Two Wildcats in U.S. Amateur

ABILENE – The resurgence in ACU's golf program that began last fall and continued through the spring has pushed its way through the summer as Wildcat golfers have made a splash in amateur golf circles worldwide.

Reigning NCAA Division II individual national champion Cyril Bouniol recently finished seventh at the European Amateur Championship in Finland, while Alex Carpenter and Tyler Sheppard have both qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in two weeks in Washington.

Carpenter, who had a spectacular freshman season in 2009-10 with four tournament wins, hasn't let up this summer. He's captured seven individual championships in eight amateur tournaments he's entered this summer in Arkansas, including winning the U.S. Amateur qualifier Monday at Big Creek Country Club in Mountain Home, Ark.

His biggest win of the summer, however, came at the 104th Southern Amateur Championship in Birmingham, Ala. That win qualified him to play in Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational next March in Orlando, Fla. His play this summer has also earned him Arkansas Amateur Player of the Year honors.

"I've never had this kind of success in the summer before this year," Carpenter said Monday night after he won the U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament. "I always keep track of my tournaments and my scores, and I calculated that I was 78-under-par in 23 rounds going into this past weekend, so now I'm somewhere between 90 and 100-under-par for the summer."

Carpenter has only had one over-par round this summer, and that came last Saturday in the first round of the Arkansas State Tournament when he shot 73 at Big Creek Country Club. However, he followed that with a 63 to break the course record by three strokes on his way to the tournament victory.

That course record didn't last long as Carpenter immediately went out and shot a 62 in his first qualifying round for the U.S. Amateur. He was 6-under-par on his front nine (course's back nine), "hitting it close on almost every hole." His momentum appeared to be slowed when his drive on No. 11 found the water. But from 275 yards out, Carpenter drilled his fourth shot to within a few feet and tapped in for par.

On No. 17 he spun a sand wedge in from 119 yards out for an eagle to put him in line to set the course record. With the 62 in hand, all Carpenter had to do to qualify for the U.S. Amateur was "stay upright" in his second round. He did just that, shooting an even-par 72, tying his friend and University of Arkansas standout Austin Cook for medalist honors at 134 as those two earned an invitation to the U.S. Amateur.

The tournament will be played Aug. 23-29 at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash. Following two days of stroke play (Aug. 23 and 24), the field of 312 players will be reduced to the lowest 64 scorers, who will advance to match play. All matches are scheduled for 18 holes except the final match. The scheduled 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 29.

And Carpenter has every intention of being in the final pairing.

"When I got to the Southern Amateur, it was kind of surreal to be there," Carpenter said. "A lot of my friends play at some of the biggest schools in the country: Texas, Arkansas and USC. So to compete against them and beat them was a big confidence boost.

"For the most part the same guys who were at the Southern Amateur will be at the U.S. Amateur," he said. "I know if I can play with those guys at the Southern Amateur I can play with them at the U.S. Amateur. I've just got to get qualified for match play and then go from there."

Sheppard's opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Amateur was almost lost before he got his tournament started. Because of a mixup in communication, Sheppard didn't realize what his tee time was until he received a call from one of his playing partners telling him they were teeing off in about five minutes.

Sheppard literally ran to the tee box, pulled his driver out of his bag, stood over the ball and hit his ball about 30 seconds before he would have been disqualified from the tournament. All of the confusion didn't seem to bother Sheppard, who shot rounds of 73-68 at The Woodlands Country Club to finish tied for third and earn a spot in the U.S. Amateur.

"I had to waiting about 60-90 minutes – the longest wait of my life – before I found out I had qualified," Sheppard said. "Once the guy told me I was in, it was all a bit surreal. I gave my mom a hug and celebrated with some buddies who were there to watch."

Like Carpenter, Sheppard is excited to play in one of the premier amateur tournaments in the world.

"As a young golfer, you dream of the chance to play in the U.S. Amateur Championship," Sheppard said. "So many of the great players in the game have won that tournament, so it's a great honor to be able to have a chance to compete for that championship."

The ACU teammates will miss the first week of school to play in the tournament, something Sheppard hopes is OK with his professors.

"Everyone has already told me that I have to take those absences," he said with a laugh. "I haven't emailed anyone at ACU yet to tell them I'm going to miss class, but hopefully I've got some professors that like golf and will understand. Maybe if I tell them it's so I can play in the Southern Amateur they'll understand."

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Two Wildcats in U.S. Amateur

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