WONDER BOY GOLFER RYAN HITT HAS QUALIFIED FOR THE 2007
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech sophomore Ryan Hitt (Allen, Texas) is set to compete Monday at the 107th United States Amateur Men’s Golf Championships at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.

Hitt, who is one of six returning letterwinners for the Wonder Boys this coming season, earned one of 315 spots in this year’s event after finishing second in the sectional qualifying at the Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in Keller, Texas, on July 23. Hitt shot a 138 for the 36-hole qualifier and finished three shots behind sectional champion, Scott Sikes of Dallas, Texas.  

As a freshman last season at Tech, Hitt competed in six tournaments and averaged 77.4 in 11 rounds of golf. Shot a season-best 147 at the Derrall Foreman Invitational enroute to finishing in 14th place and shot a season-best low round of 76 at the Tech Collegiate Classic at Chamberlyne Country Club, where he finished in a tie for seventh place.

This year’s U.S. Amateur Championships will be held from Aug. 20-26 at both the Lakeside and Ocean courses at the Olympic Club. Hitt will tee off on Monday, Aug. 20 at 3:25 p.m. CDT from the No. 10 tee on the Lakeside course and then will tee off on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 10:20 a.m. CDT from the No. 1 tee on the Ocean course.

The winner of the championship receives an exemption into the 2008 U.S. Open and British Open and a probable invitation to play in the 2008 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., if he remains an amateur. The winner also receives a 10-year exemption in the U.S. Amateur field so long as he remains an amateur.

According the USGA website (www.usga.org), the U.S. Amateur Championship was born in 1895 and is the oldest golf championship in the country – one day older than the U.S. Open. The championship format has always been match-play, except for an eight-year period from 1965-72, when it was a stroke play event. The website goes to say that throughout its history, the U.S. Amateur has been the most coveted of all amateur titles. Some of the famous previous winners of the Havemeyer Cup include Bobby Jones, who won the U.S. Amateur title five times, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Craig Stadler, Jerry Pate, Mark O’Meara, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, to name a few. The championship is open to any amateur golfer who has a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 2.4.

Richie Ramsey of Aberdeen, Scotland is the defending U.S. Amateur champion as he defeated John Kelly of St. Louis, Mo., 4 and 2 in last year’s 36-hole championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Ramsey will not be defending his title as he turned professional following this year’s British Open.

This year’s U.S. Amateur Field will include 31 exempt golfers, 11 USGA champions, including the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Junior Amateur champions, along with five of last year’s quarterfinalists.

The U.S. Amateur Championship will begin with 312 players on Aug. 20 with two days of stroke play. Following stroke play, the field will be reduced to the lowest 64 scorers, who will advance to match play. All matches are 18 holes, except the final match. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 26.

          -- Tech Athletics --