Zahringer and Courville Reach Quarterfinals in the 2003 U.S. Amateur Championship
OAKMONT, PA.-Two Met Area legends, George Zahringer and Jerry Courville Jr. lost in the quarterfinal round of Match Play at the 103rd U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakmont Country Club, outside Pittsburgh, PA. The finalists from last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship both moved to the quarterfinals with solid victories in the third round.
Zahringer met youngster Casey Wittenberg of Memphis Tenn., who, at only eighteen-years of age, has already secured his spot as the youngest member of the 2003 U.S. Walker Cup Team. Zahringer struggled for most of the day, as he spent the majority of the match at either one or two down. He battled back to all square with two holes to play, yet a bogey on the 17th hole would leave him one down with one to play. Zahringer and Wittenberg both made par fours on the 18th to give Wittenberg a one up victory.
In the quarterfinals Courville met Nick Flanagan of Australia, the last remaining international player in the field. Although Courville started strong with a birdie on the first hole to go one up, he quickly began to struggle and four bogeys and a double bogey left him three down through six. Courville was unable to cut into the lead enough as Flanagan came to the 17th dormie 2. Courville was not ready to give up, however, as he birdied the par-four 17th to bring the match to the 18th hole. Both players finished with par fours to give Flanagan a one up victory and a trip to the semifinals.
Courville fired a 67 in the second round of stroke play qualifying on Tuesday to make match play for the 10th consecutive year, and then went on to beat Shawn Stefani of Baytown, TX, 2 & 1. Zahringer survived a twelve-man playoff (for the final ten spots) to advance to face Alex Hamilton of Aiken, SC. Zahringer won the last hole with a par to advance, one up.
In the second round Courville battled back from a two-hole deficit with four to play to defeat Billy Hurley of Leesburg, VA, 1 up. Zahringer quickly dominated his second round match against Korey Mahoney of East Lansing, Mich. as he won the 3rd, 4th, and 5th holes on the way to his 4 & 2 victory.
In Zahringer’s third round match against JJ Killeen of Lubbock Texas, he found himself one down after two, but quickly battled back to 2 up after 8. He held on to that lead for most of the match giving himself a 2 &1 victory. Courville dominated his third round match against Todd White of Spartanburg, SC as he birdied four of the first seven holes to give himself a 4 up lead. He was able to hold off White for the remainder of the match and finish with a 4 & 3 victory.
Courville and Zahringer will both be returning to the Met Area to compete in this year’s Met Open Championship at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, NJ on August 26-28.
