Medalist Jackson's Run Ends At U.S. Amateur
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| Charlie Holland moved into the third round of match play knocked off medalist Tim Jackson. (John Mummert/USGA) |
By Pete Kowalski, USGA
Tulsa, Okla. – Stroke-play medalist Tim Jackson of Germantown, Tenn., had an enviable run of stellar play end with a 2-and-1 loss to Charlie Holland of Dallas, Texas, in the second round of match play Thursday at the 2009 U.S. Amateur.
At Southern Hills Country Club’s par-70, 7,093-yard layout, the 50-year-old Jackson who led the 2009 U.S. Senior Open through 36 holes earlier this summer, couldn’t duplicate his play from earlier in the week.
“I’m disappointed,” said two-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Jackson. “My lines were just a tad off on some critical tee shots and I had three or four putts today that, three right-to-left putts which are normally the ones I make, were just barely a hair off the line on the high side. I had an opening on the back side to do something but totally botched up 13 – just gave that hole away, didn’t even finish the hole. But other than that I’m happy with the way I competed. I can’t complain.”
Meanwhile, Holland, 23 and a senior at the University of Texas, fought off a two-hole deficit after three holes, took the lead after the eighth hole and held it. The critical hole was the par-4 15th when Holland holed a 35-foot birdie putt from off the green to take a 2-up advantage.
“I’ve gotten to know him this summer, we’ve played all the tournaments this summer,” Holland said of Jackson. “He’s a great player, a really good player. Steady, doesn’t make any mistakes. But, he made a few today. And I just kind of got him a little bit.”
Holland now has two critical wins under his belt with victories over Jackson as well as USA Walker Cup team member Morgan Hoffmann in the first round.
The only remaining USA Walker Cup team member, Bud Cauley, 19, of Jacksonville, Fla., was knocked out by David Lingmerth, 22, of Sweden, who plays college golf at the University of Arkansas, 2 and 1.
Match play continues Friday with the quarterfinals and ends with Sunday’s scheduled 36-hole championship final.
Winners of this afternoon’s third-round matches are traditionally exempt from qualifying for the 2010 U.S. Amateur as quarterfinalists.
Begun in 1895, the U.S. Amateur is the oldest of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Pete Kowalski is a Manager of Communications for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at pkowalski@usga.org.
