Aaron Goldberg First Round Leader At 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links

Aurora, Colo. – Under hot, but ideal conditions Aaron Goldberg, 22, of Carlsbad, Calif., carded a 6-under 65 to take the lead after the first round of stroke play at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links being held at the 7,551-yard, par 71 Murphy Creek Golf Course.

One stroke back are Travis Reid, 21, of Clovis, N.M., and Colorado native Zachary Zaremba, 20, of Pueblo West. Rickie Fowler, 19, of Murrieta, Calif., and Cory Nagy, 19, of Charlotte, N.C., carded 4-under 67s.

Goldberg, a 2007 APL quarterfinalist, only needed 28 putts to finish his day with eight birdies and only two bogeys.

“I made a couple of 15-footers, but I was hitting it pretty good all day,” said Goldberg, who recently graduated from San Diego State University. “I was playing smart.”

Goldberg, who is on the cusp of deciding to turn professional, remains humble despite his past success at the 2007 APL.

“I could go shoot 59 tomorrow, but at match play everybody’s the same,” said Goldberg. “I know I have what it takes to play well here.”

A second round of stroke play will be played on Tuesday, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play, which begins Wednesday. The 36-hole final is scheduled for Saturday.

Reid was at 6-under par until he bogeyed his final hole (No. 9) by taking two to get out of a greenside bunker after an errant tee shot. He then missed a 15-foot putt for par.

“I missed a few putts and I’m mad about the way the day ended,” said Reid, who is competing in his fourth USGA championship, but has yet to advance to match play. “I [don’t want to come here and have [missing the cut] happen again.”

Zaremba, a first time APL qualifier, finished his round strongly to remain in contention for medalist honors. After starting at No. 10, he was 1-under-par at the turn. On the inward nine holes, Zaremba played bogey-free, with four birdies, to card a 5-under 66.

“I’ve been playing well lately and I felt great,” said Zaremba, a sophomore at the University of Wyoming. “My best shot came at No. 11, where I hit a 12-footer for birdie.”

Zaremba, who was wearing a Masters shirt, gained confidence for this week by beating his father and pro golfer, Mike, last week at their home course (Desert Hawk Golf Club) by shooting a 59.

“I can beat him, but I have to play well,” said the younger Zaremba of his competitions with his father. His dad has played in two U.S. Senior Opens, one PGA Senior Championship and won the 1995 Colorado Open.

Not feeling any pressure, the 2008 Ben Hogan Award and first-team All-America Fowler carded a 4-under 67. According to Fowler, he unofficially had five 3-putts.

“Normally, I don’t 3-putt really at all,” said Fowler, a 2007 USA Walker Cup team member. “I felt like I was hitting good putts, but they were just not going in. So, I’m going to go work on a couple of things and look forward to tomorrow.”

Fowler, a sophomore at Oklahoma State, is a long hitter who is taking advantage of the thin Mile High City air.

“The ball goes an average of 10 percent further,” Fowler said when describing his eagle on the par-4 424-yard No. 14 that one-hopped into the hole from 123 yards out.

Also in the mix is Nagy, a 2007 APL quarterfinalist, who got off to a fast start by birdieing his first three holes. After carding a 5-under through his first nine holes, Nagy shot a 1-over par on the inward nine to finish with a 4-under 67.

The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association each year, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by USGA Media Relations summer intern Kent Zakour. Email him with questions or comments at kzakour@usga.org

Aurora, Colo. - Results Monday from the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, being played at the 7,551-yard, par-71 Murphy Creek Golf Course:

                  Aaron Goldberg, Carlsbad, Calif. - 32-33--65

                  Travis Reid, Clovis, N.M. - 33-33--66

                  Zachary Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo. - 32-34--66

                  Corey Nagy, Charlotte, N.C. - 37-30--67

                  Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. - 33-34--67

                  Andy Winings, Brownsburg, Ind. - 35-33--68

                  David Johnson, Palm Bay, Fla. - 34-34--68

                  Luke Morgan, Muldrow, Okla. - 35-33--68

                  Rob Garland, Nashville, Tenn. - 33-35--68

                  Brandon Crick, Mccook, Neb. - 35-34--69

                  Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif. - 35-34--69

                  Craig Voorhees, Burton, Ohio - 34-35--69

                  Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. - 33-36--69

                  Kelly Kretz, Antigo, Wis. - 33-36--69

                  Lucas Lee, Brazil - 35-34--69

                  Ricky Montanez, Helendale, Calif. - 33-36--69

                  Andrew Paulson, White Bear Lake, Minn. - 33-37--70

                  Daniel Sorgini III, Pickerington, Ohio - 35-35--70

                  Greg Pool, Canada - 34-36--70

                  Kevin Aylwin, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. - 32-38--70

                  Nakarintra Ratanakul, West Lafayette, Ind. - 34-36--70

                  Nicklaus Newcomb, Benton, Ky. - 33-37--70

                  Peter Fallon, Grapevine, Texas - 36-34--70

                  Robert Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa. - 35-35--70

                  William Horschel, Gainesville, Fla. - 33-37--70

                  Jack Newman, Des Moines, Iowa - 37-34--71

                  John Chin, Temecula, Calif. - 37-34--71

                  Kyle Leach, Louisville, Ky. - 36-35--71

                  Ben Bastel, Upper Sandusky, Ohio - 37-35--72

                  Cody Paladino, Kensington, Conn. - 35-37--72

                  Grant Leaver, Centerville, Tenn. - 35-37--72

                  J C Horne, Daytona Beach, Fla. - 37-35--72

                  Jeff Dennis, Jacksonville, Fla. - 36-36--72

                  Les Teuteberg, Watsonville, Calif. - 37-35--72

                  Nicholas Macdonald, Zimbabwe - 38-34--72

                  Pat Grady, Broomfield, Colo. - 35-37--72

                  Philip Arouca, Wilmette, Ill. - 34-38--72

                  Phillip Choi, Orlando, Fla. - 36-36--72

                  Ricky Jones, Thomaston, Maine - 36-36--72

                  Scott Langley, St Louis, Mo. - 36-36--72

                  Trey Bowling, Manchester, Ky. - 39-33--72

                  Wesley Bryan, Chapin, S.C. - 36-36--72

                  Andy Roberts, Owensboro, Ky. - 34-39--73

                  Casey Carnes, New Braunfels, Texas - 37-36--73

                  Chan Kim, Chandler, Ariz. - 36-37--73

                  Chris Gilman, Yorba Linda, Calif. - 34-39--73

                  James Dalthorp III, Houston, Texas - 37-36--73

                  Riley Arp, Fort Collins, Colo. - 34-39--73

                  Ryan McDonald, Rocklin, Calif. - 34-39--73

                  Tim Kay, Bartlett, Ill. - 34-39--73

                  Tyler Obermueller, River Falls, Wis. - 35-38--73

                  Zach Sebert, Grove City, Ohio - 37-36--73

                  Adam Tebbs, Henderson, Nev. - 35-39--74

                  Alex Williams, Vancouver, Wash. - 37-37--74

                  Andy Latowski, Plainsboro, N.J. - 40-34--74

                  Austin Love, Redding, Calif. - 35-39--74

                  Benjamin Sumulong, Anchorage, Alaska - 36-38--74

                  Brad Nicholson, Chandler, Ariz. - 37-37--74

                  Brandon Berry, Lagrange, Ky. - 37-37--74

                  Brent Martin, Laplata, Md. - 35-39--74

                  Casey Calmi, Douglaston, N.Y. - 38-36--74

                  Cason Hammock, Columbus, Ga. - 37-37--74

                  Chandler Smith-Stetson, Albuquerque, N.M. - 37-37--74

                  Chris Freeman, San Diego, Calif. - 37-37--74

                  Drew Lethem, Camdenton, Mo. - 35-39--74

                  Ji Moon, Las Vegas, Nev. - 37-37--74

                  John Huh, Montrose, Calif. - 36-38--74

                  Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J. - 36-38--74

                  Kyle Prolo, Benicia, Calif. - 36-38--74

                  Lance Lopez, Missouri City, Texas - 36-38--74

                  Matthew Hicks, Charleston, W.Va. - 35-39--74

                  Matthew Stephens, Mont Belvieu, Texas - 34-40--74

                  Michael Knott, Buffalo, N.Y. - 37-37--74

                  Minghao Wang, Ppls Rep. of China - 38-36--74

                  Phil Henzlik, Rapid City, S.D. - 36-38--74

                  Randall Hutchison, Traverse City, Mich. - 38-36--74

                  Rod Butler, Carson City, Nev. - 37-37--74

                  Seth Girouard, Keene, N.H. - 36-38--74

                  Travis Ross, Crookston, Minn. - 34-40--74

                  Troy Johnson, Maple Grove, Minn. - 37-37--74

                  Brady Johnson, Canada - 38-37--75

                  Chad Horner, Essexville, Mich. - 37-38--75

                  Dan Hosek, Alexandria, Va. - 39-36--75

                  Derek Fathauer, Jensen Beach, Fla. - 32-43--75

                  Gabriel Maier, Cody, Wyo. - 37-38--75

                  Gerard Connolly, Ireland - 37-38--75

                  Ian McConnell, Riverview, Fla. - 37-38--75

                  Jared Sawada, Mililani, Hawaii - 38-37--75

                  Jeremy Franklin, St Louis, Mo. - 38-37--75

                  Josh Brock, Wilmington, N.C. - 40-35--75

                  Kenny Kim, Cerritos, Calif. - 38-37--75

                  Matthew Lapham, Brighton, Mich. - 38-37--75

                  Michael Dominici, Norwalk, Conn. - 33-42--75

                  Patrick Lundy, Little River, S.C. - 37-38--75

                  Peter Lansburgh, Woodland, Calif. - 38-37--75

                  Peter Malnati, Dandridge, Tenn. - 38-37--75

                  Ravi Patel, Chicago, Ill. - 37-38--75

                  Robert Godfrey, Seneca, S.C. - 37-38--75

                  Sterling Clark, Salt Lake City, Utah - 37-38--75

                  Terrence Miskell, New Braunfels, Texas - 38-37--75

                  Brendan Borst, Pittsburgh, Pa. - 38-38--76

                  Chris Brant, Edwardsville, Ill. - 37-39--76

                  Danny Anderson, Willmar, Minn. - 40-36--76

                  David Ludlow, Burton, Ohio - 38-38--76

                  Gene Webster Jr, San Bernardino, Calif. - 36-40--76

                  James Allenby, Canada - 39-37--76

                  Lion An, Duluth, Ga. - 37-39--76

                  Marais Lombard, South Africa - 40-36--76

                  Michael Brown, Fairfield, Ohio - 39-37--76

                  Peter Gibbs, Granite Bay, Calif. - 39-37--76

                  Sean Maekawa, Paauilo, Hawaii - 41-35--76

                  Seve Gonzales, La Mesa, Calif. - 37-39--76

                  Tyler Weir, San Marcos, Calif. - 36-40--76

                  Will Cullen, Bloomington, Ill. - 38-38--76

                  A J Gerlach, Fairfax, Va. - 37-40--77

                  Brad Arrington, Augusta, Ga. - 39-38--77

                  Christopher Cappella, New Haven, Conn. - 38-39--77

                  Christopher Okeefe, Brooklyn, N.Y. - 38-39--77

                  Craig Cyr, Concord, N.H. - 34-43--77

                  Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash. - 35-42--77

                  Danny Behm, Jackson, Wis. - 37-40--77

                  Danny Green, Jackson, Tenn. - 37-40--77

                  Eric Burch, Rockford, Ill. - 36-41--77

                  Jim Grady, Broomfield, Colo. - 40-37--77

                  Jimmy Henderson, Lebanon, Ohio - 37-40--77

                  John Moheyer, Lima, Ohio - 37-40--77

                  Josh Bevell, Southaven, Miss. - 37-40--77

                  Kent Wiese, Los Angeles, Calif. - 40-37--77

                  Kurt Lorenzen, Olathe, Kan. - 39-38--77

                  Michael Beausejour, Cincinnati, Ohio - 37-40--77

                  Michael Brown, Cheltenham, Pa. - 39-38--77

                  Nathan Schenz-Davis, San Diego, Calif. - 39-38--77

                  Paco Saracho, Mexico - 39-38--77

                  Tyson McFarland, Rexburg, Idaho - 35-42--77

                  David McKendrick, Australia - 41-37--78

                  James Jones, Montgomery, Ala. - 39-39--78

                  David Sampson, Warren, R.I. - 38-41--79

                  Michael Wog, Sumner, Wash. - 41-38--79

                  Mike Gillis, Churchton, Md. - 36-43--79

                  Douglas Snoap, Apopka, Fla. - 42-38--80

                  Nathan Chambers, Purcell, Okla. - 36-44--80

                  Vincent Johnson, Portland, Ore. - 40-40--80

                  Zach Sommers, Southbury, Conn. - 42-38--80

                  Zack Fischer, Texarkana, Texas - 39-41--80

                  Jay Betchan, Garber, Okla. - 38-43--81

                  Jordan Mitchell, Atlanta, Ga. - 41-40--81

                  Lee Levine, Hewlett, N.Y. - 44-37--81

                  Burke Nagle, Canada - 43-39--82

                  D. J. Harries, Temecula, Calif. - 41-41--82

                  John Baranco, Boise, Idaho - 36-46--82

                  Kellen Watabu, Kapaa, Hawaii - 37-45--82
                  Taeksoo Kim, Wailuku, Hawaii - 43-39--82

                  Ryan Castanet, Mcdonald, Pa. - 41-42--83

                  Thomas Timby, Doylestown, Pa. - 41-43--84