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Justin Thomas and Bobby Wyatt both Win at U.S. Amateur Wyatt wins 2 up while Thomas posts a 3 and 1 victory; the two Tide golfers will play each other in the round of 16 Thursday afternoon
Justin Thomas won four of his last five holes to beat Max Homa, 3 and 1.

Justin Thomas won four of his last five holes to beat Max Homa, 3 and 1.

Aug. 16, 2012

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. - Alabama's Bobby Wyatt and Justin Thomas both notched second-round wins in match-play action at the United States Amateur Championship Thursday morning on the par-71, 7,409-yard Cherry Hills Country Club.

The reward for winning their morning match is facing each other in the afternoon session that can be watch on The Golf Channel at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The two helped lead the Crimson Tide to the finals of the 2012 NCAA Championships and now will face each other for a berth in Friday's U.S. Amateur quarterfinals.

Wyatt was 3 down after six holes Thursday to Matthew Stiegler, but the junior-to-be battled back to win six of the remaining 12 holes. He secured the match with birdies on the 17th and 18th for the 2-up win.

The Mobile, Ala., native won the seventh hole with a birdie and then took the ninth hole with a par 4. He evened his match by winning the 11th hole. Wyatt then won the 15th to take his first lead only to see Stieger came right back and with the 16th.

Thomas, from Goshen, Ky., also found himself trailing early in the match with Max Homa, 2 down after just five holes. He would square the match by winning the eighth and ninth holes but then fell one-hole down as Homa birdied the par-3 12th. That seemed to get Thomas going as the Tide's sophomore-to-be won the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes to close out Homa, 3 and 1.

The 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship began on Monday with a field of 312 players competing in 36 holes of stroke play. The field was pared to the low-64 scores following Tuesday's final round of stroke play.

The field is down to 16 individuals entering Thursday's second session with the quarterfinals slated for Friday and the semifinals on Saturday. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final beginning Sunday morning.

Jerry Pate in 1974 is the only Alabama player to win a U.S. Amateur. Michael Thompson was the last Alabama player to reach the finals, finishing runner-up at The Olympic Club in 2007.

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