Last Year’s Runner-up Cody Paladino Advances In U.S. Amateur Public Links

Aurora, Colo. – Teenagers Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, Calif., and Cody Paladino of Kensington, Conn., each won first round matches Wednesday at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. As a result, they also won the chance to face each other in the second round of match play at Murphy Creek Golf Course.

Cody Paladino, last year's runner-up, needed a birdie on his third extra hole to get a crack at Rickie Fowler on Thursday (John Mummert/USGA)

Fowler is the top-ranked amateur, fresh off finishing 60th in this summer’s U.S. Open, while Paladino is last year’s APL runner-up. Fowler won his first match over Michael Knott of Buffalo, N.Y., 4 and 2. Paladino made a birdie on the third extra hole to edge Philip Choi of Orlando.

Play continues through Saturday’s scheduled 36-hole championship final, with the winner earning an invitation to play in the 2009 Masters Tournament.

“It’s hard to draw the top amateur in the second round,” said Paladino. “It seems like we should be meeting on a bigger stage than the second round. It will feel like a final to me, that’s for sure.

“I’ve never played him before, but I’m happy to get the chance to play against him. I’d rather play the best player than to hope that I don’t draw him. I am always thinking I can win, especially when it’s match play.”

Other first round winners were Billy Horschel, 21, of Gainesville, Fla., a member of the victorious 2007 USA Walker Cup team with Fowler, and Dan Whitaker, 27, of Cle Elum, Wash., the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up. Whitaker is the oldest player remaining in the field.

In all, 32 players advanced to Thursday’s second round. Kevin Foley, 21, of Somerville, N.J., undoubtedly played the best in the first round. He was the equivalent of 6 under par for 11 holes in breezing to an 8-and-7 win over Canada’s Greg Pool. Foley’s college teammate at Penn State, Robert Rohanna, 22, of Waynesburg, Pa., also advanced with a 4-and-2 decision. Last year’s quarterfinalist Corey Nagy, 19, of Charlotte, N.C., stayed alive with a 4-and-2 decision in his favor, but qualifying medalist Aaron Goldberg was upset by Canada’s Brady Johnson, 5 and 4.

Rickie Fowler (left) reached the second round and will now face Cody Paladino (above). (John Mummert/USGA)

Pat Grady, 22, of Broomfield, Colo., won his match, but his older brother, Jim, lost to Riley Arp, 20, of Fort Collins, Colo. The youngest player to advance is Patrick Lundy, 18, of Little River, S.C., who is a home-schooled high school senior.

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 Craig Smith, USGA director of media relations. E-mail him with questions or comments at csmith@usga.org.

Aurora, Colo. – Results of Wednesday’s first round of match play at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, played at the 7,551-yard, par-71 Murphy Creek Golf Course:

Upper Bracket

Brady Johnson, Canada  (147) def. Aaron Goldberg, Carlsbad, Calif.  (132), 5 and 4

Cason Hammock, Columbus, Ga.  (143) def. Daniel Sorgini III, Pickerington, Ohio  (143), 1 up

Riley Arp, Fort Collins, Colo.  (140) def. Jim Grady, Broomfield, Colo.  (145), 3 and 2

Trey Bowling, Manchester, Ky.  (141) def. Lion An, Duluth, Ga.  (145), 5 and 4

Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash.  (146) def. Travis Reid, Clovis, N.M.  (138), 2 up

Randall Hutchison, Traverse City, Mich.  (144) def. James Dalthorp III, Houston, Texas  (142), 1 up

Peter Malnati, Dandridge, Tenn.  (146) def. Kevin Aylwin, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.  (139), 4 and 2

Andrew Paulson, White Bear Lake, Minn.  (142) def. Chan Kim, Chandler, Ariz.  (144), 3 and 2

Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif.  (137) def. Kent Wiese, Los Angeles, Calif.  (146), 3 and 2

Kelly Kretz, Antigo, Wis.  (143) def. Lucas Lee, Brazil  (144), 2 and 1

Billy Horschel, Gainesville, Fla.  (140) def. Nicholas Macdonald, Zimbabwe  (145), 4 and 3

Jack Newman, Des Moines, Iowa  (142) def. Ryan McDonald, Rocklin, Calif.  (145), 3 and 2

Corey Nagy, Charlotte, N.C.  (137) def. David Ludlow, Burton, Ohio  (146), 4 and 2

Patrick Lundy, Little River, S.C.  (144) def. Les Teuteberg, Watsonville, Calif.  (143), 6 and 5

Nakarintra Ratanakul, West Lafayette, Ind.  (140) def. Austin Love, Redding, Calif.  (145), 5 and 3

Grant Leaver, Centerville, Tenn.  (145) def. J C Horne, Daytona Beach, Fla.  (142), 4 and 3

Lower Bracket

Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.  (133) def. Michael Knott, Buffalo, N.Y.  (146), 4 and 2

Cody Paladino, Kensington, Conn.  (143) def. Phillip Choi, Orlando, Fla.  (144), 21 holes

Scott Langley, St. Louis, Mo.  (140) def. Peter Fallon, Grapevine, Texas  (145), 2 and 1

Kyle Leach, Louisville, Ky.  (141) def. Nicklaus Newcomb, Benton, Ky.  (145), 3 and 2

Jon McLean, Weston, Fla.  (138) def. Rod Butler, Carson City, Nev.  (146), 3 and 1

David Johnson, Palm Bay, Fla.  (143) def. Matthew Lapham, Brighton, Mich.  (144), 6 and 5

Andy Winings, Brownsburg, Ind.  (139) def. Sterling Clark, Salt Lake City, Utah  (146), 19 holes

Robert Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa.  (144) def. Philip Arouca, Wilmette, Ill.  (142), 4 and 2

Zach Sebert, Grove City, Ohio  (146) def. Zachary Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo.  (135), 1 up

Pat Grady, Broomfield, Colo.  (143) def. Brandon Berry, Lagrange, Ky.  (144), 2 and 1

Jeff Dennis, Jacksonville, Fla.  (140) def. Ricky Montanez, Helendale, Calif.  (145), 3 and 1

Ben Bastel, Upper Sandusky, Ohio  (145) def. Ji Moon, Las Vegas, Nev.  (141), 1 up

John Chin, Temecula, Calif.  (146) def. Brandon Crick, McCook, Neb.  (137), 20 holes

Luke Morgan, Muldrow, Okla.  (143) def. Craig Voorhees, Burton, Ohio  (144), 1 up

Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J.  (145) def. Greg Pool, Canada  (140), 8 and 7

Wesley Bryan, Chapin, S.C.  (142) def. Brad Nicholson, Chandler, Ariz.  (145), 2 and 1

Aurora, Colo. – Pairings for Thursday’s second round of match play at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, being played at the 7,551-yard, par-71 Murphy Creek Golf Course (Times are MDT):

Upper Bracket

7:00 am -- Brady Johnson, Canada (147) vs. Cason Hammock, Columbus, Ga. (143)

7:09 am -- Riley Arp, Fort Collins, Colo. (140) vs. Trey Bowling, Manchester, Ky. (141)

7:18 am -- Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash. (146) vs. Randall Hutchison, Traverse City, Mich.  (144)

7:27 am -- Peter Malnati, Dandridge, Tenn. (146) vs. Andrew Paulson, White Bear Lake, Minn.  (142)

7:36 am -- Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif. (137) vs. Kelly Kretz, Antigo, Wis. (143)

7:45 am -- Billy Horschel, Gainesville, Fla. (140) vs. Jack Newman, Des Moines, Iowa (142)

7:54 am -- Corey Nagy, Charlotte, N.C. (137) vs. Patrick Lundy, Little River, S.C. (144)

8:03 am -- Nakarintra Ratanakul, West Lafayette, Ind. (140) vs. Grant Leaver, Centerville, Tenn.  (145)

Lower Bracket

8:12 am -- Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. (133) vs. Cody Paladino, Kensington, Conn. (143)

8:21 am -- Scott Langley, St. Louis, Mo. (140) vs. Kyle Leach, Louisville, Ky. (141)

8:30 am -- Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. (138) vs. David Johnson, Palm Bay, Fla. (143)

8:39 am -- Andy Winings, Brownsburg, Ind. (139) vs. Robert Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa. (144)

8:48 am -- Zach Sebert, Grove City, Ohio (146) vs. Pat Grady, Broomfield, Colo. (143)

8:57 am -- Jeff Dennis, Jacksonville, Fla. (140) vs. Ben Bastel, Upper Sandusky, Ohio (145)

9:06 am -- John Chin, Temecula, Calif. (146) vs. Luke Morgan, Muldrow, Okla. (143)

9:15 am -- Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J. (145) vs. Wesley Bryan, Chapin, S.C. (142)