Tide’s Swan Among Best At Amateur

PINEHURST, N.C. – For the third time in his career, The University of Alabama’s Matthew Swan has advanced to match play at the United States Amateur golf championship. The Montgomery native shot two-under par, 68, in Tuesday’s second and final round of stroke play to make the cut and advance. He finished tied for eighth at one-under par (71-68/138).

“I’m real excited about making it to match play,” said Swan by phone from the course Tuesday afternoon. Swan will be a senior on this year’s Alabama golf team. “I’ve made match play twice before, but I had to go into a playoff both other times, so this time I made it in without a playoff, and that was nice.”

Asked what the difference was in today’s round, which he played on Pinehurst No. 4 as opposed to Monday’s round on Pinehurst No. 2, Swan said it showed, perhaps, in his putting game. “I played real well today, and I putted real well. I made a lot of good putts and that’s what I think helped.”

Swan, who was voted All-Southeastern Conference as a junior this past season, shot 71 in Monday’s opening round. Tuesday’s play on Pinehurst No. 4 found him making birdies on five holes, No. 4, No. 5, No. 9, No. 12 and No. 16. His round also included making par on 10 holes and bogeying three holes, including back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. He has played in the U.S. Amateur in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Tuscaloosa’s Phillip Weaver’s two round score, 146, fell immediately below the cutline. The redshirt freshman at Alabama shot 73-73/146. Playing Pinehurst No. 4 in the second round, Weaver birdied Nos. 8 and 10 and made par on 11 holes. He bogeyed five holes. Weaver finished among a tie at 89th.

Bud Cauley, Alabama’s Junior All-American golfer who is a freshman this fall, shot 3-over par, 73 on Tuesday to go with a 76 on Monday. Cauley’s second round included birdies on No. 4 and No. 11, along with 13 holes where he made par and two he bogeyed. Cauley is a native of Jacksonville, Fla.

The Tide trio’s Alabama coach, Jay Seawell, has been with them here at the U.S. Amateur following their play in person.

Golf fans can follow the match play scoring live on the internet at the tournament’s official website, www.usamateur.org . The Golf Channel will televise first round match play Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. CT.