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USGA Publinx: Quarterfinal Matches Set for Friday
Bremerton, Wash. – Kevin Larsen, 21, of Santa Barbara, Calif., continued his torrid play with two big victories to lead the eight golfers who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 81st U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship Thursday, being played at the par-72, 7,061-yard Gold Mountain Golf Club.
Anthony Kim walks across the green during his third-round victory at Gold Mountain Golf Course Thursday. (Robert Walker/USGA)

In his second-round match, Larsen recorded a 6-and-5 victory over stroke-play co-medalist Justin Metzger, 21, of Knoxville, Tenn. Larsen and Metzger were all square after three holes, but Larsen went on to win six of the next seven holes to cruise to victory.

“It looked like it was going to be a back-and-forth match, then on four I made a putt for birdie and he missed a putt and it seemed to snowball after that,” said Larsen. “I kept it in play pretty much the whole day and made a few putts.”

In his afternoon match, against Derek Fathauer, 20, of Jensen Beach, Fla., Larsen won the first three holes and never looked back en route to a 5-and-4 third-round win. In three matches at the 2006 APL, Larsen has yet to trail.

“I’m just keeping it in play,” he said. “I’m not really hitting it close, I’m just making a lot of pars and putting pretty well so once in a while the putts fall in. I’m not making too many bogeys, which is good out on this course. This is a tough course.”

Also advancing was 2005 USA Walker Cupper Anthony Kim, who came back from a three-hole deficit to outlast Rory Hie, 17, of Los Angeles, Calif., in 19 holes in the second round. He then cruised to a 5-and-4 third-round win over Brad Marek, 22, of Arlington Heights, Ill.
Despite the close call against Hie, Kim said it wasn’t the catalyst for his better play in the afternoon’s win over Marek.

“It wasn’t a wake-up call,” he said. “He just flat out-played me, the whole day, and I was fortunate enough to make a couple putts coming in. In match play, it’s all about momentum, and I had that going my way towards the end of the round, and fortunately made a par on the playoff hole and got the win.”
Kim needed no such good fortune against Marek, as he recorded six birdies and never trailed.

“I’m just getting better day by day,” he said. “I’m learning more and more about the course and where to miss
Sihwan Kim reacts during his third-round win Thursday afternoon at Gold Mountain Golf Club. (Robert Walker/USGA)

it. I’m trying to stay away from big numbers. I was fortunate enough to make some putts today and made a couple birdies.
In other third-round action, 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Sihwan Kim, 17, of Buena Park, Calif., got off to sizzling start against Kevin Foley, 19, of Somerville, N.J., who earlier in the day had ousted stroke-play co-medalist Mitch Cohlmia, 21, of Tulsa, Okla. Against Foley, Kim birdied four of the first six holes to build an early lead and never looked back en route to a 4-and-3 win.

“This afternoon I played pretty well,” he said. “I was sticking shots and I was making a lot of putts, so I feel pretty confident.”
Also winning two matches Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals were Tim Feenstra, 17, of Lynden, Wash.; Matt Harmon, 21, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Daniel Im, 21, of Fullerton, Calif.; Matt Savage, 19, of Louisville, Ky.; and Casey Watabu, 22, of Kapaa, Hawaii.
The 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship continues with the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds Friday and concludes with Saturday’s 36-hole final match.

The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Story written by Beth Murrison of the USGA. Contact her at bmurrison@usga.org with questions or comments.

Bremerton, Wash. – Results following the second round of match play Thursday at the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,061-yard, par-72 Gold Mountain Golf Club:

Kevin Larsen, Santa Barbara, Calif. (146) def. Justin Metzger, Knoxville, Tenn. (137), 6 and 5
Derek Fathauer, Jensen Beach, Fla. (143) def. Keegan Bradley, Jackson, Wyo. (148), 1 up
Derek Berg, Duvall, Wash. (142) def. Kyle Ritchie, Corning, Iowa (147), 2 and 1
Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky. (145) def. Zack Byrd, Calabash, N.C. (142), 20 holes
Brad Marek, Arlington Heights, Ill. (150) def. Jerre Maynor Jr, Nashville, Tenn. (146), 1 up
Anthony Kim, Traverse City, Mich. (143) def. Rory Hie, Los Angeles, Calif. (144), 19 holes
Kane Hanson, Detroit Lakes, Minn. (147) def. John Cassidy, Yelm, Wash. (140), 2 up
Matt Harmon, Grand Rapids, Mich. (144) def. Brodie Flanders, Canada (143), 1 up
Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J. (146) def. Mitch Cohlmia, Tulsa, Okla. (137), 3 and 1
Sihwan Kim, Buena Park, Calif. (144) def. Tze Huang Choo, Singapore (143), 3 and 1
Brent Paladino, Kensington, Conn. (145) def. Scotty Jones, East Palestine, Ohio (141), 1 up
Tim Feenstra, Lynden, Wash. (147) def. Cole Moreland, Austin, Texas (149), 1 up
Joseph Prince, Chula Vista, Calif. (150) def. Chad Cooper, Lafayette, Ind. (147), 5 and 4
Casey Watabu, Kapaa, Hawaii (148) def. Jesse Schutte, Florence, Ore. (148), 3 and 2
Daniel Im, Fullerton, Calif. (147) def. Lindsay Renolds, Canada (141), 4 and 2
Jeff Daniels, Harrisburg, Pa. (142) def. Henry Liaw, Rowland Heights, Calif. (144), 3 and 2

Bremerton, Wash. – Results following the third round of match play Thursday at the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,061-yard, par-72 Gold Mountain Golf Club:

Larsen def. Fathauer, 5 and 4
Savage def. Berg, 2 and 1
Kim def. Marek, 5 and 4
Harmon def. Hanson, 3 and 2
Kim def. Foley, 4 and 3
Feenstra def. Paladino, 2 up
Watabu def. Prince, 3 and 2
Im def. Daniels, 19 holes

Bremerton, Wash. – Pairings for the quarterfinal round of match play Friday at the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,061-yard, par-72 Gold Mountain Golf Club:

7:30 a.m.               Kevin Larsen, Santa Barbara, Calif. (146) vs. Matt Savage, Louisville, Ky. (145)
7:40 a.m.               Anthony Kim, Traverse City, Mich. (143) vs. Matt Harmon, Grand Rapids, Mich. (144)
7:40 a.m.               Sihwan Kim, Buena Park, Calif. (144) vs. Tim Feenstra, Lynden, Wash. (147)
7:50 a.m.               Casey Watabu, Kapaa, Hawaii (148) vs. Daniel Im, Fullerton, Calif. (147)

ABOUT THE U.S. Amateur Public Links

The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted by the USGA. It is designed for players who do not have playing privileges at a private club. See USGA website for details and complete description of eligibility requirements.

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