June 17, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina rising sophomore golfer Wesley Bryan will advance to the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship after taking medalist honors in a 36-hole sectional qualifier at Black Rock Golf Club in Hagerstown, Md., on Tuesday. The native of Chapin, S.C., shot 67-68=135 (-9) to take first place by five strokes.

Bryan carded only one bogey in his first 18-hole round in the morning to go along with four birdies and an eagle en route to a 67 (-5), then came back in the afternoon round and recorded five birdies on the back nine alone to shoot 68 and run away with the qualifier. Brad Hastings, a 32-year-old from Easton, Md., was second at 4-under to earn the second of two available spots in the PubLinks championship.

Rising senior George Bryan IV finished eighth in the Hagerstown qualifier with a 74-71=145 (+1). Another Gamecock golfer, rising senior Paul Woodbury, finished tied for eighth in a qualifier at Mystery Valley Golf Club in Lithonia, Ga., shooting 74-70=144 (+2). The top two golfers in Hagerstown and the top three from the Lithonia qualifier earned spots in the championship.

The 84th annual U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be held at Jimmy Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla., July 13-18. Entries were open to amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1, 2009, have been bona fide public course players and have not held privileges of any course that does not extend playing privileges to the general public, or privileges of any private club maintaining its own course, and must hold a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 4.4. The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, and the winner receives an invitation to the following year’s Masters tournament.