North and South Amateur: Lovemark, Savage to finals
VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (July 5, 2008)--It’s been several years since the medalist of stroke play qualifying advanced to the final match of the Men’s North and South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst. But Jamie Lovemark, the rising junior at Southern Cal, has consistently carded birdies on No. 2 to outwit and outmaneuver his opponents all week, giving spectators an early glimpse of his U.S. Amateur strategy later this summer.
Lovemark, the Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. native and fifth ranked amateur, bogeyed the par-4 second hole, giving Cary, N.C.-native and UNC player Kevin O’Connell his only lead in today’s semifinal match. Lovemark carded birdies on the third and eighth holes to go 3 up at the turn, and then quickly closed the match with birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th to go 6&4.
Duke rising junior Adam Long (Wentzville, Mo.) started the day with an eagle on the par-4 first hole, but 20-seed Savage (Louisville, Ky.) a Florida State rising senior, returned fire with birdies on the second and third to go 1-up, a lead he would keep through the turn.
Both Long and Savage ran into trouble with errant tee shots into the rough on the 11th, but Long would miss his bogey shot to go double vs. Savage’s bogey to set the match at 2 up, Savage. Savage bogeyed the 12th but returned with a birdie on 13th. Long and Savage both landed in the right fairway bunker on 14, but it took Long two more shots to make it to the green to putt for bogey vs. Savage’s par to take the match to 4 up. Savage made an eight foot putt for two on the par-3 15th, giving him the last birdie he needed to close the match at 4 & 3.
The final 36-hole match between Lovemark and Savage begins on the first hole of Pinehurst No. 2 at 7:30 am on Sunday; spectators are welcome.
ABOUT THE North & South Amateur
The North & South Amateur Championship is the
longest consecutively run amateur tournament in
the
United States. Its past winners list includes names
like
Walter
Travis, Francis Ouimet, Billy Joe Patton, Jack
Nicklaus
and Curtis Strange. The field is made up of invited
players as well as open applications. Two rounds of
stroke
play are followed by five rounds of match play
(32
qualifiers) to determine the Champion. All stroke
& match play rounds are contested on
Pinehurst No. 2.
View Complete Tournament Information