U.S. Amateur underway at Erin Hills

For the second straight year, the United States Amateur will be played against record yardage. Fortunately for the field teeing off Monday at 7,760-yard Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc., it's a long-hitting crew, featuring the top amateurs in the world.

At the top of the list is defending champion and the world's No. 1 amateur Peter Uihlein.

The Oklahoma State senior is coming in off a solid year since winning the Havemeyer Trophy last summer. This season, Uihlein won the Northeast Amateur, tied for third at the NCAA Championship and placed ninth at a Nationwide Tour event and the NCAA's South Central Regional.

Uihlein is clearly one of the favorites heading into this, the 111th playing of the Amateur Championship.

One player who might be heading to Erin Hills hotter than Uihlein is Patrick Cantlay.

Cantlay, the world's No. 2-ranked player, won the NCAA's West Regional and Southern California Amateur. Cantlay, an incoming junior at UCLA, also placed second at the Western Amateur and NCAA Championship. He has continued to keep his name in the headlines as the low amateur at the U.S. Open and through stellar play at three successive PGA Tour events.

Other players who are likely to be battling for leaderboard positioning include Harris English, Emiliano Grillo, Beau Hossler, Luke Guthrie, Ben Campbell, Tom Lewis, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Rodgers.

As usual with USGA events, the courses at Erin Hills and will be bordered by high rough and strict conditions. The greens will ranged from 12.5-13.5 on ths Stimpmeter throughout the course of the championship. The majority of the 2011 field worked its way into the Championship through one of 98 nationwide qualifying rounds.

The match-play portion of the event, which will be played Aug. 24-28, will be broadcast nationally by the Golf Channel and NBC.

Amateurgolf.com will provide complete coverage of the event with results and leaders updated daily. Click on the link below for a live leaderboard.