Eaton
Defeats Dennis To Win U.S. Mid-Amateur Title
 |
| Austin Eaton proudly displays the Robert T.
Jones Memorial Trophy signifying his triumph at 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
(Sam Greenwood/USGA) |
St.
Simons
Island,
Ga.
- Austin Eaton
III,
35, of New London,
N.H.,
defeated Josh Dennis,
27, of Birmingham,
Ala.,
1 up, Thursday in the 36-hole championship match of the 24th U.S. Mid-Amateur
played at the 6,967-yard, par-70 Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club.
The
two competitors were all square going to the 36th hole, a par 4 measuring
470 yards. Dennis,
playing first, pushed his drive right into a lateral water hazard, while
Eaton
found the fairway. Faced with a 205-yard approach, Eaton
choked down on a 4-iron and hit
a well-placed shot 25 feet slightly above the flagstick.
Following
a drop, Dennis
came up just short of the green with his third shot. His ensuing chip
shot stopped 10 feet short. Eaton
lagged his birdie putt to 2 feet
and when Dennis
failed to hole his bogey putt, he conceded the match.
"It's
pretty amazing," said Eaton
of winning his first USGA championship. "When I knelt out there next
to the trophy on the 18th green, it kind of hit me then that it's my
trophy this year. It's pretty cool. And I've got a lot of amazing golf
tournaments to play in." 
Champion's
Interview
Photo
Gallery Of Championship Match
Text
Interview Transcript Of Champion
Eaton,
Dennis To Meet In U.S. Mid-Amateur Final
St.
Simons Island, Ga. - Austin Eaton III, 35, of New London, N.H., and
Josh Dennis, 27, of Birmingham, Ala., will square off in the 36-hole
final at the 24th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship after winning semifinal
matches on Wednesday at Sea Island Golf Club.
Eaton,
a quarterfinalist in this championship in 2002, defeated Wright Waddell,
42, of Columbus, Ga., 4 and 3, while Dennis, playing in his first USGA
competition, eliminated 26-year-old William Johnson of San Francisco,
Calif., 2 up, on the 6,967-yard, par-70 Seaside Course.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Eaton defeated stroke-play co-medalist Jeff Wilson of
Fairfield, Calif., 2 and 1, and Dennis ousted Richie Taylor of Snellville,
Ga., 2 and 1.
In
his semifinal match, Eaton
hit 14 of 15 greens and lost just one hole to Waddell, who was competing
in his fifth Mid-Amateur.
