Matt Williams To Play in U.S. Amateur Championship
Aug 18, 2001 | Men's Golf
Aug. 18, 2001
Manhattan, Kan. - Kansas State University senior Matt Williams will become the third golfer in Wildcat history to play in the United States Amateur Championship when he tees off at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., on Monday.
Williams, the 2001 Kansas State Amateur champion, advanced to the national amateur championship by virtue of his third-place showing at the regional qualifying tournament at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo., on July 23. He posted a 36-hole score of two-under-par 142, two shots behind Charlie Santaularia of Lawrence, Kan., who won the qualifier.
"I'm excited about having the chance to play in the U.S. Amateur," said Williams. "This is by far the biggest tournament I've played in. I've already played against some of the best collegiate golfers during my career, now I'll be playing against the best amateur players in the country. It's a terrific opportunity."
Williams, who recorded a school-record round of 64 last spring (Branson Creek Invitational, April 15), joins current Wildcat teammates Scott McNeely and Bryan Milberger as the only K-State golfers to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. McNeely and Milberger played in the 1999 U.S. Amateur in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Play begins on Monday, Aug. 20, with two days of stroke play to reduce the field of 312 golfers to 64 players. The remaining 64 entrants will then be pared down with match play beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 22, and concluding with the 36-hole championship on Sunday, Aug. 26. Each of the first five rounds of match play competition will use an 18-hole format.
The United States Golf Association will use both the par 70, 7,007-yard, East Lake Golf Club and the par 72, 6,561-yard Druid Hills Golf Club during stroke play. Only the East Lake course will be used for match play.
The final five days of the U.S. Amateur will be televised nationally by ESPN and NBC. ESPN will broadcast from 1-4 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Aug. 22-24). NBC is scheduled to broadcast from 3-5 p.m. (CT) on Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 25-26).
For a list of pairings of the U.S. Amateur Championship go to http://www.usga.org and for complete results visit http://www.usamateur.org.
