Taylor, Fowler Continue March Forward At APL

Norman, Okla. – Medalist Nick Taylor, 21, of Canada and 2007 Walker Cup player Rickie Fowler, 20, of Murrieta, Calif., continued their march through the bracket, winning their second round matches by large margins Thursday morning at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, conducted at the 7,289-yard, par-71 Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.

Nick Taylor, who was the qualifying medalist, won his second round match, 8 and 6, at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. (Robert Walker/USGA)

Taylor won the first hole against Brett Munson, 22, of Louisville, Ky., and never looked back, recording eagles on the short par-4 third and 10th holes at Jimmie Austin.  He won eight of the 12 holes that were played in the match, recording two eagles and two birdies, against a lone bogey on the 464-yard, par-4 fifth, which resulted in a halved hole.

“The par-3 (sixth hole) was one of the turning points,” said Taylor. “I hit it on the green maybe 12, 15 feet and he hit it right at it but just flew the green. He almost chipped in but then I made my putt. If I was in his shoes, it was kind of like a dagger because you almost chip in when it looks like he might make bogey and then I still made the putt.”

Taylor has yet to play beyond the 14th hole in either of his matches.  His 6-under-par 136 in stroke-play qualifying earned him medalist honors by four strokes over a group of players including Rickie Fowler.

On Thursday morning, Fowler survived what he described as his worst ball-striking performance of the championship to advance to the round of 16 after a 4-and-3 victory over Alton Anderson Jr., 20, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.

“I missed by more than I have been the last few days,” said Fowler, “not hitting it exactly solid and not giving myself opportunities to make birdies. Kind of scrounging to make pars here and there, made a few bogeys. It says I made six on the par-5 (fifth hole) but I was out of the hole. It was probably at best a seven.”

Fowler, who had recorded only two bogeys and a quirky quadruple bogey in his first three rounds, had three bogeys and an “other” in his second round match, and was the beneficiary of a number of well-struck putts from Anderson that failed to drop at crucial moments.

“Alton (Anderson) was actually hitting a lot of good putts there on the back nine,” said Fowler. “But none of them really went in. He was hitting a lot of lips, so I kind of got lucky.  You’re going to have a match like that where you don’t play well, so you just have to hang in there and hope for the best.”

Also advancing to the round of 16 was 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion Cameron Peck, 18, of Olympia, Wash.  Peck outlasted Jake An, 19, of Korea, by 4 and 2, and is looking for his second national championship.

"It's been rough out here, a little rough for me out here," said Peck. "Its been so hot. When I left Washington it was in the 70s. I come out here and it's over 100 degrees. I'm not used to that. And it would be great to come out here and win [another USGA championship] but right now I'm not trying to think about that and trying to take it one match at a time."

The U.S. Amateur Public Links, established in 1922 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.

Story written by David Normoyle, USGA.  Contact him with questions or comments at dnormoyle@usga.org.