July 28, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina rising senior Paul Woodbury tied for medalist honors in sectional qualifying on Tuesday to advance to the United States Amateur Championship. In the 36-hole qualifier played Monday and Tuesday at Little River Golf Club in Carthage, N.C., Woodbury fired rounds of 67-70=137 (-7) to tie for first place and earn his second straight berth in the U.S. Amateur.

Woodbury, a native of Lake City, S.C., tied with Ben Kohles (Cary, N.C.) for medalist honors and grabbed one of three available spots into next month’s U.S. Amateur, which will be held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., Aug. 24-30. Also advancing from the Carthage qualifier was Jacob Colley of Holly Springs, N.C. Woodbury played in three tournaments for the Gamecocks during the 2008-09 season and carded a hole-in-one en route to earning medalist honors at the Rees Jones Intercollegiate in November along with teammate Wesley Bryan.

Recent Carolina graduate Allen Koon also participated in sectional qualifying today at Columbia Country Club, but did not advance to the championship after rounds of 72-74=146 left him tied for 25th place. Last week, recent graduate Mark Silvers III and rising sophomore Clint Tolleson participated in qualifying at Capital City Club in Woodstock, Ga., but did not advance.

At least six more former, current and future Gamecocks will be participating in U.S. Amateur qualifying next week. Rising seniors George Bryan IV and Patrick Rada, rising sophomore Wesley Bryan and incoming freshman Dykes Harbin will try to advance from the Duluth, Ga., sectional, which runs Aug. 3-4. The same week, 2008 graduate Mark Anderson and incoming freshman Dean Hester will play in the qualifier at Amelia Island, Fla.