Aug. 5, 2008

CINCINNATI - Senior and team captain Rob Chappell earned a qualifying spot in the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship, after shooting a 142 in a qualifying match at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati Monday.

Chappell, the 2008 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, birdied the final two holes of his day to grab the last spot and is headed to Pinehurst, along with Flyer teammate Zach Glassman.

"I figured I needed a 32 or 33 on the back nine to have a shot," Chappell said. "Then my putter started catching fire and I started to make a lot of big shots."

Trailing by one stroke in the final nine holes of play, Chappell's putter came through in the clutch knocking down back-to-back 15-footers for par on holes two and three and closing out the round with two birdies to qualify by one.

Chappell continues to add accolades during his storied Flyer career. A 2008 First Team, All-Atlantic 10 selection, the senior from Cincinnati earned the team's Most Valuable Player for the third season in a row after tying for the team lead in total rounds with 27 and finishing the season with a 74.2 stroke average. Chappell also earned the 2006 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award during his freshman season.

Also earning a possible spot is sophomore Chris Woeste, who is a second alternate after shooting a 137 at the Dayton Country Club. After starting the day two-over par after the first four holes, Woeste rallied to shoot five under in the final 32 holes on the tough, hilly Donald Ross track known for tough pins and slick putting surfaces.

Chappell and Glassman will be among the 312 amateur golfers out of more than 10,000 who participated in the qualifying rounds this summer to vie for the Havemeyer Cup. The Chappell-Glassman duo are also believed to be the first UD golfers to qualify for the U.S. Amateur since Jack Zimmerman Sr., who played for three Cups during his post-Flyer days, the last at Pinehurst in 1962.

"UD is really showing its stuff this summer and now has two competitors and one alternate for the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.," head coach Chris Hale said. "This is the ultimate goal of every amateur golfer and should one of our players advance to the semifinals in match play, he will have earned a ticket to Augusta, Ga. and The Masters next spring."

The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first played in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restriction, is open to those with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower. It is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Throughout its history, the U.S. Amateur has been the most coveted of all amateur titles. Many of the great names in golf, such as Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Craig Stadler, Jerry Pate, Mark O'Meara, Hal Sutton, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, grace the Havemeyer Cup.

As the site of more championships than any other golf course in the country, Pinehurst has hosted golf championships since 1898. Over the years, Pinehurst has been synonymous with hosting prestigious events including the 1994 U.S. Senior Open and both the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens. In 2008, Pinehurst will add to that rich history with the playing of the U.S. Amateur Championship.

"I think it's great we have two guys playing in the U.S. Amateur and we came close to having a third," Chappell said. "This puts us up with some of the top-tier programs in the nation."

The championship 36-hole stroke play will take place Monday, August 18 and Tuesday, August 19. The field is cut to 64 players for match play after Tuesday's round.

Match play begins on Wednesday, August 20 and continues until the 36-hole final on Sunday, August 24. The tournament will be played on Pinehurst courses No. 2 and No. 4.

For now Chappell is enjoying the moment and focusing on his preparation for Pinehurst and the challenges that lie ahead.

"I'm going to go out and keep working on the things I have been working on, especially with my wedges and short game," said Chappell. "It's going to be fun to balance golf and getting ready for the upcoming school year."