The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Holland reaches round of 32 at U.S. Amateur Championship
08.26.2009 | Men's Golf
Aug. 26, 2009
TULSA, Okla. -- University of Texas senior Charlie Holland navigated through 18 holes of match play and a sudden-death playoff to defeat Oklahoma State's Morgan Hoffmann Wednesday at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship at the Southern Hills Country Club.
Hoffmann held a 3-up lead through 12 holes before Holland claimed the next three holes to even the match. Holland and Hoffmann each made bogey at the 16th hole and halved the remaining two holes to push the match into a sudden-death playoff.
With the first playoff hole held at No. 1, a par four, 466-yard layout, Hoffmann bogeyed once more while Holland countered with a par to claim the match. Holland will take on Tim Jackson, the tournament's stroke-play medalist, in Thursday's match-play round of 32.
UT sophomore Alex Moon (Plano, Texas) rallied from a four-hole deficit through seven holes and cut Byeong-Hun An's lead to 1-up through 11 holes, but he would not get any closer. An won the 12th hole to go 2-up, and after halving holes 13 through 15, Moon won the 16th hole to cut his deficit to one hole. But, An claimed the 17th hole to seal the match and claim a 2 and 1 victory.
POST-MATCH QUOTES
"After reaching the quarterfinals last year, I knew I could come out and play with these guys. I was rolling the ball well on the greens, though I didn't striking the ball as well, elsewhere. It is a tough course, but I knew I could hang in there and do it today. It gives me confidence for the rest of the tournament. You have to put the ball in play here. The fairways are only about 20 yards wide. In my second stroke-play round on Tuesday, I hit the driver well, and that helped me out today with my confidence on the driver.
"I'm excited to move on to Thursday.. It will be another long day out here, and of course, I will have to play well. I have to continue to hit fairways and make putts. Match play is a lot of fun. This summer has been a lot easier on me. I didn't have the spring I wanted to have, so I dropped that and went back to what I know. It has been a long road since January. I started in the (U.S. Amateur) sectional qualifying in June and played well. I'm striking the ball better and getting my confidence back."
