July 14, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. – South Carolina rising sophomore golfer Wesley Bryan turned in a round of 1-under-par 70 on Tuesday to propel himself into a tie for eighth place through two rounds and earn a spot in the 64-man match play bracket at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. Bryan will play his first round match Wednesday at the par-71 Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.

Bryan, a native of Chapin, S.C., opened the competition Monday afternoon with a first-round 73 (+2) to stand only a couple of shots above the projected cut line. With temperatures well into the triple digits and heat indices near 110 degrees, Bryan was even par on the front nine with one birdie and one bogey to card a 35. But he faltered down the stretch in his opening round, finishing with three straight bogeys to turn in his 73.

But playing in the morning on Tuesday, Bryan took advantage of the milder conditions to post a second-round 70 (-1) that included a bogey-free 33 on the back nine to move him into the top 10 and a spot in the match play bracket for the second straight year.

Bryan will be the No. 9 seed heading into the first round of match play. He is slated to face North Carolina’s Robert Riesen, who finished stroke play at 148 (+6), tied for 46th place. Theirs will be the seventh match of the day, beginning at 8:54 a.m. Central time. Fans can follow the action at the championship’s official web site, www.usapl.org.