Horned Frog Golfers Open Play at U.S. Amateur
8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Aug. 22, 2005
ARDMORE, Pa. - One current and one former TCU golfer find themselves among the top 64 following the first day of stroke play at the 105th U.S. Amateur Championship, as incoming freshman Jesse Speirs is tied for 27th and 2005 alum J.J. Killeen has a share of 44th among the 312 participants through 18 holes. Three other Horned Frog golfers--James Sacheck, Franklin Corpening and Jon McLean--are also participating in the event.
Following Tuesday's stroke play round, the field will be cut to the low 64 amateurs. Those 64 players will then compete in a match play elimination tournament until the Sunday's 36-hole championship. The stroke play portion is being played on Merion Golf Club's historic East Course (6,846 yards, par 34-36-70) as well as the Philadelphia Country Club Course (6,967 yards, par 35-35-70). The match play will be contested strictly on the more difficult Merion Course. Of the top 64 scores on Monday, just 14 came from players on the East Course.
Speirs, who hails from Bangor, Maine, registered a 1-over round of 71 at the Philadelphia Course on Monday. He carded three birdies, including one on his final hole, and four bogeys in the opening round. Speirs came out firing, playing his first 12 holes at minus-1. The TCU signee begins his second round on Tuesday at 7:26 a.m. (ET) on the Merion Course.
Killeen, a veteran of three previous U.S. Amateurs, began the 2005 tournament with a 2-over 72. He started the morning with a double bogey on his first hole, then played even-par golf the rest of the way thanks to birdies on two of his last three holes. In 2003, Killeen reached the event's round of 16, matching the best finish ever by a TCU golfer. The 2005 Third-Team All-American tees off at Merion at 1:14 p.m. (ET).
TCU's remaining three golfers are in the lower half of the field and will have to make major moves on Tuesday to reach the match play. Sacheck, a sophomore from Zionsville, Ind., shot a 77 on the Philadelphia Course to land in a tie for 176th. He was able to avoid big numbers, but had nine bogeys to go along with a pair of birdies. McLean, another member of TCU's heralded freshman class, posted an 8-over 78 on the Merion Course. He was 5-over on his last four holes after playing the first 14 at plus-3 to place in 192nd. Corpening, a sophomore and Fort Worth native, had a 12-over sum of 82 on Monday. He resides in a share of 267th position.
The U.S. Amateur 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. For more information and tournament results, visit the tournament's official website: www.usamateur.org. The U.S. Amateur will have 10 hours of live national coverage on The Golf Channel and NBC over the last five days of the championship.
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Players Mentioned
