TCU golfer McLean upends nation's fifth-ranked amateur
8/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Aug. 24, 2006
CHASKA, Minn. - TCU sophomore golfer Jon McLean continued his outstanding play at the 106th U.S. Amateur Championship on Thursday, earning a 2 and 1 upset victory over Dustin Johnson, the nation's fifth-ranked amateur. With the win, McLean joins former All-Americans J.J. Henry, Adam Rubinson and J.J. Killeen as the only Horned Frogs ever to reach the prestigious tournament's third round.
McLean never trailed in the match, and was 5-under on his ball through 17 holes. He played bogey-free golf, added three birdies and also tossed in an eagle. However, despite his stellar play, McLean never led by more than two holes. Johnson, a first-team All-America selection in 2006 for Coastal Carolina, made two eagles on the day and had a scorecard of minus-2.
On No. 14, a 305-yard, par-4, the Weston, Fla., product and son of noted golf instructor Jim McLean, made his shot of the day, chipping in from 30 feet to post an eagle that gave him a two-hole advantage, which he maintained the rest of the way. The 20-year-old clinched the victory with a five-foot par putt on the par-3 17th.
With McLean and Johnson approaching the green on the first hole, play at Hazeltine National Golf Course was delayed for four hours due to thunderstorms, forcing a postponement of the third round until Friday. Play resumed at 12:45, and McLean won the first hole with a par.
On Friday, McLean will face John Kelly, a senior at the University of Missouri, who was a 4 and 3 winner over UNLV's Eddie Olson. The match is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. (CDT). The winner will then play for a berth in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Live scoring of both matches will be available on www.usamateur.org, while The Golf Channel will provide television coverage from 3-5 p.m.
Established in 1895, the Amateur Championship is the oldest golf championship in this country. Previous winners include: Bobby Jones (5 times), Tiger Woods (3 times), Jack Nicklaus (2 times), Arnold Palmer and Phil Mickelson.
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