Aug. 27, 2009

Former Gamecock Mark Anderson stayed alive with a first-round victory in match play at the U.S. Amateur Championship on Wednesday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. Senior Patrick Rada and sophomore Wesley Bryan both fell in their opening matches to wrap up their stay at the event.

Anderson defeated University of Colorado golfer Justin Bardgett, 2 up, in one of the final matches of the day after Bardgett qualified for his match play spot via a 27-for-4 playoff early Wednesday morning. Anderson controlled the match the whole way, winning the first hole and never trailing throughout.

Bryan had a back-and-forth match with Oklahoma State’s Trent Whitekiller, but faltered at the end of the day to lose in 19 holes. Bryan was 1-up through 17, but a bogey at the last sent the match to overtime. Whitekiller would then birdie No. 1 to win the hole and the match.

Rada fell to Fresno State freshman Bhavik Patel, 3 and 2. Rada won the first hole and the match was all square through 10, but Patel won three straight holes to take control on the back nine and never looked back.

Anderson, a 2008 graduate, faces Illinois senior Zach Barlow in his second-round match Thursday. Tee time for that match is 9:50 a.m. EDT. Fans can follow Anderson and the rest of the U.S. Amateur field at the official tournament site, www.usamateur.org. Live coverage begins at 1 p.m. on The Golf Channel.