ROLAND, Ark. – U.S. Public Links champion Jordan Niebrugge won two matches Saturday to advance to the semifinals in the 111th Western Amateur.
Niebrugge, the Oklahoma State player from Mequon, Wis., beat college teammate Talor Gooch 4 and 3 in the morning, and topped Georgia Tech left-hander Seth Reeves 3 and 1 in the quarterfinals at The Alotian Club.
The 6-foot-4 Niebrugge followed his Public Links win two weeks ago with a victory in the Wisconsin State Amateur.
"I'm playing great, so I have a lot of confidence right now with the way I'm hitting the ball," Niebrugge said. "I don't think anything has 'just clicked.' I've been hitting the ball great these last two years. Played great in the spring in college. The main thing has been putting and confidence. More and more confidence each week I play."
He will face Arkansas' Sebastian Cappelen in the semifinals. Cappelen beat Mexico's Carlos Ortiz 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals.
In the other quarterfinals, recent North Florida graduate Sean Dale edged Texas A&M's Tyler Dunlap 2 up, and Texas' Kramer Hickok topped 15-year-old David Snyder of McAllen, Texas, also 2 up.
"I stayed amateur this summer just for that fact I heard I had somewhat of a chance to make the (Walker Cup) team," Dale said. "Playing for your country, it's unexplainable how much it would mean to me to make that team."
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