Aug. 17, 2004
ATLANTA – Roberto Castro and Nicholas Thompson both survived stroke play at the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship Tuesday, and their reward is that they are paired together for the first round of match play Wednesday at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
The top 64 players begin first round matches at 7:30 a.m., and the Castro-Thompson match tees off at 8:40 a.m. Semifinal matches are scheduled for Saturday, and the 36-hole championship match is Sunday. Television coverage of the championship will be on ESPN2, 1-3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2-4 p.m. Friday, 4-6 p.m. Saturday and 3-5 p.m. Sunday.
Castro, a rising sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga., finished in a tie for 23rd place Tuesday after carding a 2-over-par 72. He played the back nine of the West course in 2-under-par Tuesday and posted a 36-hole total of 147, eight shots off the winning score. He finished his round with three birdies in the last five holes.
Thompson, who put himself in good position with an opening 72 Monday on the East course, shot 76 Tuesday on the West and finished at 8-over-par 148, tied for 30th place. The rising senior from Coral Springs, Fla., scored an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole, which proved critical to his making the cut after he played his front nine in 5-over-par.
Ryan Moore won medallist honors with a 1-under-par total of 139 after carding an even-par 70 on Tuesday.
The cut came at 10-over-par 150, and Tech rising senior Chan Song of Bradenton, Fla., missed that mark by one stroke after posting rounds of 77 and 74 for a 36-hole total of 151.
Two Georgia Tech alumni have won the U.S. Amateur. Matt Kuchar was the last to do so, winning in 1997 at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Ill. The legendary Bobby Jones won it five times (1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1930) with the final victory coming as part of his Grand Slam in 1930.
