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Clarkesville's McCoy maintains lead after stroke play at U.S. Amateur

By The Associated Press
Posted 3:30PM on Wednesday 13th August 2014 ( 9 years ago )
JOHNS CREEK -- Taylor Moore and Lee McCoy were at 8-under 135 to earn medalist honors after stroke play Tuesday at the U.S. Amateur Championship.<br /> <br /> Moore, a junior at the University of Arkansas, birdied four of his last five holes to shoot a 69 on the par-71 Highlands course. McCoy, a junior at Georgia, overcame a double-bogey with a stretch of five birdies in seven holes for a 68.<br /> <br /> "I've been playing well coming in, so I just wanted to stay patient out there and give myself some opportunities and I did that," said Moore, from Edmond, Okla. "I wasn't as sharp as I was yesterday, but held it together and stayed patient and finished good today."<br /> <br /> Cheng-Tsung Pan, Jimmy Beck, Sam Burns, Jonathan Garrick and Will Zalatoris were at 5-under 138.<br /> <br /> The top 60 players have qualified for match play, which will lead up to the championship on Sunday. A playoff involving 17 players for the final four spots in the field will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday on the Riverside Course.<br /> <br /> "It's unbelievable. I couldn't be happier," said McCoy, from Clarkesville. "Well, I guess I could be. I'd like to be holding the trophy at the end of the week. It's great to be a high seed going into the weekend, but you know the main goal is still in check . still trying to get that trophy."<br /> <br /> Burns, an 18-year-old high school senior from Shreveport, Louisiana, shot a 66, the day's low round, on the par-72 Riverside Course. He had seven birdies and one bogey.<br /> <br /> "I knew I could come out here and attack," Burns said. "I felt like the way I was hitting it, I could put myself in good position to make some putts and I did that."<br /> <br /> All rounds of match play, which will begin later Wednesday, will take place on Highlands. The field will be seeded by their scores in stroke play.<br /> <br /> "For match play the position probably doesn't matter as much," Pan said. "We all start from zero, so everybody has a chance and you've got to play well."<br /> <br /> Ollie Schniederjans of Powder Springs, Georgia, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, shot a 3-under 69 on the Riverside Course. He finished at 1-under 142 and advanced to match play.<br /> <br /> "I just wanted to make match play," Schniederjans said. "After that it's a whole different tournament."<br /> <br /> Also advancing to match play was No. 2-ranked Robbie Shelton of Wilmer, Alabama, and Taylor Funk of Ponte Vedra, Florida, the son of eight-time PGA Tour winner Fred Funk.<br /> <br /> The cut was at 2-over 146. Among those who missed was 13-year-old Will Thomson of Pittsford, New York, the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship. Thomson finished at 12-over 155.

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