Updated 3:20 p.m. (August 16, 2012) - Despite never seeing a deficit in the match, Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y., lost in 20-holes to Oliver Goss of Australia. Miller was up as much as three in the match, but lost the final hole to force a playoff. Miller was the last Met Area contestant in the Championship.

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Updated 3:20 p.m. (August 15, 2012) - Australia's Brett Drewitt gave Mike Miller everything he had in the first-round of the U.S. Amateur, but in the end, the 2011 Met Amateur champ bested the Aussie in 19 holes. Neither Miller or Drewitt held a lead larger than 1-up throughout the entire match, and from the 12th hole on, it was a game of seesaw. Miller will now move on to the Round of 32 to be played at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning against another Australian Oliver Goss.

Meanwhile, Andrew Biggadike of Ridgewood, N.J. saw his U.S. Amateur run come to an end against Douglas Hanzel of Savannah, Ga., who won 3 & 2.

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Updated 9:15 a.m. (August 15, 2012) - With two rounds of stroke play qualifying in the books at the 112 U.S. Amateur in Denver, Colorado, two Met Area amateurs are still alive as the championship shifts to match play. Reigning MGA Player of the Year Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y., came roaring back yesterday to make match play for the second consecutive year. After a first-round, 3-over 74 on Monday at Cherry Hills, Miller fired a 2-under 68 at CommonGround, the other course used for stroke play qualifying, to make the match play portion of the USGA championship, which will now remain at Cherry Hills through Sunday's 36-hole final. Finishing one stroke ahead of Miller in stroke play Andrew Biggadike of Ridgewood, N.J., who shot 68-73 for a total of 141.

Today, Miller will face Brett Drewitt of Australia in his first -round match at 8:40 a.m. local time (10:40 a.m. EDT). Biggadike is matched up against Douglas Hanzel of Savannah, Ga. and is set to tee off at 9:30 a.m. local time (11:30 a.m. EDT).

The rest of the 11 Met Area players who began play in the U.S. Amateur on Monday did not make the cut to match play. Among them were Max Buckley of Rye, N.Y., who struggled in his second round after a first-round 68, and 2010 U.S. Junior champion Jim Liu.

First-Round Matches Starting Times (MDT):
Miller: 8:40 a.m. MDT, vs. Brett Drewitt of Australia
Biggadike: 9:30 a.m. MDT, vs. Douglas Hanzel of Savannah, Ga.

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FIRST ROUND OF STROKE PLAY

Updated 11:45 a.m. (August 14, 2012) - The first round of the U.S. Amateur has been completed and several Met Area locals have had some success.  Yesterday's action was highlighted by Max Buckley of Rye, N.Y., and Andrew Biggadike, who both shot 2-under 68 in their first rounds at CommonGround Golf Course. Like the rest of the field at CommonGround, Buckley and Biggadike will switch courses and play Cherry Hills in the second round of the 36-hole qualifier.

CommonGround Golf Course featured a par-70 layout at just under 7,500 yards. Besides Buckley and Biggadike, four other Met Area players played their first rounds at CommonGround. Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., shot 2-over 72 to place himself in a tie for 84th and will need to play well this afternoon to get into match play. In a similar situation to Wilson, Danny Guise of Greenwich, Conn shot 4-over 74 and will need some magic to continue his week in Colorado. Finishing just behind Guise, in a tie for 185 are Steven Zychowski of Mendham, N.J., and Jerry Wall of Brielle, N.J., shot 5-over 75.

Playing harder of the two courses in the 36-hole qualifier, Cherry Hills is a par 71 layout at just more than 7,400 yards, and was the first qualifying site for five local players. Leading them is C.J. Swift of New Canaan, Conn., who shot 2-over 73. Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y. followed Swift at 3-over 74. Finally, Doug Kleeschulte of Kingston N.Y. shot 6-over 77, Jim Liu of Smithtown, N.Y. shot 7-over 78, and Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove, N.Y. fired 84.

Below is a list of second round starting times for the group of local players in the field. Complete coverage including groups and starting times are available on the championship website, and live scoring will begin on Monday as the first groups tee off.

Second-Round Starting Times (MDT):
Buckley: 2:15 am, Tee 10(CH)
Biggadike: 2:05, Tee 10(CH)
Crowley: 9:00, Tee 1(CG)
Danny Guise: 1:25 Tee 1(CH)
Kleeschulte: 8:30, Tee 1(CG)
Liu: 8:40, Tee 1(CG)
Miller: 2:15, Tee 1(CG)
Swift: 12:35, Tee 1(CG)
Wall: 12:45, Tee 1(CH)
P. Wilson: 1:25, Tee 10(CH)
Zychowski: 7:30, Tee 1(CH)

(CG) - CommonGround Golf Course
(CH) – Cherry Hills Country Club

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PREVIEW STORY

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (August 13, 2012)– The U.S. Amateur Championship is golf's most coveted amateur competition. Since its inaugural year in 1895, golf’s greatest talents including Walter Travis, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods have used the championship’s magnitude as a gateway to their renowned careers. Beginning August 13th, 11 accomplished Met Area amateurs, as part of a field of 312 players, will commence in 36-hole qualifying at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., and CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, in hopes of advancing to the field of 64 that will compete in the match play portion of the championship.

Heading into the Amateur, Jim Liu of Smithtown, N.Y. will try and use his USGA championship experience — won the U.S. Junior in 2010 and finished as the runner-up in 2012 — to make it past the stroke play portion and into the final field. Liu earned an exemption in the field due to his finish at this year's Junior. Also exempt for his second Amateur because of his quarterfinalist finish from a year ago is Max Buckley of Rye, N.Y.  Having another standout year, Buckley will look to go even further in this year's championship.

Making his third appearance in the Amateur is reigning MGA Player of the Year Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y. He enters the championship as the No. 52 ranked player in the World Golf Amateur Rankings and will certainly make a run at adding the U.S. Amateur to his array of victories.

The likes of Buckley, Miller, and Liu should not overshadow some other local up-and-comers. Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove, N.Y., will attempt to improve on his performance at this year’s U.S. Public Links Championship. Also in the field is Crowley’s teammate at St. John’s University Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J. Wilson has already tallied seven top 10 finishes this season and currently ranks fifth in the MGA Player of the Points standings.

Andrew Biggadike of Ridgewood, N.J., heads into Cherry Hills riding a wave of momentum after shooting 67-73 to earn medalist honors at the sectional qualifier at North Shore Country Club. Another strong talent in the field, Doug Kleeschulte of Kingston, N.Y. will participate in his second consecutive Amateur.

Also making the trip out to Colorado is Jerry Wall of Brielle, N.J. At just 16 years of age, Wall was a semifinalist at the 2012 Met Junior presented by MetLife, the nation’s oldest junior championship. Another High Schooler in the mix this week is Danny Guise of Greenwich, Conn., who was the medalist at the Hollow Brook sectional qualifier.

Other local players in the group headed to Colorado are C.J. Swift of New Canaan, Conn. and Steven Zychowski of Mendham, N.J.

Complete coverage including groups and starting times are available on the championship website, and live scoring will begin on Monday as the first groups tee off.

First-Round Starting Times (MDT):
Buckley: 9:00 am, Tee 1(CG)
Biggadike: 8:50, Tee 1(CG)
Crowley: 2:15, Tee 10(CH)
Danny Guise: 8:10 Tee 10(CG)
Kleeschulte: 1:45, Tee 10(CH)
Liu: 1:55, Tee 10(CH)
Miller: 9:00, Tee 10(CH)
Swift: 7:20, Tee 10(CH)
Wall: 7:30, Tee 10(CG)
P. Wilson: 8:10, Tee 1(CG)
Zychowski: 12:45, Tee 10(CG)

(CG) - CommonGround Golf Course
(CH) – Cherry Hills Country Club