Tyler Wilkes (Pinehurst photo)

Medalist Travis Vick (Texas) was eliminated from the tournament by Florida signee Tyler Wilkes. Finishing hot following Tuesday’s final round of stroke play with four birdies on his final 10 holes, Wilkes felt comfortable facing the No. 1 seed.

“I had a good amount of confidence coming into the match today, based on how I finished yesterday,” Wilkes told Pinehurst.

With the nation’s best amateurs at Pinehurst, your A-game better be brought no matter what. Vick did so but still missed out on being able to defend his title as Wilkes won with a par on the par-4 18th.

“It was a great, great match, and I think we only made two bogeys as a group until the final hole,” said Wilkes. “I’m really excited to come out on top against one of the best amateurs in the world.”

Wilkes will face 17-seed Matt McCarty (Santa Clara) who won 3 & 2 over Jackson Van Paris (Vanderbilt signee) in the Round of 16 Friday morning.

Wilkes was not along in upsetting a higher seed on Thursday.

2019 U.S. Amateur semifinalist William Holcomb (Sam Houston State) defeated East Carolina’s Blake Taylor 3 & 2. Vanderbilt signee Gordon Sargent (29-seed) beat Texas A&M’s William Paysse (4-seed) 1 up. Oklahoma transfer Jonathan Brightwell (31-seed) bested North Carolina signee Peter Fountain (2-seed) avenging his loss to Fountain at the 2020 North Carolina Amateur two weeks ago.

“We’re dear friends,” Brightwell said of Fountain. “I was happy for him at the state amateur. It really couldn’t have gone to a better guy, if I couldn’t win myself. I was happy to play him, but yeah, I was hoping to beat him this time.”

Related: Peter Fountain breaks through at NC Amateur

As is with any match play event, upsets are bound to happen. However, the number of upsets today served notice to the higher seeds that nothing comes easy.

Play resumes at 7:00 am Eastern time Friday as the field will be cut from 16 to four at sundown at Pinehurst.