Puyat bucks wild start to advance

MANILA, Philippines - Marcel Puyat overcame an early rash of double bogeys with birdies and clutch pars at the backside as he turned back Fielding Brewbaker, 3&1, to advance to the second round of the US Amateur at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma Wednesday.

Puyat battled back from three holes down as he fumbled with back-to-back double bogeys from No. 2 and made a bogey on No. 4 but the 16-year-old Filipino shotmaker recovered in time with birdies on Nos. 5, 10 and 11 to draw level.

A par and a birdie in the next two holes gave the ICTSI golf team member a 2-up lead before clinching the victory with a bogey on the 17th as Brewbaker yielded the match with a double-bogey mishap.

The victory sent the youngest player in the fold to a second round match with seventh seed Scott Langley of Missouri, member of the US Walker Cup team, who booted out David Sheman of Canada, 2&1.

It was another big comeback for Puyat, who needed a second round rally in the stroke play elims to clinch a berth in the 64-player match play phase at No. 26.

Bucking a faulty start, Puyat birdied the long 630-yard par-5 No. 5 with a superb 3-wood shot from 260 yards, the ball landing 40 feet off the hole. Although his first putt slid past the cup, Puyat banged in an eight-footer for birdie to cut the lead to two holes.

The long-hitting Puyat then birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to force an all-square match then reached the green in two again on the No. 13, this time with a 6-iron from 198 yards. He muffed a 25-foot eagle putt but tapped in for birdie to wrest the lead before holding on to complete the come-from-behind victory.

Low medalist Tim Jackson of Tennessee routed John Kostis of Arizaon, 5&4, to lead the march of the fancied bets in the upper half of the draw. He takes on Charlie Holland of Texas in the last 32.