CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. – LSU junior and No. 46-seeded Andrew Presley defeated Oklahoma State junior and No. 14-seeded Talor Gooch with a 1-up victory in the Round of 32 before falling to No. 3 seed Cheng-Tsung Pan by a 2-down in the Sweet 16 during Wednesday’s action at the 112th United States Amateur Championship being held at Cherry Hills Country Club.
Presley faced a seemingly insurmountable 3-down deficit to Gooch at the turn of their match in the Round of 32 after dropping three-straight holes with two bogeys at the par-five fifth and par-three sixth holes and a par at the par-four seventh hole. Each made par on Nos. 8 and 9 before making the turn.
But Presley fired out of the gate on the back nine while squaring the match with consecutive birdies at the par-four 10th, par-five 11th and par-three 12th holes just as Gooch made consecutive pars on each.
Presley then took his first lead of the match with a birdie at the par-four 16th hole and captured the victory by a 1-up margin as both made par at the par-five 17th and par-four 18th holes.
The Fort Worth native had no time to rest as he headed back to the first tee to face Pan in the Sweet 16 for the right to continue his run at the Havemeyer Trophy. Like his match with Gooch, Presley again faced a 3-down deficit on the front nine with bogeys at the par-four second, third and fourth holes. He managed to cut the deficit to two holes with a par at the par-three sixth hole.
The two competitors headed to the back nine where Presley cut his deficit in half by holing his first birdie of the match at the par-five 11th hole. Presley then squared the match for the first time since the second tee with a bogey at the mammoth 253-yard par-three 15th hole to best Pan’s double bogey.
But Pan took the 2-up victory and advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal round with birdies at the par-four 16th and 18th holes while setting up a match with No. 6-seeded Brandon Hagy of Westlake Village, Calif.