Men’s Golf sends five to 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship

Five Longhorns will appear in the 156-player field of the premier championship for amateurs.

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. -- Five Longhorns will represent The University of Texas Men’s Golf program in the 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship which will be played Aug. 13-19 at Cherry Hills (Col.) Country Club. Senior Cody Gribble, redshirt junior Johnathan Schnitzer, sophomores Jordan Spieth and Kramer Hickock, and incoming freshman Brandon Stone have all qualified for the 112th edition of the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) premier championship for amateurs.

Spieth, an All-American in his first season at Texas, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship just one month after winning his second U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Spieth also earned low-amateur honors at the 2012 U.S. Open, shooting 7-over par to finish 21st overall. Spieth is currently ranked 3rd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Hickok will be playing in his fourth amateur tournament of the summer after competing in the British Amateur, The Players Amateur, and the Western Amateur Championships.

Incoming freshman Brandon Stone most recently played in the Western Amateur, falling to eventual champion Chris Williams in the quarterfinals. Stone is a highly decorated South African golfer, currently the top-ranked amateur for his country, finishing as the low-amateur at the 2011 South African Championship, and second at the 2012 South African Amateur Championship.

Gribble and Schnitzer recently competed at the Texas Amateur Championship, with Schnitzer shooting a 1-under 212 (71-70-71) to finish tied for 16th while Gribble shot a 5-over 217 (71-70-76) to tie for 34th place overall.

Play begins on Monday, Aug. 13 with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying. After the first two days, the field of players will be cut to the lowest 64 scores. Starting Wednesday, Aug. 15, contestants play match-play with the champion being determined by a 36-hole match-play final on Sunday. Cherry Hills CC will be set up at 7,432 yards with a par of 71, with the companion course, Common Ground Golf Course, playing at 7,351 yards with a par of 70.