WONDER BOY GOLFER JONATHON SPIKES FAILS TO ADVANCE IN
U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

        WHEATON, Illinois – Arkansas Tech sophomore Jonathon Spikes (Danville, Ark.) failed to advance out of the stroke play round of the 82nd Annual United State Amateur Public Links Championships held here last week at the Cantigny Golf Club.

Spikes, who was one of 156 qualifiers for this year’s meet after winning the Arkansas Sectional Championship on June 18 at the Longhills Gulf Club in Benton, shot a two-round, 36-hole total of 157, which was 13 shots over the par on the 7,048-yard course. Spikes finished stroke play tied for 112th place, as only the top 64 players advanced on to third round match play.

          After opening the first round of stoke play qualifying with a two-over par 74, Spikes shot an 11-over par in the second round, which was completed last Wednesday after two days of rainy weather.

This past season as a freshman at Tech, Spikes was a Second-Team All-Gulf South Conference selection after averaging 75.0 in 15 rounds of golf and seven tournaments, including finishing tied for 14th at the 2007 GSC Championship Meet in Hot Springs, Ark.

          According to the USGA website (www.usga.org), the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship has been in existence since 1922 and was formed to give exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship. The championship is open to amateur players, who, since Jan. 1, 2007, have been bona fide public course players and have not held privileges of any course that does that extend playing privileges to the general public, or privileges of any private club maintaining its own course and hold a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 8.4. 

          Colt Knost of Dallas, Texas, won this year’s U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship after defeating Cody Pauldino of Kensington, Conn., 6-and-4 in Saturday’s 36-hole match play final. With the win, Knost, who was a Third-Team All-American this past season at Southern Methodist University, received an automatic invitation to participate in the 2008 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., should he remain an amateur.

          -- Tech Athletics --