NEWTON, Kan. – For the second consecutive round, Michael Gellerman didn’t play the final three holes at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. And he is perfectly fine with that.
The Stirling, Kan., resident notched another convincing victory in the second round of match play to keep hopes alive for a home-grown winner at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
Two 43-year-olds, Jon Veneziano and Jess Bonneau, as well as co-medalists Doug Ghim, Rico Hoey and Byron Meth were also among the 16 winners on Thursday morning at the 7,365-yard, par-71 Jeff Brauer-designed layout.
Gellerman was all square in his match with Patrick Beyhan, 22, of Albuquerque, N.M., through seven holes, but made three consecutive birdies in winning four straight holes from Nos. 8-11 to seize control in his 4-and-3 victory. Despite advancing in comfortable fashion, Gellerman thinks his best golf may be ahead.
I feel a little bit fortunate to be playing another 18, said Gellerman, a senior at the University of Oklahoma. Neither of us played really well, but I had a good run in the middle. I still haven’t hit it well, but my short game has been good.
Ghim also continued his impressive run at Sand Creek Station. The 18-year-old resident of Arlington Heights, Ill., has not trailed through two rounds of match play. On Thursday morning, he did not make a bogey in his 5-and-4 victory over Brandon Kida, of Layton, Utah.
I played solid golf all day – I only missed one green in 14 holes, said Ghim, who will enroll at the University of Texas this fall. When you’re 4 down and your opponent keeps putting it in the middle of the green and not giving you any holes, it’s tough.
Ghim will face Jordan Niebrugge, of Mequon, Wis., in the third round. The defending champion was pushed by the youngest player remaining in the field, Easton Paxton, of Riverton, Wyo., but Niebrugge outlasted the 15-year-old, winning five of the last seven holes to prevail, 4 and 2, after trailing 1 down at the turn.
The third round of match play began at 12:30 p.m. CDT. The quarterfinal round will follow on Friday, beginning at 7 a.m. CDT.
Michael Trostel is the senior curator/historian at the USGA Museum. Email him at mtrostel@usga.org.
Newton, Kan. – Results from Thursday morning’s second round of match play at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, being held at the 7,365-yard, par-71 Sand Creek Station Golf Course:
Upper Bracket
Cody McManus, Phoenix, Ariz. (144) def. Joshua Lee, Fleming Island, Fla. (147), 20 holes
Robert Geibel, Pembroke Pines, Fla. (140) def. Michael Colgate, Sarasota, Fla. (141), 1 up
Jon Veneziano, Mount Dora, Fla. (145) def. Cash Wilkerson, Spring, Texas (146), 1 up
Michael Gellerman, Sterling, Kan. (145) def. Patrick Beyhan, Albuquerque, N.M. (146), 4 and 3
Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, Ill. (134) def. Brandon Kida, Layton, Utah (143), 5 and 4
Jordan Niebrugge, Mequon, Wis. (146) def. Easton Paxton, Riverton, Wyo. (141), 4 and 2
Gavin Green, Malaysia (142) def. Sam Saunders, Albuquerque, N.M. (136), 4 and 3
John Oda, Honolulu, Hawaii (140) def. Chelso Barrett, Surry, N.H. (145), 1 up
Lower Bracket
Rico Hoey, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (134) def. Scott Wolfes, St. Simons Island, Ga. (143), 20 holes
Matt Record, Scottsdale, Ariz. (146) def. Kevin Reilly, Oviedo, Fla. (141), 3 and 2
Joshua Baskins, Redding, Calif. (145) def. Charlie Danielson, Osceola, Wis. (138), 2 and 1
Jess Bonneau, Houston, Texas (146) def. Ryan Tetrault, Orange, Calif. (145), 2 and 1
Byron Meth, San Diego, Calif. (134) def. Eric Kline, Ponca City, Okla. (144), 2 and 1
Garrett Rank, Canada (141) def. Ben Hogenkamp, Minster, Ohio (140), 5 and 4
Bryson Dechambeau, Clovis, Calif. (142) def. Sam Horsfield, England (137), 3 and 2
Tyler McDaniel, Manchester, Ky. (146) def. David Mills, Evansville, Ind. (142), 5 and 4
Newton, Kan. – Pairings and starting times for Thursday afternoon’s third round of match play at the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, being held at the 7,365-yard, par-71 Sand Creek Station Golf Course. All times CDT:
Upper Bracket
12:30 pm - Cody McManus, Phoenix, Ariz. (144) vs. Robert Geibel, Pembroke Pines, Fla. (140)
12:40 pm - Jon Veneziano, Mount Dora, Fla. (145) vs. Michael Gellerman, Sterling, Kan. (145)
12:50 pm - Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, Ill. (134) vs. Jordan Niebrugge, Mequon, Wis. (146)
1:00 pm - Gavin Green, Malaysia (142) vs. John Oda, Honolulu, Hawaii (140)
Lower Bracket
1:20 pm - Joshua Baskins, Redding, Calif. (145) vs. Jess Bonneau, Houston, Texas (146)
1:30 pm - Rico Hoey, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (134) vs. Matt Record, Scottsdale, Ariz. (146)
1:40 pm - Byron Meth, San Diego, Calif. (134) vs. Garrett Rank, Canada (141)
2:00 pm - Bryson Dechambeau, Clovis, Calif. (142) vs. Tyler McDaniel, Manchester, Ky. (146)