Dalke Qualifies for Final Four in U.S. Amateur

NORMAN – University of Oklahoma golfer Brad Dalke advanced into the semifinal round of the 116th U.S. Amateur on Friday. The prestigious event is being played at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The field has been narrowed down from over 300 of some of the world's best amateur golfers to four. Dalke, a rising sophomore at OU, will face USC rising junior Jonah Texeira in the semifinal, and Michigan rising sophomore Nick Carlson will face Australian Curtis Luck.

Dalke defeated recent Stanford graduate David Boote 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon. Dalke opened the match strong, firing birdies on the first four holes to take a 3-up lead. However, after the golfers halved the fifth hole, play was suspended for nearly 45 minutes due to inclement weather.

After the match resumed, Boote shot a birdie to win the eighth hole, but Dalke answered with one of his own on No. 11 to regain his 3-up lead. Although the Sooner carded a bogey on hole No. 14, he responded with a birdie on hole No. 16 to end the match at 3 and 2.

"It was a fun day, and I played really well to win this match," Dalke said. "It was nice to birdie the first four holes to get off to that hot start. I'm excited for the opportunity that is ahead of me."

Dalke will face Texeira at 7:20 a.m. CT. Saturday. FOX will broadcast the round later in the day from 2-5 p.m. CT, and more information on the U.S. Amateur can be found on the USGA's website.