By Dave Fanucchi, USGA

Village of Pinehurst, N.C. – Top-ranked amateur Danny Lee, 18, of New Zealand, continued his impressive summer hot streak by defeating Wichita State’s Connor McHenry, 20, of Jefferson City, Mo., Thursday afternoon, 7 and 6, to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pinehurst No. 2.

Lee, who made the cut at last week’s PGA Tour Wyndham Championship nearby in Greensboro, N.C., was the equivalent of six under par for 13 holes in ousting Clemson sophomore Jacob Burger, 5 and 4, in the day’s morning matches.

"I am really confident and played very aggressively today," said Lee. "Everything is working for me right now."

Meanwhile, highly decorated amateur Derek Fathauer, 22, of Jensen Beach, Fla., eliminated a pair of players with well-known fathers in Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway, 19, of Edmond, Okla., and 18-year-old Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, Fla. Tway’s father, Bob, caddied for his son and skipped this week’s PGA Tour playoff event at The Barclays, while Uihlein is the son of Titleist executive Wally Uihlein.

Fathauer played 42 holes to win his pair of matches. He outlasted Tway in 22 holes in the afternoon, and came from behind to beat Uihlein in 20 holes in the morning.

"These matches have kept getting tougher, but I guess that’s how it goes here," said Fathauer said, who lost a 3-up advantage with five holes to play. "I’m happy with where I’m at and want to keep winning, but I don’t have any expectations. I just go out and play. I’ll get some good rest and be ready to go tomorrow."

Rickie Fowler, 19, of Murrieta, Calif., beat Jake Koppenberg of Everett, Wash., Thursday morning, 6 and 5, but was eliminated in the round of 16 in the afternoon by University of Georgia senior Adam Mitchell, 21, of Chattanooga, Tenn., 5 and 4.

Other players advancing to the quarterfinals include:

• University of Texas junior Charlie Holland, 22, of Dallas, who got by Stanford sophomore Sihwan Kim, 20, of Buena Park, Calif., in 23 holes, following a morning victory in 20 holes over Erik Flores of Grass Valley, Calif.
• Oklahoma State’s Morgan Hoffmann, 18, of Saddle Brook, N.J., who took care of University of Arkansas senior Andrew Landry, 21, of Groves, Texas, 2 and 1.
• Nineteen-year-old Drew Kittleson of Scottsdale, Ariz., who dispatched Duke University student Jeff Edelman, 5 and 4.
• University of Georgia incoming freshman Patrick Reed, 18, of Augusta, Ga., who survived a 23-hole match in the afternoon to eliminate N.C. State’s Brandon Detweiler, 21, of Akron, Pa.
• Twenty-two-year-old Canadian Graham Hill – a 2008 graduate of Eastern Michigan University – who defeated 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion Kevin Marsh, 32, of Las Vegas, Nev., 5 and 4.

Continuing coverage of the U.S. Amateur Championship can be seen on the Golf Channel from 12-2 p.m. EDT Friday. Saturday’s semifinal match coverage on the Golf Channel begins at 1 p.m. EDT with a pair of exemptions to the 2009 U.S. Open and probable invitations to the Masters Tournament, while live coverage of Sunday’s 36-hole final match for the Havemeyer Trophy begins at 1 p.m.

Results

Village of Pinehurst, N.C. – Results from Thursday’s second and third rounds of match play at the U.S. Amateur Championship, at the 7,281-yard, par-70, No. 2 course:

Second Round

Upper Bracket

Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla. (143) def. Robbie Fillmore, Provo, Utah (134), 3 and 2
Derek Fathauer, Jensen Beach, Fla. (140) def. Peter Uihlein, Bradenton, Fla. (140), 20 holes
Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz. (143) def. Matthew Swan, Montgomery, Ala. (139), 4 and 3
Jeff Edelman, Southlake, Texas (139) def. Paul Woodbury, Lake City, S.C. (143), 20 holes
Adam Mitchell, Chattanooga, Tenn. (144) def. Mike McCoy, W. Des Moines, Iowa (142), 4 and 3
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. (144) def. Jake Koppenberg, Everett, Wash. (141), 6 and 5
Charlie Holland, Dallas, Texas (143) def. Erik Flores, Grass Valley, Calif. (138), 20 holes
Sihwan Kim, Buena Park, Calif. (140) def. Matt Hill, Canada (141), 5 and 4

Lower Bracket

Morgan Hoffmann, Saddle Brook, N.J. (143) def. Wesley Bryan, Chapin, S.C. (136), 2 and 1
Andrew Landry, Groves, Texas (144) def. Billy Horschel, Grant, Fla. (140), 5 and 3
Connor McHenry, Jefferson City, Mo. (142) def. Kyle Stanley, Gig Harbor, Wash. (138), 1 up
Danny Lee, New Zealand (141) def. Jacob Burger, Orangeburg, S.C. (140), 5 and 4
Patrick Reed, Augusta, Ga. (144) def. Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev. (142), 4 and 3
Brandon Detweiler, Akron, Pa. (140) def. Brian Harman, Savannah, Ga. (140), 1 up
Graham Hill, Canada (142) def. Skip Berkmeyer, St. Louis, Mo. (144), 1 up
Kevin Marsh, Henderson, Nev. (141) def. Nick Taylor, Canada (140), 2 and 1

Third Round

Upper Bracket

Fathauer def. Tway, 22 holes
Kittleson def. Edelman, 5 and 4
Mitchell def. Fowler, 5 and 4
Holland def. Kim, 23 holes

Lower Bracket

Hoffmann def. Landry, 2 and 1
Lee def. McHenry, 7 and 6
Reed def. Detweiler, 23 holes
Hill def. Marsh, 5 and 4

Match schedule for Friday’s Quarterfinals (times EDT):

10 a.m. - Fathauer vs Kittleson
10:15 a.m. - Mitchell vs Holland
10:30 a.m. - Hoffmann vs Lee
10:45 a.m. - Reed vs Hill