A Look At The Quarterfinalists

J.C. Deacon, 22, Canada

Playing in his third Amateur…advanced to the second round of the 2005 Canadian Amateur…will be a fifth-year senior at UNLV in the fall…was the roommate of 2004 U.S. Amateur champion Ryan Moore in his freshman year…started out as a serious hockey player until age 14…lists his biggest thrill as leading after the first round of stroke play at the 1999 Junior Amateur, where he shot 65, which is the lowest competitive score in his career…first career hole in one at the 2005 Canadian Amateur…also scored a double eagle in Canada vs. Mexico qualifying for the World Junior…lists himself as the biggest Toronto Maple Leafs fan in the world…also loves the Toronto Blue Jays and Raptors…birthdate: 11/17/72

Dillon Dougherty, 22, Woodland, Calif.

First Amateur after seven attempts…he plays college golf at Northwestern…his grandfather, Bill Dougherty, was a long-time amateur competitor in California…he passed away on July 29 from injuries suffered in an auto accident on Father’s Day…caddied for Tiger Woods when Woods was a Stanford student…won the 2004 Alister Mackenzie Collegiate…he played in the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Junior Amateurs, making match play in 1999…father, Dan, is his caddie…birthdate: 12/17/82

Austin Eaton III, 36, North Sutton, N.H.

Won 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur…playing in his second U.S. Amateur…also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2002 Mid-Amateur…oldest player remaining in the field…played for the USA at the 2005 Copa de las Americas…was an avid ski racer as a youngster…works in a homebuilding business…also won the 2003 New Hampshire Amateur, the 2000 Nassau Invitational and the 1999, 2000, and 2001 Mid-Ocean Invitational…three-time member of international teams for the Met (N.Y.) Golf Association…1991 graduate of New Hampshire…married and his wife, Pamela, was his caddie when he won the Mid-Amateur…scored two holes-in-one when he was 11 years old…birthdate: 6/16/69

Anthony Kim, 20, La Quinta, Calif.

Member of victorious 2005 USA Walker Cup squad…first-team All-American in 2005 and a second-team choice in 2004…won 2005 Big 12 Championship and was the Conference Player of the Year…won 2004 Phil Mickelson Award as nation’s best freshman player…2004 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year…playing in his third U.S. Amateur…he lost in the first round in 2002 to Charlie Beljan (2002 Junior Amateur champion) and in the second round in 2004 to Chris Nallen (2003 USA Walker Cup squad)…medalist at the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links…semifinalist at the 2005 APL…best career score is 63…won the 2004 Northeast Amateur…won 2001 Junior Worlds…2001 California High School Player of the Year…will be a junior at Oklahoma in the fall…birthdate: 6/19/85

Mark Leon, 23, Canada

Playing in his first Amateur…finished 6th at the 2004 NCAA Championships, helping Penn State to its best finish ever (15th)…honorable mention All-American in 2004…first-team All-Big 10 in 2005…all-Mid-Atlantic Region choice in 2003, 2004, 2005…won the 2003 MacDonald Cup…his college roommate Greg Pieczynski is his caddie…will graduate from Penn State in December…best career score is 62 in Penn State team qualifying, which is a Blue Course record…birthdate: 2/23/82

Edoardo Molinari, 24, Italy

Playing in his first Amateur…opened with two 70s and after 33 holes at the 2005 British Open, he was tied for fifth and on the leaderboard just behind Tiger Woods…finished T60th at the British Open…winner of the 2001 Italian Amateur, the 2003 Turkish Amateur and English Under-16 Championship in 1976…runner-up at the 2002 Spanish Amateur and the 2003 Swiss Amateur…brother Francesco, 22, plays on the European Tour…member of Italian team which finished tied for 4th at the 2004 World Amateur Team Championships in Puerto Rico…shot 61 on his home course in 2000…will graduate from Politecnico di Torino in September with a degree in engineering…born in Torino, Italy…birthdate: 2/11/81

Dawie Van Der Walt, 22, South Africa

First Amateur appearance…finished 15th at the 2005 Porter Cup, where he shot his career-low round of 63…placed 11th at the Southern Amateur…member of South African team at 2004 World Amateur Team Championships…played for Lamar University in 2005 where he earned honorable mention All-American honors as well as all-freshman team for the Southland Conference…also won the Baylor Invitational and the Nevada Wolfpack Classic…loves rugby, cricket and tennis…born in Cape Town…birthdate: 2/11/83

Ryan Yip, 20, Canada

First Amateur appearance…member of Canadian National Team…won the 2005 Mid American Conference Championship…first-team all-MAC in 2003, 2004, 2005…Co-Player of the Year in the MAC in 2005…MAC Freshman of the Year…two other collegiate victories – 2004 Central Regional Preview and 2004 Kepler Invitational at Ohio State…carries his own bag…will be a senior at Kent State in the fall…lost in the second round of the recent Canadian Amateur to eventual champion, Richard Scott, 2 and 1…born in Calgary…birthdate: 12/07/84