Aug. 25, 2009

2009 U.S. Amateur Championship

TULSA, Okla. - UC Davis senior Austin Graham cut six strokes off his first-round score with a 2-over 72 on Tuesday while teammate Andrew Haggen shot a 79 as both Aggies concluded play at the 109th annual U.S. Amateur Championship at Tulsa, Okla.

Neither player advanced to the first round of match play which begins on Wednesday with the low 64 scorers from the 36 holes of stroke play. Graham tied for 105th at 10-over while Haggen tied for 177th at 14-over. No player at the championship finished stroke play below par.

Graham earned his spot in the presitigous field after qualifying at Red Hill Country Club in Southern California earlier this month. He has enjoyed a strong summer of tournament action, claiming titles at the 110th Southern California Golf Association Championship and the Long Beach City Championship.

On Tuesday, back-to-back birdies on the the par-4 eighth and ninth holes helped him rally back to even on his front nine while seven pars on the back helped him post a strong round of 72.

Haggen, a redshirt freshman who qualified for the U.S. Amateur with third-place tie at Whirlwind Golf Club in Arizona in early August, had a pair of birdies on two of the first four holes of his back nine to help highlight his second round. Haggen opened the tournament with a 75 on Monday.

Graham played his round on Tuesday at Cedar Ridge Country Club while Haggen played at Southern Hills Country Club. Tim Jackson of Germantow, Tenn., finished at par-140 for the two rounds to earn medalist honors by a stroke.

Both players will begin to turn their focus to the UC Davis men's golf season which starts at Washington State on Sept. 14.

Former UC Davis standout Louie Bishop also concluded play at the U.S. Amateur, shooting a 75 to finish at 11-over 151. He tied for 122nd.