Younger Mickelson Leads Group Of Eight Into Quarterfinals

Bandon, Ore. – Tim Mickelson, the younger brother of PGA Tour star Phil, won two matches Tuesday, including one with a chip-in for eagle on the last hole, and headed a group of eight players who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Kevin Marsh of Las Vegas, Nev., the 2005 Mid-Amateur champion and three-time USA Walker Cup team member Trip Kuehne of Irving, Texas, also advanced at the par-72, 6,966-yard Bandon Dunes Course.

Kevin Marsh advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mid-Amateur for the second time in three years. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)

The right-handed Mickelson, 30, of San Diego, who is the head golf coach at the University of San Diego, ended his day by holing a 24-yard chip shot on the 558-yard, par-5 18th to defeat 2003 champion Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh, Pa., 1 up.

"It was a definitely a roller-coaster,” Mickelson said of the match in which 15 of 18 holes were won or lost.  “I just wanted to let something happen. Luckily, on 18 it did. I couldn’t have hit that chip any more solid with enough spin to keep it close to the hole. For me, it was a great way to finish.”

Mickelson, who advanced to the round of 16 at the 1999 U.S. Amateur Public Links, was 3 down through six holes against Smith.  He won the next three holes to square the match. Smith, who was the youngest Mid-Amateur winner, birdied the 10th for a 1-up lead, but Mickelson sank a 15-footer for birdie on 11 to negate Smith’s lead. They each won two of the next four holes and halved two to keep the match square.

Playing the 18th with the match all square, both players laid up on their second shots on the downwind hole. Mickelson was in the short rough near the hazard line on the right side and Smith was in the pot bunker fronting the green. Smith blasted to 12 feet, setting up Mickelson’s winning flop shot.

"I hit my trusty L-wedge, 61 degrees. I’m pretty one-dimensional. I’m a Mickelson,” he said with a smile about his club choice. Mickelson had also eagled the 18th in his win over Arnie Cutrell in the second round.

Marsh defeated Nathan Tyler of Tucson, Ariz., 4 and 3, and, Jarrett Grimes of Columbia, S.C., 3 and 2, for his second quarterfinal appearance in three years.

Kuehne, who has also played on the USA team at the World Amateur Team Championships, beat former high school teammate Michael Cooper of Austin and then Jim Lehman of Minneapolis, Minn., older brother of 1996 British Open champion, Tom.

“It’s the farthest I’ve ever been in this tournament,” Kuehne said. “If I can continue to play well, I have a chance. But, there is a long way to go. You really just have to stay focused so that you don’t give your opponent any advantage. You want to keep momentum on your

side.”

Prominent among those who were eliminated in second round are: 1999 championDanny Green; Buddy Marucci, two-time USA Walker Cup player and 2007 captain;and 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Tim Hogarth.

The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of match play will be conducted Wednesdayand the 36-hole championship final is set for Thursday.  All quarterfinalists areexempt from qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Milwaukee Country Club.

The Mid-Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by Pete Kowalski, USGA Media Relations. E-mail him with questions or comments at pkowalski@usga.org.

Bandon, Ore. Results of the second and third rounds of match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, at the par 72, 6,966-yard Bandon Dunes course:

Second Round

Upper Bracket

Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. def. Packard Dewitt, Germantown, Tenn., 1 up

Tim Mickelson, San Diego, Calif. def. Arnold Cutrell, Greensburg, Pa., 19 holes

Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash. def. Danny Green, Jackson, Tenn., 1 up

Michael Pearson, Alpharetta, Ga. def. George Marucci, Villanova, Pa., 3 and 2

Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif. def. Eric Spencer, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 20 holes

Ty Cox, Fort Worth, Texas def. Patrick Tallent, Vienna, Va., 4 and 3

Jarrett Grimes, Columbia, S.C. def. Tripp Davis, Norman, Okla., 2 up

Kevin Marsh, Las Vegas, Nev. def. Nathan Tyler, Tucson, Ariz., 4 and 3.

Lower Bracket

Richard Berkmeyer, St. Louis, Mo. def. Glenn Przybylski, Frankfort, Ill., 4 and 3

Scott Hardy, Pleasant Hill, Calif. def. Gene Elliott, West Des Moines, Iowa, 20 holes

Jordan Byrd, Clemson, S.C. def. Brandon Kearney, Bend, Ore., 3 and 2

Jason Rudquist, Peyton, Colo  def. David Schnider, Vista, Calif., 1 up

Stephen Sear, Washoe Valley, Nev. def. Ryan Abbate, Weston, Fla., 1 up

John O’Donnell, Los Angeles, Calif.  def. Alan Bratton, Stillwater, Okla., 20 holes

Trip Kuehne, Irving, Texas def. Michael Cooper, Austin, Texas, 2 and 1

Jim Lehman, Minneapolis, Minn. def. Todd Mitchell, Bloomington, Ill., 2 and 1.

Third Round

Upper Bracket

Mickelson def. Smith, 1 up

Whitaker def. Pearson, 3 and 2

Cox def. Hogarth, 3 and 2

Marsh def. Grimes, 3 and 2

Lower Bracket

Hardy def. Berkmeyer, 4 and 3

Byrd def. Rudquist, 6 and 4

Sear def. O’Donnell, 4 and 3

Kuehne def. Lehman, 3 and 2