By Dave Fanucchi, USGA

Village of Pinehurst, N.C. – Top-ranked amateur Danny Lee, 18, of New Zealand, and second-ranked Rickie Fowler, 19, of Murrieta, Calif., each cruised to victories in the second round of match play Thursday morning on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Lee, who made the cut at last week’s PGA Tour Wyndham Championship in nearby Greensboro, N.C., kept his momentum going and was the equivalent of six under par for 13 holes in defeating Clemson sophomore Jacob Burger, 5 and 4. "I am really confident and played very aggressively today," Lee said. "Everything is working for me right now."

Lee will face Wichita State’s Connor McHenry, 20, of Jefferson City, Mo., this afternoon. McHenry got by Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor, Wash., 1 up.

Fowler won six of the first eight holes to beat Jake Koppenberg of Everett, Wash., 6 and 5. "He missed a few putts that helped me early, and I made some good putts along the way," Fowler said. "I didn’t even birdie the par 5s, but I got up and down every time."

The 2008 Ben Hogan Award winner, which is annually given to the NCAA Player of the Year, will next meet University of Georgia senior Adam Mitchell, 21, who dispatched 45-year-old Mike McCoy of West Des Moines, Iowa, 4 and 3.

Fowler’s Oklahoma State teammate Kevin Tway, 19, of Edmond, Okla., was a 3-and-2 winner over the championship’s stroke play medalist Robbie Fillmore. Tway’s father, Bob, is caddieing for his son and skipped this week’s PGA Tour Playoff event at The Barclays to do so.

In his next match, Tway will next take on highly-regarded amateur Derek Fathauer, 22, of Jensen Beach, Fla. Fathauer was involved in one of the morning’s longest matches. He needed 20 holes to get by 18-year-old Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, Fla., the son of Titleist executive Wally Uihlein.

"It’s was the toughest match I have ever played," said Fathauer. "We were both hitting our drivers everywhere, but Peter is a great player. I don’t think either of us had our A game, so it was unfortunate about the putt he missed on the last hole (from 4 feet for par to lose the match). But it happens."

Other players advancing to the round of 16 this morning include: Stanford sophomore Sihwan Kim, 20, of Buena Park, Calif., who posted a 5-and-4 triumph over Canadian Matt Hill; Arkansas senior Andrew Landry, 21, of Groves, Texas, who eliminated the University of Florida’s Billy Horschel, 5 and 3; and a third Oklahoma State Cowboy in 18-year-old Morgan Hoffmann of Saddle Brook, N.J., who dispatched second-seeded Wesley Bryan of Chapin, S.C., 2 and 1.

Duke University student Jeff Edelman, 20, of Southlake, Texas, was a winner in 20 holes over University of South Carolina junior Paul Woodbury, and will meet 19-year-old Drew Kittleson of Scottsdale, Ariz., this afternoon. Edelman is not a member of the Blue Devils golf team.

The 16 remaining amateurs will be paired down to the quarterfinals by this evening’s end.

Live coverage of the U.S. Amateur Championship can be seen on the Golf Channel from 12-2 p.m. EDT this afternoon and Friday. Saturday’s semifinal match coverage on the Golf Channel begins at 1 p.m. EDT with a pair of U.S. Open exemptions on the line, while coverage of Sunday’s 36-hole final match for the Havemeyer Trophy begins at 1 p.m. as well.

Dave Fanucchi is the USGA’s Director of Public Relations. E-mail him with questions or comments at dfanucchi@usga.org.