VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2008)--Robbie Fillmore, 22, of Provo, Utah, shot a 5-under-par 65 on the No. 4 course Tuesday to win medalist honors by two strokes on the second day of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.
A first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection at Brigham Young University, Fillmore logged one eagle and four birdies against a sole bogey for a 36-hole total of 6-under-par 134. His 65 is the lowest score of the stroke play portion of the championship.
His eagle came on the 447-yard, par-4 fifth when a 6-iron shot from 178 yards took one bounce and rolled into the hole.
"The goal was to make match play," Fillmore said. "To shoot 65 makes it that much better. I feel really good about the way I’ve been playing."
His 36-hole medalist score tied (with three others) for the second-lowest in Amateur history. Hank Kim shot 132 in 1994 for the lowest medalist score.
Fillmore is trailed by Wesley Bryan of Chapin, S.C., at 136; and Corey Nagy, 19, of Charlotte, N.C., and Dan Woltman of Beaver Dam, Wis., at 137.
Bryan, 18 and a freshman at the University of South Carolina, followed his 67 on No. 2 with a 69 on No. 4.
"I was two over after eight holes and I knew I had to make a move," Bryan said. "I wanted the medal to be honest, but I’ll live. I played good. The next goal is winning. It’s been a goal to win this ever since I was little."
Nagy’s 3-under-par 67 came on the famed No. 2 course, which has been the site of two U.S. Opens.
Fillmore, who spent 2004-2006 on a mission in Chile and is married, did not play golf in those two years.
"You grow up pretty fast," Fillmore said. "I matured a lot."
Among those advancing to match play were 2007 USA Walker Cupper Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor, Wash., at 2-under 138; 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Sihwan Kim of Buena Park, Calif.; 2003 Junior Amateur champion; 2005 Walker Cupper Brian Harman of Savannah, Ga., and 2007 Walker Cup team member Billy Horschel of Gainesville, Fla., at 140.
The oldest player to advance to match play is 52-year-old Brady Exber of Las Vegas, Nev., who finished at 142.
A 26-player playoff for the final two berths in the match play will be played at No. 4 beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The 26 competitors in the playoff is the second most in Amateur history, eclipsed only by the 31 players in 1988.
Among those not advancing to match play were three past USGA champions: 2004 U.S. Austin Eaton (2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur); Danny Green (1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur) and Nathan Smith (2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur).
Play continues Wednesday with the beginning of match play for the low 64 scorers. The championship runs through the end of the week, with the 36-hole final match scheduled for Sunday.
Other notables who have won the title are Bob Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
The Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
--Story by Pete Kowalski, USGA Manager of Media Relations
ABOUT THE U.S. Amateur
The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA
championship, was first played in 1895 at
Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The
event,
which has no age restriction, is open to
those
with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower. It is
one
of 14 national championships conducted
annually by the USGA, 10 of which are
strictly
for amateurs. It is the pre-eminent
amateur
competition in the world.
Applications are typically placed online in the spring
at www.usga.org.
View Complete Tournament Information