Walker Qualifies For U.S. Amateur Public Links
06/21/2011 | Men's Golf
June 21, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Fresh off his second-consecutive Top 10 finish at the Atlantic 10 Championship, rising junior Daniel Walker has carried that momentum into the summer where he has qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
Walker fired a course-record 65 during the morning session at the 36-hole sectional qualifier at Laurel Hills Golf Club earlier this month, and his 1-under 139 aggregate tied for medalist honors.
The 20-year old from Earlysville, Va. carded rounds of 65-74 and tied Steve Delmar, Jr. (67-72), a senior at Coastal Carolina, for top honors. Nick Tremps, a high school junior, earned the final qualifying spot.
Walker will be making his first appearance in a USGA championship when the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is conducted June 27-July 2 at the renowned Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.
Walker's impressive summer has also included medalist honors in VSGA Amateur and SunTrust State Open qualifying on May 31 and a win at the 2011 Cannon Cup at Spring Creek Golf Course, which brings together the top amateur players in the state and region.
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Rising junior Nick Austin was crowned the 2011 champion of the Richmond Golf Association Amateur, contested at Tuckahoe Creek last weekend.
In a riveting championship match, Austin prevailed over the tournament's No. 3-seed Adam Ball on the third playoff holf. Austin held a two-up lead on the 17th tee, but watched as Ball finished birdie-birdie to force a sudden-death playoff.
Austin, who finished runner-up at the 2011 A-10 Championship, defeated the No. 1-seed in the quarterfinals and the No. 2-seed in the semifinals en route to the title.
Lanny Watkins, the 1977 PGA Champion, won the Richmond Golf Association Amateur title three times between 1967 and 1970.
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Former Spider Michael Shrader, who finished 19th overall at the 2011 A-10 Championship, was crowned the Grand Champion of The Federal Club Signature.
Shrader's two round total of 72-68=140 was good for a one-stroke victory over Garland Green in the prestigious local amateur event.
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Rising senior Brad Miller fired a 68 at the Lake Presidental Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Md. and advanced through the local qualifying stage for the 2011 U.S. Open.
In the Sectional Qualifying at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., which included notable PGA pros Fred Funk, Kirk Triplett and Ty Tryon, Miller carded rounds of 73-75=148 but did not qualify for the U.S. Open at Congressional.
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Richmond finished the 2010-11 season with a third-place finish at the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship at Mission Inn Resort outside Orlando, Fla. The Spiders finished in the top-5 in nine of 10 tournaments this season, including top-3 finishes in seven of the last eight.
