Featured Golf News
U.S. Amateur Tidbits
Originated in 1895 and the nation's oldest golf tournament, the 110th U.S. Amateur is now underway in Washington State. For the first two rounds, the host course Chambers Bay in University Place and the Home Course just to the south in Dupont are the venues for the stroke-play portion of the championship.
On Wednesday, match-play will commence at Chambers Bay. As usual, there are many storylines associated with a tournament with such a rich, diverse heritage. Here are a few of them.
Foreign countries represented (15): Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, El Salvador, England, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa and Venezuela.
States represented (40): All but Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Youngest competitor: There are seven 15-year-olds in the field. The youngest is George Cunningham of Litchfield Park, Ariz. (DOB: 8/14/1995). Jim Liu, the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, is five days older than Cunningham. Liu (DOB: 8/9/1995), of Smithtown, N.Y., won the U.S. Junior Amateur in late July with a 4-and-2 victory over Justin Thomas at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich., becoming the youngest winner in the championship's history.
Oldest competitor: George "Buddy" Marucci Jr. of Villanova, Pa., is 58 years old (DOB: 3/6/1952). Marucci won the 2008 USGA Senior Amateur with a 2-up victory over George Zahringer at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Marucci captained the victorious 2007 and 2009 USA Walker Cup Teams and played on the USA Walker Cup Teams in 1995 and 1997. He is playing in his 27th U.S. Amateur and was the runner-up to Tiger Woods in 1995.
USGA champions in the field (14):
Byeong-Hun An - 2009 U.S. Amateur champion
Brad Benjamin - 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion
Tim Hogarth - 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion
Tim Jackson - 1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; Member of winning Tennessee team at the 2003 USGA Men's State Team Championship
Lion Kim - 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion
Sihwan Kim - 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur champion
Sean Knapp - Member of winning Pennsylvania team at the 2009 USGA Men's State Team Championship
Jim Liu - 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur champion
Kevin Marsh - 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
George "Buddy" Marucci Jr. - 2008 USGA Senior Amateur champion
Cameron Peck - 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur champion
Nathan Smith - 2003 and 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; Member of winning Pennsylvania team at the 2009 USGA Men's State Team Championship
Jordan Spieth - 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur champion
Kevin Tway - 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur champion
Players from the state of Washington (distance from Chambers Bay):
T.J. Bordeaux, 22, Tacoma (4 miles)
Jarred Bossio, 20, Olympia (32 miles)
Nick Ellis, 21, East Wenatchee (170 miles)
Carl Jonson, 17, Bainbridge Island (54 miles)
Alexander Moore, 21, Richland (221 miles)
Cameron Peck, 19, Olympia (25 miles)
Kevin Penner, 19, Sammamish (54 miles)
Andrew Putnam, 21, University Place (1 mile)
Competitors from the Scratch Players Championship: Woo Kim of Korea shot 9-under 279 to win last week's Scratch Players Championship at Canterwood Golf and Country Club in Gig Harbor, Wash., about 15 miles from Chambers Bay. Kim is one of 25 players who played in the Scratch Players Championship and is competing in the U.S. Amateur. The others are: Josh Anderson, Patrick Cantlay, Kevin Carrigan, Jamie Core, Johan de Beer, Estanislao Guerrero, Matthew Hansen, Max Homa, Jin Jeong, Chan Kim, C.J. Kim, Michael Kim, Sihwan Kim, Tain Lee, Ryan McCarthy, Eric Mina, Greg Moss, John Murphy, Cheng Tsung Pan, Cameron Peck, Andrew Putnam, Jason Scrivener, Matthew Smith and Kevin Tway.
Byeong-Hun "Ben" An, 18, of Bradenton, Fla., won the 2009 U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., with a 7-and-5 victory over Ben Martin. An, who became the youngest champion in U.S. Amateur history at 17 years, 11 months and 13 days, will attend the University of California-Berkeley this fall.
Josh Anderson, 21, of Murrieta, Calif., was a semifinalist at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center in Greensboro, N.C., where he fell to eventual runner-up David McDaniel, 1 up. Anderson, an incoming junior at Pepperdine University, won the 2007 California State Amateur, was co-medalist at the 2010 General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate and was runner-up at the 2009 Pacific Northwest Amateur. He also was a high school teammate of two-time USA Walker Cup member and current PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler.
Brad Benjamin, 23, of Rockford, Ill., won the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla., with a 7-and-6 victory over Nick Taylor. The left-hander, who won the 2009 Illinois Open, will be representing Illinois at the 2010 USGA Men's State Team Championship.
Richard Berkmeyer, 36, of St. Louis, Mo., owns ALL STAR Distributing, a trophy and awards business. At the U.S. Mid-Amateur, he tied for medalist honors in 2007 and was the lone medalist in 2008. His mother, Barbara, was runner-up at the 2002 USGA Senior Women's Amateur.
Bennett Blakeman, 23, of Burr Ridge, Ill., played in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Blakeman, a full-time student who is pursuing his master's degree in business at Loyola University in Chicago, shot 81-85 and missed the cut. As a member of the Illinois Wesleyan University golf team, he won three collegiate events in 2009 and was named a Division III first-team All-American and All-Nicklaus Team selection.
Brent Blaum, 22, of Coral Gables, Fla., is a recent graduate of Louisiana State University who, after playing four years of collegiate golf, is hoping to use a fifth year of eligibility to play baseball. Blaum, a right-handed golfer, is a left-handed pitcher who has drawn interest from numerous teams.
Joseph Bramlett, 22, of Saratoga, Calif., played in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, shooting 79-75 and missing the cut. Bramlett, a recent graduate of Stanford University who has been sidelined for the better part of the last two years with wrist injuries, is playing in his sixth U.S. Amateur. He recently won the 2010 Northeast Amateur.
Michael Brown, 37, of Cheltenham, Pa., failed to find the flag in a giant peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a 1985 episode of "Double Dare," costing him and his partner the grand prize go-kart. Brown, owner of a Philly Soft Pretzel Factory franchise, won the 2010 Philadelphia Open and the 2009 Philadelphia Mid-Amateur.
Christopher Burger, 20, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the son of Bob Burger, a member of University of Notre Dame football team from 1977-80. Burger, a first-team Academic All-America selection as a starting offensive guard in 1980, played on the 1977 national championship team. Christopher's brother Bobby is currently a senior tight end/fullback at Notre Dame. Christopher will be a junior at Xavier University this fall.
George and Wesley Bryan are brothers from Chapin, S.C., who both play golf at the University of South Carolina. George, 22, recently completed his senior season at USC. Wes, 20, is a rising junior at USC and was a quarterfinalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links.
Alex Carpenter, 20, of Little Rock, Ark., won the 2010 Southern Amateur at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala., with a 16-under-par total. Carpenter, a rising sophomore at Abilene Christian University, won four collegiate events in the 2009-10 season and earned the 2010 Phil Mickelson Award as the Freshman of the Year in Division II. When he was 11, Carpenter and his brothers hosted a TV fishing show on ESPN called "The Casting Crew," which ran for 13 episodes.
Bud Cauley, 20, of Jacksonville, Fla., was a member of the winning 2009 USA Walker Cup Team who went 2-0 in foursomes and 1-0-1 in his singles matches. Cauley, who will be a junior at the University of Alabama this fall, has won numerous collegiate titles, most recently winning the 2010 Linger Longer Invitational and the 2009 Isleworth Collegiate Invitational.
Albin Choi, 18, of Canada, recently won the 2010 Canadian Amateur, shooting a final-round 66 for a championship record-tying 17-under-par 271. Choi will be a freshman at North Carolina State University this fall.
Amit Chopra, 39, of Costa Mesa, Calif., grew up in New Delhi, India and played in the 1992 World Amateur. While growing up, Chopra, who works in investment management, regularly played with Daniel Chopra, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.
Eric Chun, 20, of Korea, was one of seven amateurs who competed in the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews. Chun, who has lived in Australia, Korea, Malaysia and the United States, missed the cut by one stroke. The 2009 Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year won the 2009 Big Ten Championship and was runner-up at the 2009 Asian Amateur. He will be a junior at Northwestern University this fall.
David Chung, 20, of Fayetteville, N.C., won the 2010 Western Amateur and the 2010 Porter Cup. Chung, an incoming junior at Stanford University who also won the 2009 North & South Amateur, helped lead the United States to a 13-11 victory over Europe at the 2010 Palmer Cup at Royal Portrush Golf Club. He was the runner-up at the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur at the age of 14.
Terence Daniels, 22, of Bermuda won the 2010 Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play Championship. He also won the 2010 Pacific West Conference Championship and has twice been named the conference Player of the Year (2009, 2010). Daniels, a recent graduate of Grand Canyon University, will represent Bermuda at the 2010 World Amateur Team Championship in October. He has previously played for the Bermuda national junior soccer team.
Johan de Beer, 21, of South Africa sustained major injuries due to an ATV motorbike accident at the age of 14. de Beer broke his neck, back and wrist and shattered both knee caps. The accident led him to take up golf more seriously since he could no longer compete in contact sports. A rising junior at Texas Christian University, de Beer won the 2010 Limpopo Open in South Africa.
George Downing, who turns 30 on Aug. 23, caddied for Fred Couples, a good friend of his, in the 2010 Masters Par-3 Contest. The Santa Barbara, Calif., resident graduated from Stanford University in 2003 and currently is a private equity real estate fund associate.
Parker Edens, 20, of Greeley, Colo., will have his high school golf coach, Kevin Rohnke, caddie for him at the U.S. Amateur. Rohnke took Edens and his other high school teammates on a golf road trip in July 2009; the team played five courses, including Chambers Bay, where Edens shot 73. After the round, Edens told his coach, "I'll be back next year for the U.S. Amateur." Rohnke replied, "Parker, if you make it, I'll be on the bag." When Edens shot 73-72 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., to qualify for the championship, the first person he called was Rohnke. Edens will be a sophomore at South Dakota State University this fall.
Harris English, 20, of Athens, Ga., was a quarterfinalist at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. He is a three-time All-America selection who earned third-team honors in 2008 and 2009 and second-team honors in 2010 as a member of the University of Georgia golf team. English won the 2009 Olympia Fields Invitational and the 2010 Morris Williams Intercollegiate this past season.
Derek Ernst, 20, of Clovis, Calif., tied for second in stroke-play qualifying at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. He shot a 65 in the first round at Bryan Park Golf & Conference Center and was the leader through 18 holes. Ernst has limited vision in his right eye due to an accident suffered at the age of 8 while making a Valentine for his mother. He was using a toy to cut a PVC pipe and it broke, resulting in an injury that needed 10 stitches and caused permanent scarring.
Emiliano Grillo, 17, of Argentina won the individual championship at the 2010 Copa de las Americas, leading Argentina to the men's team title. He was a quarterfinalist at the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur and won the AJGA's PING Invitational and Junior World Golf Championship in 2009.
Randy Haag, 51, of Burlingame, Calif., has played in more than 1,000 golf tournaments in his career. Haag, a four-time Northern California Golf Association Player of the Year, is the NCGA's all-time leader in points and won the NCGA Amateur in 1992 and 1993. An investment banker, Haag tied for 41st and earned low-amateur honors at the 2010 Senior British Open. He will represent California at next month's USGA Men's State Team Championship at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Christian Heavens, 21, of Fairview Heights, Ill., will have Georgetown College President Bill Crouch caddie for him at the U.S. Amateur. Heavens, who won the 2010 Mid-South Conference Championship and earned Player of the Year honors, is a member of the Georgetown College's First Tee Scholars program that Crouch started six years ago.
Jeffrey Hedden, 47, of Old Lyme, Conn., and David Jones, 48, of Norwich, Conn., were high school teammates at Waterford High School. They helped the school to the 1980 Connecticut State Championship.
Russell Henley, 21, of Macon, Ga., tied for 16th at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links and shared low-amateur honors with Scott Langley. Henley, a rising senior at the University of Georgia, was named the 2009-10 Player of the Year by Golfweek and the Southeastern Conference, having won the SEC Championship and the NCAA South Central Regional in 2010. He helped lead the United States to a 13-11 victory over Europe at the 2010 Palmer Cup at Royal Portrush Golf Club
Mark Hicks, 18, of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., and his soon-to-be University of Tulsa roommate John Young Kim, 18, of Walnut, Calif., have qualified for the championship. In Hicks' words, "we will miss our first week of school and our dorm room will be empty."
Stiggy Hodgson, 20, of England was a member of the 2009 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, going 1-1 in foursomes and 1-1 in his singles matches. He has reached the semifinals of the British Amateur and the quarterfinals of the English Amateur. He has 20 career holes-in-one.
Morgan Hoffmann, 21, of Wyckoff, N.J., was a member of the winning 2009 USA Walker Cup Team, going 1-0 in foursomes and 1-0-1 in his singles matches. He played in the 2010 U.S. Open but missed the cut, shooting 75-75. Hoffmann, a quarterfinalist at the 2008 U.S. Amateur, won the 2009 Big 12 Conference Championship. He earned the 2009 Phil Mickelson Award as the nation's top freshman after winning three individual titles in his first year with the Oklahoma State University golf team. He will be a junior this fall.
Tim Hogarth, 44, of Northridge, Calif., won the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, defeating Jeff Thomas, 8 and 7, at Wailua (Hawaii) Golf Club.
Camron Howell, 33, of Queen Creek, Ariz., three-putted on the last hole to shoot 143 and miss qualifying for the U.S. Amateur by one at the Tucson, Ariz., sectional but later made the field as an alternate. An Eagle Scout who served on an LDS mission in Toronto for two years, Howell qualified for regionals of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in 2009 and 2010 with drives of 369 yards and 372 yards, respectively.
Tim Jackson, 51, of Germantown, Tenn., was the low amateur at the last two U.S. Senior Opens. He held the lead through 36 holes of the 2009 U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick G.C. He became the oldest medalist in U.S. Amateur history in 2009 and has twice won the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1994 and 2001. He has twice represented the USA at the Walker Cup Match - in 1995 and 1999. He also helped Tennessee win the USGA Men's State Team title in 2003, with Brandt Snedeker and Danny Green.
Jin Jeong, 20, of Australia, won the 2010 British Amateur. He was born in Korea but is in the process of obtaining his Australian citizenship.
Lion Kim, 21, of Lake Mary, Fla., won the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship after an approximately seven-hour weather delay which caused the final match to end in almost complete darkness.
Sihwan Kim, 21, of Buena Park, Calif., is playing in his sixth U.S. Amateur. The Stanford senior won the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Drew Kittleson, 21, of Scottsdale, Ariz., lost to Danny Lee in the final of the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No.2.
Sean Knapp, 48, of Oakmont, Pa., was a member of the winning Pennsylvania team at the 2009 USGA Men's State Team Championship. Knapp, who has competed in more than 25 USGA championships, was the stroke-play medalist at the 1989 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He is the assistant head coach for the Riverview High School girls' basketball team.
Scott Langley, 21, of St. Louis, Mo., was the individual champion at the 2010 NCAA Division I Championship and tied for low-amateur honors at the 2010 U.S. Open, finishing 16th. Langley, the 2010 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, will be a senior at the University of Illinois this fall. He helped lead the United States to a 13-11 victory over Europe at the 2010 Palmer Cup at Royal Portrush Golf Club.
Tain Lee, 20, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., was the individual champion at the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship. Lee will be a junior at Claremont Mudd Scripps this fall.
Jim Liu, 15, of Smithtown, N.Y., made headlines as the youngest winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur when he took the 2010 title in July. Previously, Tiger Woods was the championship's youngest winner.
Kevin Marsh, 37, of Henderson, Nev., is playing in his sixth U.S. Amateur. He won the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Mike McCoy, 47, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was a semifinalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2005 and 2008 and was the medalist last year. He is a nine-time Iowa Golf Association Player of the Year.
Kenneth McCready, 22, of San Diego, Calif., qualified using his grandfather's putter, shooting 146 to grab the final spot at the Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., sectional. His grandfather passed away a week prior to the qualifier. The rising senior at the University of San Diego has had three shoulder surgeries since June 2007 (two on his right and one on his left). He has also torn ligaments in his right ankle twice since October 2009. The 2010 season is his first without an injury since 2004.
Greg Moss, 24, of Los Angeles, Calif., has a unique way to 'keep food on the table' - he participates in eating contests, winning several local events. He explains it this way: "The idea of it is clearly repulsive; however, it is hard not to laugh and have fun with it, especially since I am 6-foot-1, 150 pounds, and constantly beating much (much) larger men than I. I have a fan page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MossTheFloss, which highlights all of my accomplishments." A 2009 graduate of Loyola Marymount, Moss won the 2009 West Coast Conference Championship.
Bhavik 'Bobby' Patel, 19, of Bakersfield, Calif., was a semifinalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur. He will be a junior at Fresno State University this fall.
Andrea Pavan, 21, of Italy can speak four languages fluently (Italian, French, English, Spanish). Pavan, who was a member of the 2009 NCAA champion Texas A&M squad, was a first-team All-American selection this year.
Cameron Peck, 19, of nearby Olympia, Wash., won the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur, defeating Evan Beck in the final, 10 and 8, at Shoal Creek in Shoal Creek, Ala. Peck, a rising sophomore at Texas A&M University, posted five top-five finishes in collegiate events this year, earning honorable mention All-American honors.
Kevin Phelan, 19, of St. Augustine, Fla., played in the 2010 U.S. Open but missed the cut. Phelan owns dual citizenship in the USA and Ireland. He was born in New York City, where his father played professional squash, and moved to Ireland at the age of 3, living there until age 12. He advanced to the semifinals at the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and will represent Ireland at the 2010 World Amateur Team Championship in October.
Kalena Preus, 15, of Honolulu, Hawaii, has quite a line of ancestors. He is Hawaiian, Filipino, Norwegian, Danish, English and a descendent of both the Hawaiian Chiefs and Sons of the American Revolution. His given name is: Kalena Kalaninoheailunaliloloa Winston Preus. Kalena is his dad's name and means "talented" in Hawaiian. His Hawaiian middle name, given by his grandfather, means "handsome child from the highest of heavens." In addition, he has been playing the piano for 11 years, since the age of 4. He also plays guitar and belongs to a band called "Letters From Her." He attends Punahou School, where both President Obama and LPGA player Michelle Wie attended.
Andrew Putnam, 21, of University Place, Wash., played in 2010 U.S. Open and shot 76-78 to miss the cut. He is the contestant who lives closest to Chambers Bay (one mile). His older brother, Michael, was a member of the 2005 USA Walker Cup Team and currently plays professional golf. Andrew, who was a semifinalist at the 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur, is playing in his third U.S. Amateur.
Patrick Reed, 19, of Augusta, Ga., was a semifinalist at the 2008 U.S. Amateur. Reed, a rising junior at Augusta State University, won the 2010 Seahawk Intercollegiate and helped Augusta State to the NCAA Division I Championship team title.
Jeffrey Scohy, 33, of Bellbrook, Ohio, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000 and served seven years of active duty as an Air Force Acquisitions Officer. He left at the rank of captain in 2007 and joined the Air Force Reserves in 2009. He has been to Iraq twice for short periods (not an actual deployment just a short temporary duty). He won the Armed Services Championships in 2001, 2004, and 2006 and then represented the USA in the World Military Golf Championships. He won the 2008 Miami Valley Golf Association Player of the Year Award.
Jason Scrivener, 21, of Australia, was born in Cape Town, South Africa and has played in two European Tour events and two Australian Opens. His cousin, Sara Buys, married into the English royal family (Tom Parker Bowls). He attended the wedding and met Princes William and Harry.
Nathan Smith, 32, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is the 2003 and 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and is playing in his 10th U.S. Amateur. He was on the Pennsylvania team that captured the 2009 USGA Men's State Team Championship as well as the victorious 2009 USA Walker Cup Team. In January, he was on the winning USA Copa de las Americas Team. Jordan Spieth, 17 of Dallas, Texas, won the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur. He recently tied for medalist honors with Cory Whitsett in the Texas Class 5A state high school tournament. In May, he tied for 16th at the PGA Tour's HP Byron Nelson Championship.
Tim Spitz, 34, of Rochester, N.Y., was runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Spitz, a reinstated amateur and 1997 graduate of Furman University, won the 2008 Rochester Tournament of Champions and was runner-up in 2009.
Boris Stantchev, 19, of Long Beach, Calif., is believed to be the first Bulgarian-born player to compete in the U.S. Amateur. He was born in Sofia and his mother, Boriana, caddied for him for the last 12 holes in sectional qualifying.
Hudson Swafford, 22, of Tallahassee, Fla., played in the 2010 U.S. Open and shot 76-74 to miss the cut. He missed the entire 2009-10 collegiate season following off-season shoulder surgery. Swafford, a rising senior at Georgia, was a first-team all-SEC choice and a second-team All-American selection in 2008 and 2009.
Nick Taylor, 22, of Canada was runner-up and stroke-play medalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and low amateur at the 2009 U.S. Open, tying for 36th. He recently received the 2010 Ben Hogan Award, presented annually to the nation's top men's college golfer. He earned first-team All-American and Pac-10 Conference Golfer of the Year honors this year after recording nine top-10 finishes in 13 events. He was part of the torch relay for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Justin Thomas, 17, of Goshen, Ky., was the runner-up at the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur and attends Saint Xavier High School. Thomas, who has committed to attend the University of Alabama, made the cut at the PGA Tour's 2009 Wyndham Championship and won the 2010 Terra Cotta Invitational. He also tied for second at the 2010 AJGA FootJoy Invitational.
Kevin Tway, 22, of Edmond, Okla., won the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur on his 17th birthday. The son of PGA/Champions Tour player Bob Tway, he played in the 2008 U.S. Open with his father as his caddie. He is a member of the Oklahoma State University golf team and has won three collegiate events, including the 2010 Puerto Rico Classic. Bob won the 1986 PGA Championship.
Peter Uihlein, 20, of Orlando, Fla., was a member of the winning 2009 USA Walker Cup Team and a quarterfinalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur. He won three collegiate events this season as a member of the Oklahoma State University golf team, including the 2010 NCAA Division I Southeast Regional, and recently earned All-Big 12 Conference honors. He also helped the USA to the overall title at the Copa de las Americas competition this past January in Argentina.
Gunner Wiebe, 21, of Denver, Colo., is the son of PGA/Champions Tour player Mark Wiebe. Gunner caddied for his dad at last month's U.S. Senior Open held at nearby Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish.
Jeff Wilson, 47, of Fairfield, Calif., is a three-time medalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur (tied for most times as medalist in the championship's history). He advanced to the semifinals at the Mid-Amateur in 2001 and 2003. In addition, he was the low amateur at the 2000 U.S Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He is playing in his fifth U.S. Amateur. He will also represent California at next month's USGA Men's State Team Championship at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Bobby Wyatt, 18, of Mobile, Ala., shot 57 in the second round of the Alabama Boys State Junior at the Country Club of Mobile in late July. He has won the championship in four consecutive years. Wyatt will enroll at the University of Alabama later this month and play on the golf team.
Steve Ziegler, 21, of Broomfield, Colo., was a quarterfinalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur. He will be a senior at Stanford and was a second-team All-American selection in 2009 and an honorable mention choice in 2010. He was a first-team All-Pac 10 Conference selection in 2010.
Daniel Zuluaga, 17, of Colombia, has won numerous golf tournaments in his home country and in South America. He is one of only six players (in 60 years) to win the Colombian Junior Amateur twice. Camilo Villegas, who plays on the PGA Tour, was the last player to accomplish the feat. Zuluaga played in the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur.
The above report is courtesy of the USGA.