Guy Yamamoto

It took Guy Yamamoto 37 holes to emerge as champion of the 1994 U.S. Amateur Public Links. A two-putt par from 20 feet proved one better than opponent Chris Riley's bogey; Yamamoto, of Waipahu, Hawaii, defeated the UNLV sophomore, and captured his first United States Golf Association championship.

After 11 previous attempts to qualify for the championship, Yamamoto, age 32, was ecstatic about his victory. "This is something I'll always remember," he said. "It shows that if you dream hard enough, sometimes your dreams can come true."

The last four holes of the regulation 36 proved exciting. On the 15th, Yamamoto, who'd been three holes down after the morning round, worked back to all square by holing a 45-foot putt from off the green for birdie. On the 16th, Riley answered back with a birdie of his own to take a 1-up advantage.

Then, on the 17th, a par five of 532 yards, Yamamoto drove long and straight, then lashed a 5-iron 196 yards to within three feet of the cup, and holed the putt for eagle 3.

The two halved the 18th in pars. Then, on the first extra hole, after both players had driven in the rough, Yamamoto's 8-iron wound up 20 feet from the hole, while Riley's approach just missed the green to the left.

Riley was unable to get up and down for par; Yamamoto rolled in his 20-inch par putt, and that was that.

Edward (Eddie) Fryatt, of Las Vegas, Nevada followed his first-day 66 with a 67 for a 133 total, to capture the stroke-play qualifying medal. His two-day total was the second lowest in Public Links history, bettered only by Jim Carter's 132 in 1984.

In addition, Aaron Barber, of New London, Minnesota, made the first hole-in-one in 12 years in the championship. Barber aced the 185-yard par-3 seventh hole with a 4-iron.

More than 5,300 entries were accepted.