. (149), 6 and 5
Joey Stansberry , Bloomington , Minn. (140) def. Matthew Berzovich , Longwood , Fla. (151), 19 holes
Isaac Weintraub , Santa Cruz , Calif. (147) def. Nolan Martin , Colorado Springs , Colo. (148), 2 and 1
Jay Reynolds , Austin , Texas (144) def. Greg Douglas , Cooper , Texas (151), 2 and 1
Chris Stroud , Groves , Texas (149) def. Casey Lubahn , East Lansing , Mich. (146), 5 and 4
Brandt Snedeker , Nashville , Tenn. (139) def. Benjamin Kern , Tucson , Ariz. (151), 5 and 4
Ryan Moore , Puyallup , Wash. (148) def. Zack King, Ventura , Calif. (147), 3 and 2
Brendan Steele , Idyllwild , Calif. (145) def. Joseph Deraney , Statesboro , Ga. (150), 4 and 2
Jay Woodson , Powhatan , Va. (150) def. Chez Reavie, Mesa , Ariz. (145), 2 and 1
Brady Stockton , San Ramon , Calif. (143) def. Jim Renner , Plainville , Mass. (151), 19 holes
Roger Fine , Carrollton , Texas (147) def. Billy Whalen , Rancho Palos Verdes , Calif. , (149), 4 and 3
John Cassidy , Yelm , Wash. (151) def. Aaron Black , Aiken , S.C. (143), 1 up
Jon Antunes , Belton , Texas (146) def. Derek O'Neill , Littleton , Colo. (149), 2 and 1
Timothy Kane , Simsbury , Conn. (151) def. Chris Wheeler , Allen , Texas (139), 2 and 1
Jeffrey Castle , Hampstead , N.H. (147) def. Adam Fuchs , Plainview , N.Y. (148), 20 holes
Danny Green , Jackson , Tenn. (150) and Parker McLachlin, Honolulu , Hawaii (145), 1 up
Eric Riehle , Hemet , Calif. (149) def. Adam Cohan , Wayne , Pa. (145), 3 and 1
Jason Harris , Clemmons , N.C. (151) def. Nathan Colson , Plymouth , Wis. (142), 2 and 1
Scott Seibert , Chesterfield , Mo. (148) def. Michael Welch , Quincy , Mass. (147), 4 and 3
Luke List, Ringgold, Ga. (144) vs. Kevin Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio (151), 2 and 1
Jeff Gilchrist , Sacramento , Calif. (146) def. Chris Morrow , Edmonds , Wash. (149), 3 and 2
