A Look At The 2006 U.S. Amateur Quarterfinalists

Oliver Fisher, Essex, England: Competing in his second U.S. Amateur Championship…Advanced to the second round of match play at the 2005 U.S. Amateur…Was defeated by George Zahringer 5 and 4...At the age of 16 he became the youngest player to ever compete in the Walker Cup, when he was a member of the 2005 Great Britain and Ireland team…Went 1-1 in Walker Cup singles match play…Won the 2006 St. Andrews Links Trophy…Was runner-up in the 2006 English Amateur Championship…Son of Kay and Rupert Fisher…Has two sisters: Georgina and Jodie…Birth date: Sept. 13, 1988.

Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif.: Competing in his first U.S. Amateur. This is the first national "open" amateur event he has competed in…Has played in three U.S. Junior Amateurs and has advanced to match play each time…Advanced to the third round of Junior in 2005 and the second round in 2006, losing to Andrew Putnam…Will be senior at Murrieta Valley High School…Won the 2005 Western Junior Amateur and Hudson Junior Amateur…Won 2006 HP Boys Invitational at Bay Hill Club…Runner-up at the AJGA Mission Hills…Reigning California high school state champion…Holds three California state scoring records…Lowest 18-hole competitive score is 62 shot four times…Son of Lynn and Rod Fowler…Has one sister, Taylor…Birth date: Dec. 13, 1988.

John Kelly, St. Louis, Mo.: Competing in his first U.S. Amateur after five previous attempts at qualifying…Senior at the University of Missouri…Big 12 First Team All-Academic…Won the 2006 Missouri Stroke Play, the 2006 Ozark Invitational and the 2004 Metropolitan Amateur…Runner-up in the 2005 Missouri Amateur and the 2006 Phil Cotton…Lowest 18-hole competitive score is 65, shot at the Country Club of Missouri…Son of Teresa and Shawn Kelly…Birth date: Nov. 1, 1984.

Trip Kuehne, Dallas, Texas: Competing in his 11th U.S. Amateur Championship...The last time he reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur was 1994, when he was runner-up to Tiger Woods at Tournament Players Club of Sawgrass…Stroke-play medalist in the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links…Advanced to the third round of the 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship…Member of the 1995 and 2003 USA Walker Cup teams…Played in the 1995 Masters and three U.S. Opens, including 2003 at Olympia Fields Country Club when he was low amateur…Won the 2006 Old Palm Invitational and the 2003 and the 2004 Coleman Amateur Championship…Runner-up in the 2005 and 2006 Coleman Amateur, 2006 Sunnehanna and 2001 Western Amateur…At Oklahoma State was named 1996 Big 8 student athlete of the year and won the Ben Hogan Award…Lowest competitive 18-hole score is 61 and has seven hole-in-ones…He is a fund manager for Double Eagle Capital Management…Married to wife, Dusti and has a 6-year-old son, Will…His brother, Hank won the 1998 U.S. Amateur, while sister, Kelli, captured the 1994 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 1995 and ’96 U.S. Women’s Amateur titles…Birth date: June 20, 1972.

Alex Prugh, Spokane, Wash.: Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship…Played in two U.S. Junior Amateurs, his best finish was in 2002 when he advanced to the second round of match play…Senior at the University of Washington…2006 Third team All-American and 2004 All-American Honorable Mention…2006 First Team All-Pac-10 and 2006 All-Academic Pac-10…Won the 2005 Pacific Coast Amateur and the 2005 Washington State Men’s Amateur…Runner-up in the 2006 Washington State Men’s Amateur…Lowest competitive 18-hole score is 63 shot at Indian Canyon…Has one double eagle…Son of Susan and Steve Prugh…Sister, Hillary and brother, Corey both played collegiate golf…Father Steve qualified for the 2006 U.S. Senior Open…Birth date: Sept. 1, 1984.

Richard Ramsay, Aberdeen, Scotland: Competing in his second U.S. Amateur Championship…Member of the 2005 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, where he was 1-1 in match play…Palmer Cup Team member...Senior at the University of Stirling in Scotland. Will graduate in December…Won the 2004 Scottish Open Stroke play and the 2005 Irish Amateur Stroke play…Lowest competitive 18-hole score is 62 shot at Murcur Golf Club…Has had three hole-in-ones…Son of Sandra and Iain…Has one brother: Robin…Birth date: June 15, 1983.

Webb Simpson, Raleigh, N.C.: Competing in his third U.S. Amateur…Advanced to the second round of match play at the 2005 U.S. Amateur, where he was defeated by 2005 USA Walker Cupper Anthony Kim…Played in three U.S. Junior Amateurs, his best finish coming in 2003 when he was a quarterfinalist…Junior at Wake Forest University…2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and two-time All-ACC Team…2004-2005 All-American Honorable Mention, 2005-2006 second-team All-America…Won the 2006 Sunnehanna Amateur, 2005 Southern Amateur, 2004 Azalea Amateur…Runner-up in the 2006 Northeast Amateur, 2006 Dogwood Amateur…Lowest competitive 18-hole score is 63 shot at the Dogwood Amateur…Has one hole-in-one…Son of Debbie and Sam Simpson…Has three sisters Camille, Blake and Chase, and a brother, Sam…Birth date: Aug. 8, 1985.

Ryan Yip, Calgary, Canada: Competing in his second U.S. Amateur…Advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2005 U.S. Amateur, where he lost to eventual runner-up Dillon Dougherty…Former member of Kent State golf team…Graduated from Kent State in 2006…Named 2004 and 2006 Mid-American Conference Co-Golfer of the Year…Was a two-time All-MAC First Team selection and was named MAC Freshman of the Year…Advanced to the semifinals of the 2006 Canadian Amateur Championship…Has three collegiate individual titles…Won the 2005 MAC conference championship, the 2004 NCAA Regional Preview Tournament and the 2004 Robert Kepler Invitational…Lowest competitive 18-hole score is 63 shot at the MAC championship…Son of Elaine and Jim Yip…Birth date: Dec. 7, 1984.