U.S. Open: Fitzpatrick, Goss share low am lead
Matthew Fitzpatrick
PINEHURST, N.C. (June 12, 2014) -- Matthew Fitzpatrick and Oliver Goss both carded 1-over 71s and share the lead in the race for the low amateur at the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Fitzpatrick, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, birdied four holes in his first U.S. Open round and appeared high on the leaderboard early in the day. This will be his final tournament as an amateur.
Goss, the Australian who lost to Fitzpatrick in the U.S. Amateur final at The Country Club of Brookline last summer, was a bit more consistent during his round. He had birdies on Nos. 4 and 10 before a double-bogey six on No. 11. He bounced back, though, parring out to remain tied with Fitzpatrick.
The duo is tied for 36th place and sits six shots back of first-round leader Martin Kaymer.
Stanford's Maverick McNealy carded a 4-over 74 and is tied for 88th.
Entering Round 2, several amateurs have work to do to have a chance at staying under the cut line.
Vanderbilt's Hunter Stewart (5-over), Illinois' Brian Campbell (6-over) and Cory Whitsett of Alabama and junior Will Grimmer (both shot 7-over) have an inside shot of getting into the weekend.
ABOUT THE
U.S. Open Golf Championship
The U.S. Open is the biggest of the 15 national
championships conducted by the USGA.
Open
to amateurs and professionals. Amateurs gain
entry via USGA win or runner-up finishes while having the opportunity
to qualify alongside non-exempt professionals in an 18-hole "Local' qualifying followed
by 36-hole "Final" qualifying which is affectionately known as golf's longest day.
Highly-ranked amateurs will be exempted past the 18-hole Local Qualifying. See the
USGA website for details. And if you are exempt on any level be sure to apply by the deadline anyway.
The USGA intends to make the U.S. Open
the
most rigorous, yet fair, examination of golf
skills, testing all forms of shot-making. The
USGA prepares the course after careful
consideration of 14 different factors.
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