A Look At The Quarterfinalists

 Patrick Carter, 35, Huntington, W. Va.

Carter, who cites his most memorable moment in golf as being paired with Tiger Woods at the 1996 U.S. Amateur, needed a birdie on the final hole of his qualifier at Aurora Country Club, Aurora, Ill., to make it into this year’s U.S. Amateur. In stroke-play qualifying, Carter shot 3-over 143.

Carter has beaten Andy Svoboda, Parker McLachlin, Michael McDermott, respectively. He faces Lee Williams on Friday.

Carter has successfully qualified all five times he’s tried for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, where he was a quarterfinalist in 1996 and 1997. He has won the W. Virginia Amateur and has been the W. Virginia Player of the Year 10 times.

Jerry Courville, 44, Milford, Conn.

Despite a chronically sore back 15 years running, Courville has been able to overcome the pain to post an impressive amateur resume.

It is his third quarterfinal showing in the U.S. Amateur (1989, 2000 and this year). The furthest he’s gone at the Amateur has been the semifinals in 1989. In the 1995 Amateur he was the qualifying medalist. This is the 10 th consecutive year he has made Amateur match play. In stroke-play qualifying, Courville shot 5-over 145.

To get this far, he knocked off Shawn Stefani, Billy Hurley and Todd White. Courville faces Nicholas Flanagan next.

His mark has been made at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, where Courville has been a semifinalist twice (1993, 1997), been runner-up twice (1999, 2002) and won in 1995. In 1995, he was the low amateur at the U.S. Open.

Courville holds the record for most match-play wins at the Mid-Amateur, with 33. He had a serious stomach operation (for megacolon) in the late 1970s while attending the University of Maryland.

He is married to wife Janet and has one child, Kellie.

Nicholas Flanagan, 19, Australia

Flanagan has played golf for five years. His most memorable highlight is winning the Tasmanian Open, a secondary pro event in Australia that gave him an exemption into the Australian Open. This year he also won the Pacific Northwest Amateur. … is the son of Wayne and Jenny … has a 22-year-old brother, Luke. … has a superstition of always carrying four tees in his right pocket.

To make the quarterfinal round, Flanagan beat Steve Bendt, Andrew Pratt and Jason Hartwick. In stroke-play qualifying, Flanagan needed to get into match play via a 14-for-12 spots playoff. Flanagan faces Jerry Courville next.

Bill Haas, 21, Greer S.C.

Son of PGA Tour pro Jay Haas, Bill has made it to the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Last year at Oakland Hills, Haas was beaten by eventual winner Ricky Barnes in the semifinal round, 1 down.

In last year’s Amateur, Haas was the qualifying medalist at 5-under 135. This year the Haas’ played at the U.S. Open, but Bill did not make the cut.

Advanced to this year’s quarterfinals by beating Jessie Mudd, Josh Persons and Zach Atkinson. In stroke-play qualifying, Haas shot 3-over 143. Haas faces David Oh next.

It is believed that the two Haas’ are the first father-son combo to earn first-team All-America honors. Bill is currently a junior at Wake Forest University, majoring in religion. His uncle, Jerry, was also an All-America at Wake Forest in the 1970s, and a PGA Tour player. His great uncle, Bob Goalby, won the 1968 Masters.

Has four siblings – Jay Jr., Haley, Fran and Georgia… lists caddieing for his father at the Masters as his top golf highlight.

This year he was the ACC Championship runner-up. In 2002, he was All-ACC, and 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year. He is a member of this year’s USA Walker Cup Team.

David Oh, 22, Los Angeles

A senior at the University of Southern California, Oh is appearing in his third U.S. Amateur. He’s also played in one U.S. Junior Amateur. In his career, he has won the 2003 Long Beach Open and the 2001 Long Cove Invitational.

This year he was named as an Academic All-American. … is the son of Young and Connie… has an older brother, Andrew.

In reaching the quarterfinals, Oh dispatched David Robinson, USA Walker Cup Team player Trip Kuehne and Matt Kohn. In beating Kuehne, Oh was the equivalent of 2 under. In stroke-play qualifying, Oh shot 5-over 145. Oh faces Bill Haas next.

Lee Williams, 21, Alexander City, Ala.

A junior at Auburn University, Williams qualified for the U.S. Amateur at the Auburn University Club at 6 under. He was the medalist.

He made it to the quarterfinals by beating Ryan Moore, Chris Botsford, Gregg Jones. He faces Patrick Carter next.

He’s 1-for-1 trying to qualify for the Amateur. Played in the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur, making match play. At this year’s NCAA Division I Championship, Williams posted a runner-up finish.

This year he has won the Dogwood Invitational and Auburn Multi-Match. Last year he won the Southern Amateur and the Alabama Golf Association State Match Play.

As for awards, he was 2 nd Team All-SEC; Third Team All-American; All-American Scholar; All Region Team; and was the Auburn University Most Valuable Player.

He is the son of Devereaux and Jeannine … has a 17-year-old brother, Richard.

Casey Wittenberg, 18, Memphis, Tenn.

Recently named to the USA Walker Cup Team, Wittenberg needed to defeat Walker Cup teammate Adam Rubinson to make the quarterfinal. This year is his first U.S. Amateur. He successfully went 3-for-3 in U.S. Junior Amateur qualifiers. He lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Henry Liaw in the 2001 U.S. Junior Amateur.

In stroke-play qualifying this week, Wittenberg shot 5-over 145. He takes on George Zahringer next.

Lists participating in the 2001 Junior World Cup for the U.S. team in Japan as his most memorable golf highlight. This year he was won the Porter Cup, Southern Amateur and Terra Cotta Invitational.

He will attend Oklahoma State this fall.

George Zahringer, 50, New York, N.Y.

After graduating from Stonehill College in 1975, he was a Columbia University graduate from the School of Business in 1987. He is married to Anne and has five children.

He has appeared in 15 U.S. Amateurs and 11 U.S. Mid-Amateurs.

This marks the second time he’s made the U.S. Amateur quarterfinal (1992). … has won 32 amateur events in his region.

In stroke-play qualifying, Zahringer needed to make it to match play via a 14-for-12 spots playoff. He faces Casey Wittenberg.

Last year he won the Mid-Amateur, becoming the oldest player to do so at 49. He also was the first medalist to win the event. The previous year he was the runner-up, losing to Tim Jackson, 1 down, in the 36-hole final.