University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss' Elliot To Compete In 104th U.S. Amateur
8/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Links associated with this release:
U.S. Amateur Official Web Site
Southern Miss' Elliot To Compete In 104th U.S. Amateur
Justin Elliot |
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Miss men's golfer Justin Elliot will be making his second trip ever to the state of New York this weekend, but this time there won't be as much sight-seeing.
This time around, it will be all business for the redshirt-junior from Demopolis, Ala., who will be competing in the 2004 U.S. Amateur Championship, beginning Monday, August 16, at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamroneck, N.Y.
Elliot will be one of more than 300 players in the 104th U.S. Amateur, one of 13 national championship tournaments sponsored by the United States Golf Association. Players will compete in stroke play on Monday and Tuesday, and the field will be trimmed to the final 64 players, who will then compete in match play beginning on Wednesday.
"I'm pretty excited about qualifying for the Amateur," Elliot said. "This is the biggest tournament that I have ever played in."
Elliot, one of two players to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in the Philadelphia, Miss., qualifier last week, will tee off at 12:02 p.m., CT on Monday, and then will start at 7:02 a.m., CT on Tuesday. He will play alongside Patrick Moore of Phoenix, Ariz., and Tyson Alexander of Gainesville, Fla.
Southern Miss Head Men's Golf Coach Steve Johnson is proud of his pupil, who narrowly missed qualifying for the prestigious event last year.
"I'm very excited to see Justin qualify," Johnson said. "He was so close last year. He's been improving every year since he first joined our team, and I am glad to see it pay off for him."
Elliot was the first alternate for last year's U.S. Amateur after falling in a playoff to former Southern Miss golfer Justin Emil.
While the event will be the biggest that Elliot has ever competed in, any anxiety hasn't hit home just yet.
"I'm not real nervous yet, but I'm sure that I will be when I get up to New York," Elliot said.
Elliot expects the playing conditions to be tough as well. The Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) will play at 7,266 yards and par 35-35--70. The Club?s East Course, which will be used for the first two days of stroke play, will play at 6,775 yards and par 35-35?70.
The West and East Courses at Winged Foot Golf Club were designed by A. W. Tillinghast and opened in 1923. The West Course has undergone a series of restorations by famous golf course architects since it opened. Interestingly, Tillinghast competed in a couple of U.S. Amateurs between 1905 and 1915.
Elliot, who finished with a 75.5 scoring average in the spring for Southern Miss, qualified for the event after shooting a 74-70--144 and then beating Austin Brown of Jackson on the first playoff hole.
