Billy Horschel falls in second round of U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship
Thursday, July 17, 2008 | Men's Golf
Rising senior Billy Horschel (Grant, Fla.) fell to Jack Newman, after 21 holes, in the second round of match play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Aurora, Colo.
The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship tournament had a field of 155 amateur golfers. The field was cut to 64 after two rounds of qualifying stroke play, and the remaining players compete in a match play bracket to determine an overall winner.
Horschel advanced through the stroke play portion of the tournament with matching one-under par 70s to finish in a tie for 11th.
Horschel faced Nicholas MacDonald of Zimbabwe in the first round of match play. MacDonald took an early lead with a birdie on the first hole but Horschel evened it up with a birdie on the par-five third. Horschel took the lead with a par on the sixth hole, but gave it back when MacDonald birdied number eight.
Horschel took the lead for good with three birdies in a row on 11, 12 and 13 to go three-up. He won the 14th hole with a par and clinched the match at 4 and 3 by halving the 15th hole.
In the second round of match play Horschel faced Newman, who plays collegiately at Michigan State. Horschel birdied the first hole to take an early lead, but Newman squared the match with a birdie on number three. Horschel conceded on number nine but evened the match again on the 11th. Newman birdied the 13th hole and went up two with a par at 16 but Horschel birdied 17 and evened the match again on 18.
The match remained even through the first two extra holes, but Newman won it after Horschel bogeyed the third extra hole.
Seven other UF golfers are in action this weekend at the 102nd Southern Amateur Championship in Orlando, Fla. For live scoring go to http://www.sgagolf.com/.
