Fletcher to face Tanigawa in Arizona Amateur final

MARIPOSA, Ariz. — Sixty-four has been whittled down to two at the 91st Arizona Amateur Championship. After quarterfinal and semifinal matches were held on Friday at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club outside Phoenix, Austin Fletcher and Ken Tanigawa are left standing. Fletcher, a Mesa Community College golfer originally from Memphis, Tenn., is set to face Tanigawa, a mid-amateur player from Phoenix in Saturday's 36-hole bout. Fletcher would have likely faced medalist and No. 1 seed Bryan Hoops in the round of 16 if it were not for Sam Triplett's unlikely 5-and-4 upset in the first round. Fletcher secured a narrow 1-up victory over Triplett before picking up a 4-and-3, as well as a 3-and-2 victory during Friday's matches, including his semifinal matchup with University of Arkansas-Little Rock junior Brady Edwards. Tanigawa ran all over Arizona Christian incoming freshman Dean Harpe in his semifinal match, closing him out 9-and-7. Tanigawa, the 7-seed who reached the quarterfinals during the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur, reached the 18th hole in his opening match but since has closed out his opponents well before reaching the final hole. Southern Dunes, site of the annual Saguaro Amateur, also plays host to many USGA qualifiers, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.