Midway, UT (Sports Network) - James Erkenbeck, stealing the spotlight held by
Talor Gooch for much of the day, earned stroke-play medalist honors Tuesday at
the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
Hours after Gooch came within a shot of tying the championship's low round
record, Erkenbeck closed out a 4-under 67 to overtake him for the lead.
Erkenbeck ended at 7-under 135 to top the list of 64 golfers who will compete
in the match play portion, which starts Wednesday and runs through the 36-hole
final on Saturday.
Playing in the first group off the No. 10 tee, Gooch fired a 7-under 64 and
shared second place with T.J. Vogel (65) at 6-under 136.
Gooch went eight shots lower than his first-round score at Soldier Hollow with
eight birdies and a bogey, and his 64 was a stroke off Danny Green's low round
record for the championship, set in 2004 in the first round at Rush Creek.
Jace Long, one of two first round co-leaders, had a 1-under 70 to finish in
fourth place at 5-under 137. Pan Cheng-Tsung, who shared the overnight lead
with Long, had a 71 and tied for fifth with three other players at 4-under.
Exactly 64 players finished at 4-over par or better, eliminating a possible
playoff for the final spots in match play.
The Sports Network