Crick, Benjamin Advance To Final Four

Norman, Okla. - Brandon Crick of McCook, Neb., was able to overcome a 2-down deficit through nine holes and hang on to beat Eddie Olson of Aptos, Calif., in 19 holes, in the third quarterfinal match on Friday morning. Olson actually held a 1-up lead going to the 584-yard par-5 18th, but pulled his tee shot into the trees lining the left side of the fairway. The critical moment of the match occurred when Crick was then able to step up and carve his drive down the middle, and when he saw Olson’s punch out attempt hit a tree and kick left into high grass, he followed up with a lay-up short of the green.

Brandon Crick, of McCook, Neb. is entering his senior year at the University of Nebraska. (Robert Walker/USGA)

“I definitely changed my strategy right then, because I was going to go for the green in two,” said Crick, who began his collegiate career at Gonzaga, before transferring to Nebraska, to be closer to home. “But I knew he’d have a tough time making a par, so I went for the safer option, and just tried to make a routine five.”

Sure enough, Olson bogeyed the hole, and Crick made his par. So, the pair headed back to the first tee, and when Olson pulled his drive left of the fairway again, and struggled to make a par, Crick faced a 12-foot birdie putt, and had two strokes to win the match. He only needed one, as the putt fell.

Meanwhile, recent Memphis graduate and left-hander Brad Benjamin of Rockford, Ill., got by LSU’s Sang Yi of Carrollton, Texas, 5 and 3 in the last quarterfinal, after taking the lead on the second hole and never trailing. Benjamin carded two birdies and one bogey, and closed out the match by parring the difficult 281-yard, par-3 15th, when Yi bogeyed.

Benjamin is looking to become just the second left-handed player to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links, and the first since Ralph Howe III did it in 1988 at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club, in Jackson, Wyo.

One other interesting note about Benjamin: although he swings left-handed, he putts right-handed.

Story written by Dave Fanucchi, USGA director of communcations, public relations. Contact him with questions or comments at dfanucchi@usga.org.