OU Golf Duo Advances to Round of 32

July 15, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma's Phillip Bryan and Liam Logan both advanced to the round of 32 on Wednesday at the 84th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, held at the par-71, 7,289-yard Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. Neither win came easy though, as Bryan edged Braxton Marquez of Scottsdale, Ariz., by a final of 2&1, while Logan escaped 16-year-old Anders Albertson of Woodstock, Ga., in 20 holes.

"I certainly didn't play my best golf by any means, but hit some shots when it counted," said a relieved Logan following his match. "He was a good player," said Logan on Albertson. "He's not a long player. He hit driver, 3-wood into a lot of the par 4s, but you know a guy like that is going to have a great short game and he did."

Albertson, the second youngest player in the 156-man field and youngest to qualify for match play, couldn't convert a six-foot par put on the par-3 2nd (the group's 20th hole of the day), after Logan drained his par attempt from half an inch closer.

A rules official was called in to determine who was away after both players had chipped up to the 170-yard hole after coming up short into a gusting south wind. A string line determined that Logan was half an inch outside of Albertson, as the OU junior-to-be took three practice strokes before draining the putt. Albertson's par attempt slid by on the left edge, ending the third longest match of the day.

"I hit it right where I wanted to, it just didn't break," said Albertson, who carded rounds of 72 and 74 in stroke-play qualifying to advance to Wednesday's first round of match play.

Both players bogeyed the difficult par-4 No. 1 in the first hole of sudden death. Albertson hit driver, 3-wood to five feet from the green, while Logan's approach from some fifty yards closer came to rest on the back edge of the two-tiered putting surface. Albertson couldn't convert the 12-foot par attempt, while Logan missed an uphill eight footer for par after his first putt had raced by the hole.

"It was right in the mouth and just ran out of steam," said Logan. "I didn't think I hit that bad of a first putt, these greens are just running so fast now with the heat."

Wednesday marked the third consecutive day of 100-plus degree temperatures, although the forecast calls for lower temps and a chance of rain the rest of the week.

Neither player would lead by more than one the entire round, in a back-and-forth match that was all square on 10 of the 20 holes.

Official Site of the 84th U.S. Amateur Public Links
Liam Logan's Scorecard | Phillip Bryan's Scorecard

Albertson struck first with a par at No. 2 - the same hole he would eventually lose the match on, taking a 1-up lead to the fifth hole. Logan would par the lengthy 621-yard, par-5 to square the match. The Fort Worth, Texas, native made par at No. 6 to take his first lead of the day but would give it back just as quickly with a bogey at the 434-yard, par-4 seventh.

Logan would return to 1-up with a par at the par-4 eighth hole - the most difficult hole of the tournament at 505-yards, but made the turn at all square after a bogey at No. 9. The players halved the next three holes before Albertson followed up a Logan birdie-miss at No. 13 by draining a 10-foot putt for the 1-up advantage.

Logan squared the match with a two-putt par at the 16th after bombing a drive 55 yards past Albertson, who found the left greenside rough on his approach.

"Even though I didn't make the putt at No. 14, I hit a great shot from the trees that kind of changed my momentum," said Logan. "I hit a great drive at the 16th, but pushed my second and left myself with a 15-foot putt down the hill, which isn't what you want after than kind of drive. He had some trouble in the rough by the green and I was able to square the match."

The match would again return to all square through 17 after Logan was forced to take a penalty stroke and return to the tee after losing a ball in the right rough. Albertson made par at the 480-yard hole, ensuring at least a tie through regulation.

"Those kind of things happen sometimes," said Logan, who guessed that he had played the course near 100 times without losing a ball in that area. "Some might ask 'why a spotter wasn't over there', but there aren't spotters on the course at collegiate events and we have to deal with it then. It was just a bad break that luckily I overcame."

After Albertson pulled his 3-wood from the tee box into the left rough, Logan drilled a 350-yard drive down the center of the fairway, setting up an easily reachable second shot into the 584-yard par-5. Logan pulled a 4-iron from his bag and stuck the approach to 20 feet, where he would two-putt for the birdie and square the match as Albertson's birdie chip from the back of the green came up five feet short.

"It was the best drive I hit all day. I had a perfect number into the green and hit it solid" added Logan, who was within a few paces from where he went for the green in two on Tuesday. "I didn't want to lose to a 16-year-old."

Bryan led by at least one the entire day following a par-putt win at the first hole. The two players halved the next three holes before Bryan increased his lead to two with a par at No. 5. Both players missed the green on the par-3 sixth hole, but Marquez would convert the up-and-down to shrink Bryan's lead to one. Neither player would win a hole until No. 13, where Bryan sank an eight-foot birdie putt from the back of the green.

Following four's by both players at No. 14, No. 15 and No. 16, the OU assistant coach closed out the match with the Arizona State senior with a par on the 17th hole after Bryan had hit a wayward tee shot, 10 feet from the hazard in the wood chips to the left of the fairway after striking a tree.

Bryan had 63 yards to the pin after hitting safely back into the fairway as Marquez pushed his approach into the right bunker. The four-year starter for the Sooners stuck his third shot to three feet, halving the hole with par to seal the victory.

The win marked the furthest Bryan has advanced at this USGA championship, bettering his USAPL performances in 2006 and 2007.

Bryan will face fifth-seeded Gene Webster Jr, of San Bernardino, Calif., in Thursday's round of 32 at 7:54 a.m. (CT). Webster cruised to a 6&4 victory over Andrew Noto on Wednesday, playing the 14 holes in 1-under-par fashion.

Logan also faces a strong test in Jace Long, seeded No. 3 out of Dixon, Mo. Long defeated Ryan Sloane of Campbell, Calif., 2-up in the first round of match play. The two tee off at 8:48 a.m. (CT).

The second and third round will be held on Thursday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Friday. The 36-hole championship match will be staged on Saturday.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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