July 15, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. – South Carolina rising junior Wesley Bryan was eliminated from the match play bracket at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship on Thursday, falling in his second-round match to Robert Butler, 1 up.

Bryan and Butler halved the first two holes before Bryan’s birdie at the third put him 1-up. It would remain such until the sixth hole when a Butler birdie brought the match all square. The Chapin, S.C., native would then roll off two straight birdies at the eighth and ninth and made the turn 2-up. However, two straight bogeys for Bryan once again brought the match all square through 11 holes.

After two more halves, Bryan birdied the lengthy 233-yard, par-3 14th to go back 1-up, but a birdie from Butler again tied the match. All square with two holes to play, Bryan made bogey against Butler’s par at the 17th, and Butler was dormie going to the 18th. Both men made par, and Butler advanced to the third round.

Bryan and at least 10 other Gamecock golfers will next tee it up in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship, with Carolina golfers playing at eight different sites in late July and early August. The U.S. Amateur will be held Aug. 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.