Around the Green

Championship match ready

Quarterfinals recap

(Euless, TX)Quarterfinal matches were completed in the State
Public Links Championship at Texas Star Golf Course with Will Griffin, Stratton
Nolen, Tyler Thomas and Nathan Weant all advancing to the semifinals.

Will Griffin, who is a member of the University of Texas golf team, won
his match over Jimmy Keener, 1 up, making four birdies in the final six holes
to advance to the semifinals.

Opposing Griffin will be Tyler Thomas, who defeated Dillon Vaughn
3&1. Thomas is a member of the Texas State University golf team and said he
is very familiar with his next opponent.

Stratton Nolen made four birdies in his first nine holes and won his
quarterfinal match 5&4 over Brody Watkins. Nolen birdied Nos. 10 and 14 to
clinch a spot in the semifinals.

Top-seeded Nathan Weant needed 20 holes, but closed out Drew McGee
before the rain started coming down. Weant and McGee were back and forth the
whole round as neither player had more than a two-hole lead on the other.
Weant’s par on the 20th hole clinched the match for the No. 1 seed.

Semifinals recap

The rain passed and the blue skies took control in the
afternoon, as Stratton Nolen and Will Griffin both won their semifinal matches
in the State Public Links Championship, advancing to the Championship Match on
Sunday, June 1, at Texas Star Golf Course.

Stratton Nolen knocked off top-seeded Nathan Weant in his
semifinal match, making seven birdies in 18 holes to win 1 up. Weant was dormie
with two holes to play, but rolled in a 25-foot putt on No. 17 to push the
match to the final hole. Weant found a rough patch with his tee shot, but was
able to get his second shot up on the green. Nolen was long with his second
shot, but was able to get up and down for birdie on the 18^th hole,
earning a spot in the championship match.

Will Griffin, who is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, made
birdie on No. 3 to bring the match all square, then won the next two holes to
go 2 up. Griffin made the turn 1 up on Tyler Thomas, then won holes 10, 11 and
14 to go 4 up with four holes to play. Thomas made birdie on No. 15 and par on
Nos. 16 and 17 to force the match to 18 holes. Thomas would two-putt for birdie
on the 18^th ho le, however Griffin was able to get up and down for
his own birdie, ending the match with Griffin 1 up.

Griffin and Nolen will play for the State Public Links
Championship on Sunday, teeing off at 7:30 am. Both players have also earned an
exemption in the 2014 Texas State Amateur at Brook Hollow Golf Club in Dallas.

To view the bracket in its entirety, click here.