Jack Newman Holds 1-Up Lead After 18 Holes In APL Final

Aurora, Colo. – Jack Newman, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa, holds a 1-up lead over John Chin, 21, of Temecula, Calif., through 18 holes of the 36-hole final match of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course.

Newman, a junior at Michigan State, fell behind with a three-putt bogey on the first hole after Chin, a left-hander, made a routine par.

Chin, the 2008 Big West Conference Player of the Year while playing at California-Irvine, then won the 4th hole to take a 2-up lead. However, Newman parred the 5th as Chin bogeyed and then won the 7th with a birdie and the 8th with a par to retake the lead.

Chin, who is playing in his first USGA championship, regained his focus and hit a 2-iron 25 feet from the hole on the 348-yard, par-4 9th. He then two-putted for birdie to win the hole and square the match.

John Chin hacks out of the fescue on No. 4. Chin trails Jack Newman by 1 hole heading into the afternoon 18 holes. (John Mummert/USGA)

Chin is vying to become the fifth left-handed player to win a USGA championship and the first Californian to win the Amateur Public Links since Tim Hogarth (then of Van Nuys) won in 1996. Newman would be the first Iowan to win the Public Links.

Chin, a two-time All-Big West first-team choice, won the 12th with a 4-foot birdie putt, but Newman followed with 12-foot birdie that won the 14th and squared the match again.

Newman, the No.2 player on the Michigan State team which won the 2007 and 2008 Big Ten titles, won the 16th with birdie from 20 feet to re-gain a 1-up lead.

Chin looked like the winner of the 18th hole after sticking his approach shot to three feet. Newman was 30 feet away. He continued his hot putting by draining the birdie. Chin coolly halved the hole with his three-footer.

Both players had been playing from the advantage for most of match play. Before losing the 8th hole in the morning 18, the last time Chin trailed in a match was on the 17th hole of his 20-hole victory over Brandon Crick of McCook, Neb., in the first round. Before losing the first hole, Newman’s last deficit was on the 2nd hole of his 21-hole victory over Billy Horschel of Gainesville, Fla., in the second round.

Newman, a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2008 who won the 2008 Western Intercollegiate, carried his own bag through the quarterfinals, including 21- and 24-hole matches. He then enlisted his college teammate and fellow quarterfinalist Randall Hutchison, who was eliminated by Hammock, for the caddie duty.

Hutchison flew home on Friday, but a car-full of Newman family and friends drove overnight to watch the final, including older brother Andy, 33, who carried Jack’s bag from the 7th hole on.

Story written by Pete Kowalski, USGA Media Relations. Email at pkowalski@usga.org with any questions or comments.