Aug. 19, 2004
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s Nicholas Thompson advanced to the round of 16 in the U.S. Amateur Thursday morning, but his run ended Thursday afternoon when he was eliminated, 3 and 2, by Jeff Overton of Evansville, Ind.
Thompson, a senior from Coral Springs, Fla., won his second-round match Thursday morning, 3 and 2, over Bronson LaCassie of Australia at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Overton, who had dominated his morning match by taking a four-hole lead at the turn, also started fast against Thompson. He won four of the first five holes in their afternoon match, then birdied the 10th hole to go 5-up.
Thompson rallied to win the next three holes and reduce his deficit to two holes with five to play, but both players parred the next two holes, clinching the match for Overton.
Thompson’s morning match was an up-and-down affair as the competitors halved only three holes out of 16 played. Thompson led 1-up at the turn, then lost the next two holes to trail by one. But the Tech senior won each of the next four holes, carding birdies at Nos. 13 and 15, to close out the match.
It is the farthest a Tech player or alumnus has advanced in the U.S. Amateur since Matt Kuchar won the title in 1997 in Lemont, Ill.
Thompson’s Results
d. Roberto Castro, Alpharetta, Ga., 2 and 1
d. Bronson LaCassie, Australia, 3 and 2
l. Jeff Overton, Evansville, Ind., 3 and 2
