EULESS, Texas (May 30, 2014) -- With blue skies and a light breeze, matches were played at Texas Star Golf Course in the 2014 State Public Links Championship.
ROUND OF 16 RECAP
Top-seeded Nathan Weant continued his steady play in the Round of 16, beating Zander Winston, 2&1, to advance to the quarterfinals. Weant made birdie on his first two holes to go 2 up, but bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 made the match all square. Weant won holes No. 7, 10 and 11 to help him to a victory.
Andrew McGee from Graham birdied three of his first six holes against Sean Skellenger and would win his match 8&7. McGee draws No. 1 Weant in the quarterfinals on May 31.
Brody Watkins was 4 up after five holes in his match against Andre Garcia, but the match was forced all square after 18 holes before Watkins won 1 up on the 19th hole. Stratton Nolen cruised to a 6&5 victory in his Round of 16 match and will play Watkins in the quarterfinals. Nolen redshirted his freshman season at Oklahoma State University.
Lufkin's Will Griffin won his match 3&2 over Tanner Thompson, making birdie on Nos. 5 and 7 and going 3-up after the first nine holes. Griffin advances to the quarterfinals where he will play Jimmy Keener, who knocked off Doug Manor 1 up in 19 holes.
Tyler Thomas from San Marcos beat Hunter Shattuck, 2 up, making birdie on the final three holes to win his match. Dillon Vaughn will faces Thomas after beating Joseph Tedesco in the Round of 16.
ROUND OF 32 RESULTS
No. 1 seed Nathan Weant of Hallsville won the first match of the day, 2 up, saying that he prefers to play early. Weant will play Zander Winston in the Round of 16, after the Richardson native dispatched of Nick Krsnak, 1 up, in the round of 32.
Sean Skellenger of Austin chipped in from just off the green on Hole No. 16 to win his Round of 32 match 4&2, upsetting eighth-seeded Kevin Burke from North Richland Hills. Andrew McGee is Skellenger’s next opponent, while fourth-seeded Andre Garcia and 20th-seeded Brody Watkins won their matches in 19 holes.
Three members of the Schreiner University Golf team are in the field of this year’s championship, including Jimmy Keener, who beat teammate Zach Oliver 3&2 to advance to the next round.
"You want your teammate to win but at the same time, I need to win,” said Keener after his Round of 32 match. Cheyne Kendall was the third member of the Mountaineers Golf team playing in the championship.
Doug Manor beat Chad Ahn of Richardson in his first match and will play Keener, while third-seeded Dillon Vaughn, 19th-seeded Joseph Tedesco and 22nd-seeded Hunter Shattuck won their Round of 32 matches.
Stratton Nolen of Austin won his Round of 32 match, 2&1, and will play Grant Bennett, who moved past Jim Quinn, 5&3. Will Griffin and Parker Kienholz needed 24 holes determine the outcome of their match, but Griffin prevailed and will face Tanner Thompson, who won his match, 6&4.