Aug. 6, 2008

Philadelphia, Pa. - The Atlantic 10 will be represented well at the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina beginning Aug. 18. Senior Rob Chappell and sophomore Zach Glassman of Dayton, as well as Charlotte's Corey Nagy, each qualified for the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship after successful showings in sectional qualifiers.

Nagy qualified after parring the first playoff hole in the final round of sectional qualifying at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C. on Aug. 5. He finished in a four-way tie for third place. The top five finishers would advance to the US Amateur, requiring a playoff between those four for the final three spots. Nagy came through with a clutch par to earn his spot.

"I'm pretty pumped to make it," said Nagy, who shot a four-under round of 66 to get into the playoff. "It's the biggest (amateur) tournament and always has the best competition."

Nagy made three straight birdies on 13, 14 and 15 but needed a 10-foot come-backer to save par on 18 to make the playoff. He finished qualifying with a two-day total of -5, 135.

Nagy will be making his first US Am appearance but he has competed twice in the US Amateur Public Links Championship. In 2007 he lost to eventual winner Colt Knost in the semifinals. This summer he lost to eventual winner Jack Newman, in 24 holes, in the quarterfinals.

Chappell, Dayton's senior team captain, earned a qualifying spot after shooting a 142 in a qualifying match at Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio on Aug. 4. Chappell, the 2008 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, birdied the final two holes of his day to grab the last spot.

"I figured I needed a 32 or 33 on the back nine to have a shot," Chappell said. "Then my putter started catching fire and I started to make a lot of big shots."

Chappell continues to add accolades during his storied Flyer career. A 2008 First Team, All-Atlantic 10 selection, the senior from Cincinnati earned the team's Most Valuable Player for the third season in a row after tying for the team lead in total rounds with 27 and finishing the season with a 74.2 stroke average. Chappell also earned the 2006 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award during his freshman season.


Joining Chappell in Pinehurst will be teammate Glassman, who qualified after shooting a 143 over two days in Cleveland, Ohio and winning a four-hole playoff. Glassman will make his U.S. Amateur debut at Pinehurst and along with Chappell, the two are believed to be the first UD golfer to qualify for the U.S. Amateur since Jack Zimmerman Sr., who played in three during his post-Flyer days, the last at Pinehurst in 1962.

"It's pretty special. Not everyone gets the chance," Glassman said. "I'm extremely excited and will make the best opportunity."

It took a phenomenal performance by Glassman shooting rounds of 71 and 72 on two courses in the Cleveland area, Legend Lake and Fowler's Mill, to force a three-way playoff.

The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first played in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restriction, is open to those with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower. It is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Throughout its history, the U.S. Amateur has been the most coveted of all amateur titles. Many of the great names in golf, such as Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Craig Stadler, Jerry Pate, Mark O'Meara, Hal Sutton, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, grace the Havemeyer Cup.

As the site of more championships than any other golf course in the country, Pinehurst has hosted golf championships since 1898. Over the years, Pinehurst has been synonymous with hosting prestigious events including the 1994 U.S. Senior Open and both the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens. In 2008, Pinehurst will add to that rich history with the playing of the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Glassman, Chappell and Nagy will be three of 312 amateur golfers out of more than 10,000 who participated in the qualifying rounds this summer to vie for the Havemeyer Cup.