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Eaton played even-par golf, with the usual match-play concessions, in his 6-and-5 winner over Anton Salome of Socorro, N.M.

“I just played pretty steady,” said Eaton. “This golf course is a difficult golf course so if you just hit fairways and greens and make a few putts here and there, you’re going to win a bunch of holes. And I think that’s the strength of my game – keeping the ball in front of me.”

Eaton, who is trying to join Jim Stuart (1990 and 1991) as just the second player to successfully defend his title, doesn’t intend to change his game plan as he gets deeper into match play.

“I’m just looking forward to playing tomorrow,” said Eaton. “If someone starts making a lot of birdies, I’m sure I’ll take a little different approach. But I’ll just go out there and try to stay steady and not let up.”

Bryan Hoops, 36, of Chandler, Ariz. who earlier in the day made it through an 11-for-3 playoff to become the last player in the match-play field, ousted stroke-play medalist Darin Newhouse, 32, of Tyler, Texas. Hoops got off to a good start, winning the first and third holes, and never trailed.

The key hole was the par-4, 437-yard 10th. Newhouse, 2 down, hit his approach to 12 feet, giving himself a birdie opportunity and the chance to cut the deficit to one hole. But Hoops hit his approach from 141 yards to one foot. After Newhouse missed his birdie putt, Hoops had a 3-up edge and went on to earn a 4-and-3 victory.

“I kind of put the pressure on him right away, and then I could sit back and just hit fairways and greens,” said Hoops. “I didn’t have to be aggressive. That’s a big advantage to get up.”

Also advancing was Trip Kuehne, 33, of Dallas, Texas, who recorded a 5-and-4 win over Skip Taylor of Flat Rock, N.C. Kuehne, a two-time USA Walker Cupper and the 1994 U.S. Amateur runner-up, has played a good amount of golf at The Honors Course, thanks to a family friend who belongs to the club.

“I’ve probably played 50 or 60 rounds on the golf course,” said Kuehne. “I played in the NCAAs and played in the Southern (Amateur). It’s a course I’m very familiar with and very comfortable on. It’s hard, but it’s a course I feel pretty good on.”

Eaton was one of three USGA champions to advance, joined by 1999 Mid-Amateur winner Danny Green, 48, of Jackson, Tenn., a 4-and-3 winner over Randy Nichols of Connersville, Ind., and two-time (2001, 2003) USGA Senior Amateur winner Kemp Richardson, 59, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., who beat reigning British Mid-Amateur champion Daniel Perrett of England, 4 and 2.

Three past Mid-Amateur winners were eliminated in the first round. Kevin Marsh, 32, of Las Vegas, Nev., ousted 1997 champion Ken Bakst, 47, of New York, N.Y.; Rick Dewitt, 48, of Arvada, Colo., knocked out two-time (1994, 2001) winner Tim Jackson, 46, of Germantown, Tenn.; and Stephen Paterson, 29, of Austin, Texas, advanced with a 5-and-3 victory over 2002 champion George Zahringer, 52, of New York, N.Y.

Raymond Floyd Jr., 30, of Greenwich, Conn., won three consecutive holes, starting at No. 12, to eliminate 2002 USGA Senior Amateur champion Greg Reynolds, 58, of Grand Blanc, Mich., 4 and 3. Doug Stiles, 45, of Athens, Ga., ousted 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links winner Tim Hogarth, 39, of Northridge, Calif., 3 and 1.

Parker Smith, 29, of Morristown, Tenn., recorded a 9-and-8 victory over Brian Woods, 36, of Lutherville, Md. The margin of victory was the largest-ever in the 25-year history of the Mid-Amateur.

Match play continues with the second and third rounds Tuesday and the quarterfinal and semifinal matches Wednesday. The championship runs through Thursday’s 36-hole final match.

The U.S. Mid-Amateur 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 USGA Media Relations. E-mail her with questions or comments at bmurrison@usga.org.

Chattanooga, Tenn. – Results following the first round of match play at the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, being played at the par-72, 7,037-yard Honors Course.

Round of 64

Upper Bracket

Bryan Hoops, Chandler, Ariz. (152) def. Darin Newhouse, Tyler, Texas (138), 4 and 3

T J Brudzinski, Columbus, Ohio (148) def. Jon Peterson, Granite Bay, Calif. (148), 3 and 2

Robert Stelben Jr, Darien, Conn. (145) def. James Sweeney, Crescent Springs, Ky. (151), 20 holes

Trey Lewis, Hendersonville, Tenn. (145) def. Don Dubois, Newport Beach, Calif. (150), 2 up

Trip Kuehne, Dallas, Texas (144) def. Skip Taylor, Flat Rock, N.C. (151), 5 and 4

Steven Liebler, Irmo, S.C. (147) def. Dewitt Weaver III, Suwanee, Ga. (149), 19 holes

Doug Stiles, Athens, Ga. (151) def. Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif. (144), 3 and 1

Rick Dewitt, Arvada, Colo. (149) def. Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. (147), 2 and 1

Kevin Marsh, Las Vegas, Nev. (142) def. Kenneth Bakst, New York, N.Y. (151), 1 up

Jim Chang, Montebello, Calif. (149) def. Wright Waddell, Columbus, Ga. (148), 5 and 4

Nate Dunn, Manchester, Iowa (145) def. B J Curry, Sedalia, Mo. (151), 3 and 2

Austin Eaton III, North Sutton, N.H. (146) def. Anton Salome, Socorro, N.M. (150), 6 and 5

Parker Smith, Morristown, Tenn. (142) def. Brian Woods, Lutherville, Md. (151), 9 and 8

Andy Drohen, Granville, Mass. (149) def. Chris James, Austin, Texas (147), 19 holes

Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (145) def. Trent Brown, Ponca City, Okla. (151) 5 and 3

Tripp Davis, Norman, Okla. (146) def. Brad Hardin, Nashville, Tenn. (150), 20 holes

Lower Bracket

Raymond Floyd Jr, Greenwich, Conn. (140) def. Greg Reynolds, Grand Blanc, Mich. (152), 3 and 2

Michael McCoy, West Des Moines, Iowa (148) def. Andrew Black, Chattanooga, Tenn. (148), 22 holes

Cliff Benson, Raleigh, N.C. (151) def. Matt Robbins, Cumming, Ga. (145), 21 holes

Stephen Paterson, Austin, Texas (150) def. George Zahringer, New York, N.Y. (146), 5 and 3

Brendan Hester, Northbridge, Mass. (143) def. Steven Hudson, Birmingham, Ala. (151), 2 and 1

Terrence Miskell, New Braunfels, Texas (149) def. Michael Stamberger, Plainfield, N.J. (147), 3 and 2

Eoghan O'Connell, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (145) def. Brooks Holliday, Pensacola, Fla. (151), 2 and 1

Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. (146) def. R J Nakashian, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (149), 1 up

Danny Green, Jackson, Tenn. (141) def. Randy Nichols, Connersville, Ind. (152), 4 and 3

Erik Myrmo, Eugene, Ore. (148) def. Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas (148), 6 and 5

Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (151) def. Daniel Perrett, England (145), 4 and 2

Carlton Forrester, Birmingham, Ala. (146) def. Ryan Fery, Beaverton, Ore. (150), 4 and 3

David Noll Jr, Dalton, Ga. (142) def. Greg Kennedy, Duluth, Ga. (151), 1 up

Frank Vana Jr, Boylston, Mass. (147) def. David Strawn, Charlotte, N.C. (149), 5 and 4

Kenneth Kellaney, Phoenix, Ariz. (145) def. Michael Kelley, Westerville, Ohio (151), 4 and 3

Patrick Carrigan, Walnut, Calif. (150) def. Steven Smith, Oakland, Calif. (146). 4 and 3

Chattanooga, Tenn. – Pairings for Tuesday’s second round of match play at the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, being played at the par-72, 7,037-yard Honors Course.

Round of 32

Upper Bracket

8:00 a.m. Bryan Hoops, Chandler, Ariz. (152) vs. T J Brudzinski, Columbus, Ohio (148)

8:09 a.m. Robert Stelben Jr, Darien, Conn. (145) vs. Trey Lewis, Hendersonville, Tenn. (145)

8:18 a.m. Trip Kuehne, Dallas, Texas (144) vs. Steven Liebler, Irmo, S.C. (147)

8:27 a.m. Doug Stiles, Athens, Ga. (151) vs. Rick Dewitt, Arvada, Colo. (149)

8:36 a.m. Kevin Marsh, Las Vegas, Nev. (142) vs. Jim Chang, Montebello, Calif. (149)

8:45 a.m. Nate Dunn, Manchester, Iowa (145) vs. Austin Eaton III, North Sutton, N.H. (146)

8:54 a.m. Parker Smith, Morristown, Tenn. (142) vs. Andy Drohen, Granville, Mass. (149)

9:03 a.m. Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (145) vs. Tripp Davis, Norman, Okla. (146)

Lower Bracket

9:12 a.m. Raymond Floyd Jr, Greenwich, Conn. (140) vs. Michael McCoy, West Des Moines, Iowa (148)

9:21 a.m. Cliff Benson, Raleigh, N.C. (151) vs. Stephen Paterson, Austin, Texas (150)

9:30 a.m. Brendan Hester, Northbridge, Mass. (143) vs. Terrence Miskell, New Braunfels, Texas (149)

9:39 a.m. Eoghan O'Connell, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (145) vs. Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. (146)

9:48 a.m. Danny Green, Jackson, Tenn. (141) vs. Erik Myrmo, Eugene, Ore. (148)

9:57 a.m. Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (151) vs. Carlton Forrester, Birmingham, Ala. (146)

10:06 a.m. David Noll Jr, Dalton, Ga. (142) vs. Frank Vana Jr, Boylston, Mass. (147)

10:15 a.m. Kenneth Kellaney, Phoenix, Ariz. (145) vs. Patrick Carrigan, Walnut, Calif. (150)