Kan makes debut with Purdue

   Aurora Kan, the three-time Daily Times Player of the Year at Chichester and 2010 PIAA champion, was in deep waters as she made her debut with the Purdue women's golf team at last weekend's Mason Rudolph Fall Preview.
   The 18-team field featured the top 13 teams in the country, including the Boilermakers, who were ranked sixth going into the event. The Mason Rudolph was played on the Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course in Franklin, Tenn. where the 2012 NCAA Tournament will be contested.
   Kan opened her Purdue career with a 5-over 77, which actually tied her with junior Paula Reto for the low score among the Boilermakers. She struggled a little after that, posting an 80 Saturday and an 84 Sunday for a 241 total that left her in 84th place.
   Reto, a native of Capetown, South Africa, bounced back with a 3-under 69 Saturday and a 76 Sunday and finished in a tie for 22nd at 222. Junior Laura Gonzalez-Escallon had Purdue's low round Sunday with her second straight 73 and finished in a tie for 39th with a 226 total.
   Kan's 241 total was third among the Boilermakers, a shot better than redishrt junior Kishi Sinha, who was 85th at 242 and five shots better than Jam Viairatana, who was 89th at 246.
   Purdue's 930 total (313-302-315) left it in last place among as strong a women's collegiate field as will be assembled this fall. Top-ranked UCLA won the team title for the third time in five years with rounds of  296, 283 and 294 for an 873 total. No. 3 Alabama was six shots back in second at 879 (296-289-294).

Disappointment for U.S. at Solheim Cup

   The most compelling TV for this golf nut last weekend was the Solheim Cup, particularly the final matches as the homestanding Europeans pulled out a 17-15 victory to lay claim to the Cup for the first time since 2003.
   Taking nothing away from the European victory, but it might have been a different story had Cristie Kerr not been forced to forfeit her singles match after tendinitis in her arm worsened over the weekend.
   A tearful Kerr recounted how the injury suddenly went from bad to worse overnight from Saturday and Sunday to the point that she could not even grip the club.
   For most of their competitive lives, golfers play an individual sport. If a golfer is hurt, the only person affected is that golfer. Kerr was clearly devastated that this injury would come when it would affect the U.S. team, not just her.
   "The team," an emotional Kerr said, "to let down the team when they're counting on me really hurts."
   Obviously the U.S. players played their hearts out to try to take the onus off  Kerr, but couldn't quite pull it off.
   The Michelle Wie-Suzann Pettersen match featured high drama with Pettersen making birdies at the last three holes to edge Wie for a crucial point.
    With Pettersen four feet from the hole for birdie on the 17th hole, Wie drained a 20-foot birdie putt to put the pressure back on Pettersen. The Norwegian's sometimes balky putter was up to the task, though. And she made one more birdie at the 18th to finish off Wie.
   If Wie was somehow able to capture the kind of intensity she showed down the stretch of her match with Pettersen during regular stroke-play events, she might be able to live up to the unlimited promise her game sometimes shows.
   There will no doubt be something of an uproar over the U.S. women losing this competition. Their male counterparts are taking a fairly regular beating for the U.S. becoming a second-rate golf power, although the Red, White and Blue can still trot out a pretty competitive side when the Ryder or Presidents Cups are up for grabs.
   But it should be pointed out that three of the top young European players -- three players who were involved in three crucial matches down the stretch in the Solheim Cup -- owe some of the development of their games to college golf in the good old U.S. of A.
   Spain's Azahara Munoz, who downed Angela Stanford, 1-up, was the 2008 NCAA indivdual champion as a junior at Arizona State. Sweden's Caroline Hedwell, who pulled out a crucial half with Ryann O'Toole, was the 2010 NCAA individual champion at Oklahoma State. And The Netherlands' Christel Boeijon, who claimed a 2-up win over Brittany Lincicome, was the NCAA runnerup in 2007 at Purdue.
   So while the European victory was a testament to the team's talent and guts, give NCAA Division I women's college golf a little bit of an assist as well.

Ingrahm runnerup to Steinmetz at Philadelphia PGA Championship

   Stu Ingraham, the teaching pro at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, fired a 71 at White Manor Country Club Thursday, but had to settle for second place at the Philadelphia Section PGA Championship.
   Rich Steinmetz, the head pro at Spring-Ford C.C., fired a final-round 69 at White Manor to finish a 3-under 209 for the 54-hole event that included two rounds at White Manor and one at St. Davids G.C.
    It was the third Philadelphia Section title for Steinmentz (who this golf blogger covered when he was a high school standout at Perkiomen Valley a few years ago) and he earned the top prize of $7,000.
   "It definitely gets more exciting each time," Steinmetz told the Philadelphia Section PGA website. "The golf course played tough today, but I got into a really nice rhythm and was able to capitalize on my opportunities."
   Ingraham, playing as well as ever despite being eligible for senior events, was just a shot back at 2-under 210. He earned $5,800.
    The runnerup finish also earned Ingraham a trip to the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship, which will be played in Northern California for the first time at the Bayonet and Black Horse Courses in Seaside, Calif. The top 20 finishers at that event earn at trip to 2012's final pro major, the PGA Championship. Ingraham has taken that route to the PGA Championship six times in his career, most recently earning a trip to Whistling Straits in 2010.
   Ingraham will be joined in California by fellow Philadelphia Section senior standout George Forster, the head pro at Radnor Valley C.C. Forster struggled to a final-round 76 at White Manor, but his 6-over 218 total was good enough to earn him a tie for 10th and one of the last of 11 berths to the National Club Pro that were up for grabs..
   Mark Sheftic, the head of instruction at Merion G.C., just missed qualifying for the National Club Pro as his final-round 73 left him at 7-over 219. Sheftic earned trips to the PGA in 2009 and 2010 with high finishes at the National Club Pro, including a runnerup finish in 2009.
   Overbrook G.C. head pro Scott Hunter had a final-round 72 to finish in a tie for 16th at 8-over 220. Overbrook's Eric Kennedy and Aronimink G.C.'s Patrick Clark each carded final-round 75s to finish in a tie for 23rd at 10-over 222. Concord C.C. head pro Mike Moses had a final-round 73 and finished 27th at 11-over 223.
   Other finishers included Aronimink's Rob Agresti (tied for 44th, 18-over 230) and Merion's George Forster Jr. (59th, 23-over 235), who is the son of the Radnor Valley head pro.

Ingraham three back at Philadelphia Section championship

   Technically, Stu Ingraham, the teaching pro at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, is a senior player now that he's in his 50s.
    But Ingraham can still keep up with the young guys in the Philadelphia Section PGA, which he proved again Wednesday with five birdies on the back nine at White Manor Country Club on his way to a 4-under 67 that gave him sole possession of second place heading into the final round of the section championship.
   Combined with the 72 he shot at St. Davids Tuesday, Ingraham's 2-under 139 total leaves him three shots behind Chris Krueger of Kings Creek C.C. Krueger fired a 66 at St. Davids Wednesday to go with his opening-round 70 at White Manor for a 5-under 136 total.
   The field was cut to the low 60 and ties and 61 players will tee it up at White Manor today for the final round. The top 11 finishers earn a spot in next year's PGA Professional National Championhship. The top finishers at the National Club Pro then earn spots in pro golf's final major, the PGA Championship. Ingraham has traveled that route six times to get to the PGA Championship in his career.
   Rich Steinmetz, the head pro at Spring-Ford C.C. and a two-time winner of this championship, heads a group of three players at 1-under 140.
   Radnor Valley C.C. head pro George Forster, who like Ingraham is a senior player, is alone in seventh place at 1-over 142.
   Others making the cut were Merion G.C. director of instruction Mark Sheftic (71-75) at 5-over 146, Aronimink G.C.'s Patrick Clark (75-72) at 6-over 147, Aronimink's Rob Agresti (72-76) and Overbrook G.C.'s Scott Hunter (75-73) at 7-over 148, and Concord C.C.'s Mike Moses (74-76) and Merion's George Forster Jr. (74-76), the son of the Radnor Valley head pro, at 9-over 150.

Haverford School off to fast start

   The Inter-Ac League may have moved from the spring to the fall and changed its format, but The Haverford School, which won the league title the last time it was contested in the spring a few months ago, is dominating in the early going of the inaugural fall season.
   The Inter-Ac season began with each team sending eight players to Sunnybrook G.C. Sept. 12. for a mini-tournament hosted by Chestnut Hill Academy.
   The Haverford School was led by sophomore Cole Berman and junior Scott Jaster, an All-Delco last season, each of whom carded 38s. Jake Van Arkel added a 40, Jimmy Ryan had a 41 and Timmy Brooks  and Ryan Tetrault each had 42s as the Fords posted a 241 total.
   The way the league is scoring the mini-tournaments, that gave the Fords a 5-0 mark for the day. Malvern Prep finished second to stand at 4-1.
   Mike Davis, the Newtown Square resident and Malvern Prep sophomore who won the Inter-Ac individual crown as a freshman last spring, matched the 38s shot by Berman and Jaster at Sunnybrook. Episcopal Academy was led by Sean Fahey and Kevin Flannery, both of whom posted 41s.
   Monday, the second mini-tournament was hosted by Episcopal Academy at Merion G.C.'s West Course and it was a testament to The Haverford School's depth that Jaster struggled to a 45, but his teammates picked him up and the Fords again won the day with a 240 total that was 18 shots better than the 258s posted by the host Churchmen and Malvern Prep.
   This time the Fords were led by senior Mac Selverian, an All-Delco as a sophomore, who carded a 38. Selverian had struggled at Sunnybrook, but bounced back in a big way at Merion West, a course Haverford School is also familiar with.
   Also scoring for the Fords at Merion West were Matt Grubb with a 39, Berman and Brooks with 40s, Ryan with a 41 and Tetrault with a 42.
    Leading the way for Episcopal were Alex Dupre and Drew DeBacco, each of whom carded 40s.
   Malvern will host the next mini-tournament Oct. 3 at Applebrook G.C., Germantown Academy is next Oct. 10 at Plymouth C.C., Penn Charter is the host Oct. 17 at Gulph Mills G.C. and The Haverford School hosts a mini-tournament Oct. 20, again at Gulph Mills.
   Penn Charter will host the Inter-Ac Tournament, which will crown the league's individual champion, Oct. 24 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club's Militia Hill Course.

Smith finally falls at U.S. Mid-Am

   Pittsburgh resident and two-time U.S. Walker Cup team member Nathan Smith finally saw his bid to claim a third straigtht U.S. Mid-Amateur championship halted in the semifinals Thursday.
   Randal Lewis of Alma Mich. knocked out Smith on the 19th hole of their semifinal match at Shadow Hawk in Richmond, Texas.
   At age 54, Lewis will attempt to become the oldest U.S. Mid-Am champion when he faces Kenny Cook, a 6 and 5 winner over John Engler in Wednesday's other semifinal, in today's 36-hole final.
  Earlier Wednesday, Smith rallied to edge Mike Stamberger of Plainfield, N.J., 2 and 1, in a quarterfinal match. The victory extended Smith's record for  consecutive match wins in the U.S. Mid-Am to 16 straight, a streak that was finally halted in the semifinals by Lewis.

Fields grabs lead at Section championship

   The area's top club professionals teed off at St. Davids Golf Club and White Manor Country Club Tuesday in the opening round of the Philadelphia Section PGA Championship and Dave Fields of Brookside C.C. fired a 3-under 68 at St. Davids to take a one-shot lead in the 54-hole event.
   George Forster, the veteran head pro at Radnor Valley C.C., was one of three players a shot back at 69 and he too teed it up at St. Davids Tuesday. Rich Steinmetz, the head pro at Spring-Ford C.C., matched Forster's 69 at St. Davids and Bill Sautter of Philadelphia Cricket Club rounded out the trio at 69. Sautter fashioned his round at White Manor and that was the best round of the day there by two shots.
   The field will switch courses for today's second round. After a 36-hole cut, the tournament will conclude at White Manor Thursday.
   Mark Sheftic, the director of instruction at Merion G.C., had one of the better rounds of the day at White Manor and his 71 left him three shots out of the lead. Sheftic is fresh off of helping the U.S. team win the PGA Cup in California over the weekend. The post previous to this one details Sheftic's showing in the PGA Cup.
   Stu Ingraham, the teaching pro at the M Golf Range in Newtown Square, carded a 72 at White Manor. Concord C.C. head pro Mike Moses is in the hunt after a 73 at St. Davids.
   Forster's son, George Forster Jr. is working in the pro shop at Merion and he posted a 74 at White Manor. Another shot back after a 75 at White Manor is Overbrook G.C. head pro Scott Hunter and Patrick Clark out of the Aronimink G.C. pro shop who carded his 75 at St. Davids.
   The top finishers from the Section Championship earn berths in the PGA National Professional Championship and a high finish there can send you to the PGA Championship. Ingraham has taken that route to six PGA Championship appearances. Sheftic earned trips to pro golf's final major of the year in 2009 and 2010 and Steinmetz has twice advanced to the PGA Championship field.

Osberg bows out

   When we last left Llanerch C.C.'s Jeff Osberg he was 2-down with seven holes to play in his first-round match with Matthew Smith of Lubbock, Texas at the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship at Shadow Hawk G.C. in Richmond, Texas.
   Osberg was unable to mount a charge and Smith claimed a 3 and 2 victory early Tuesday.
    It was another Smith, though, Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh who continues to make the big news at the U.S. Mid-Am.
   Smith won two more matches Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals as he tries to win this championship for a third straight time and an unprecedented fourth time overall. With three Mid-Am titles, Smith is in the company of another Pennsylvania great, Aronimink G.C.'s Jay Sigel, who won U.S. Mid-Am titles in 1983, '85 and '87 before turning pro and becoming a winner on the Champions Tour.
   Smith birdied six of the last seven holes he played in finishing off Billy Jackson of The Woodlands, Texas, 5 and 4  in a second-round match Tuesday morning. Then he claimed a 2 and 1 victotry over Nicholas Biesecker of Staunton, Va. in the afternoon. That win extended Smith's U.S. Mid-Am record of match victories to 15.
Time for LPGA to welcome Thompson
   When 16-year-old Lexi Thompson won the Navistar Classic Sunday by five shots, it was difficult to explain to casual golf followers why she is not yet a member of the LPGA.
   Thompson unfortunately is a victim of some of the previous teen queens who looked like the next big thing only to flame out -- sometimes badly.
  The LPGA put some age limits on its organization and Thompson had to petition to join the tour after turning pro at age 15 in 2010. Her petition was denied. so Thompson put her nose to the grindstone, kept her mouth shut and entered the tournaments she could, whether by sponsor's exemptions or in the case of tournametns like the U.S. Open -- which is run by the USGA, not the LPGA -- open qualifying.
    She won a first-stage LPGA Q-School event by 10 shots this summer and is headed for stage two next week unless her latest petition, expected to be filed in the wake of her victory over the weekend, is accepted this time.
    Thompson is different than some of the youngsters who weren't ready to play professional golf. For one thing, her parents are very involved in her life without being overbearing. That was a proud dad on the bag as her caddie Sunday in Alabama.
    A little common sense ought to be applied here. And if you want some common sense, just consult one of your greatest players, seven-time major champion and, from all reports, darn fine mom, Juli Inkster.
   "I think they should give her her full (membership)," Inkster told The Associated Press. "It's kind of silly, isn't it? I think it makes us (the LPGA) look bad, too. Now, you have to go to qualifying school? To me, that's silly."
   The good news here: Thompson has won nearly a half-million dollars in her limited opportunities in the last year-plus and golf fans will get to enjoy her powerful game for years to come.

Osberg reaches match play, trails in first match at U.S. Mid-Am

   Llanerch Country Club's Jeff Osberg had hoped to improve on his performance at the recent U.S. Amateur when he teed it up this week at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in Texas.
   And Osberg certainly achieved that goal. Osberg easily reached match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur with rounds of 72 at The Houstonian G.&C.C. and 73 at Shadow Hawk G.C. for a 1-over 145 total that left him in a tie for 20th in qualifying that wasn't completed until Monday after rain delays over the weekend.
   Osberg had failed to make match play at the U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
    Osberg trails Matthew Smith of Lubbock, Texas, 2-down, through 11 holes of their first-round match, which was suspended by darkness Monday.
    Nathan Smith, the Pittsburgh resident who has become the nation's premier mid-amateur player, claimed a 3 and 2 triumph over Scott Weeks of Savannah, Ga. in his first-round match. It was the 13th straight match win at the U.S. Mid-Am for Smith, who is bidding for a third straight title and his fourth overall. A third straight Mid-Am title would make Smith the first player to win a male USGA event three straight times since Tiger Woods won three straight U.S. Amateur crowns.
    Smith's first Mid-Am title came in 2003, but his career really seemed to take off when Buddy Marucci named him to the 2009 U.S. team that retained the Walker Cup at Merion G.C.'s East Course. Smith then went on to win the 2009 U.S. Mid-Am and repeated the feat a year ago. He was again named to the U.S. side for this year's Walker Cup Match, although Great Britain-Ireland claimed the Cup this time.

Sheftic helps U.S. take PGA Cup

   Mark Sheftic, the head of instruction at Merion G.C., helped a U.S. team of PGA club professionals retain the Llandudno International Trophy that goes to the winner of the PGA Cup.
   Sheftic edged John Wells of Yorkshire, England, 1-up, in his singles match Sunday at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif. as the U.S. finished off a 171/2-81/2 triumph over a team from Great Britain and Ireland to improve its advantage to 17-5-3 in the showcase international event for PGA club pros.
   Sheftic helped the U.S. get off to a strong start in Friday's two team sessions. Sheftic teamed with David Hutshell of Baltimore for a 3 and 2 victory over Simon Edwards and David Shacklady in a morning four-ball match and a 6 and 5 victory over John Kennedy and David Mortimer in an afternoon foursome match.
   The 6-2 advantage the U.S. claimed after Day One was the kind of start it needed.
   Shacklady and Edwards avenged their Day One loss to Sheftic and Hutshell with a 2 and 1 victory in a four-ball match Saturday morning. John Wells and Gary Brown then handed Sheftic and Hutshell a 2-up setback in a foursome match Saturday aftrernoon.


   

Thompson comes up short in second round

   Richad Marlowe of Canfield, Ohio was a one-man wrecking crew when it came to the Delco duo that advanced to match play at this week's U.S. Senior Amateur at the Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
   Carlowe edged George "Buddy" Marucci, the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur champion and winning Walker Cup captain in 2007 and 2009, on the first extra hole in an opening-round match Monday.
   A day later in the second round, Marlowe needed 18 holes to edge Drexel Hill resident and Overbrook G.C. member Ray Thompson, 2-up.
   Thompson had rolled to a 4 and 3 victory over Rich Tolly of Laguna Hills, Calif. in Monday's opening round.
   If Marucci had been able to pull out a victory over Marlowe in the first round, he would have faced Thompson in a second-round match. It would have been Haverford High (Marucci) vs. Marple Newtown (Thompson) and Merion G.C. vs. Overbrook G.C. Any way you look at it, it would have been a matchup of Delco senior heavyweights who still have a lot of game.
   Chip Lutz, a Golf Association of Philadelphia senior standout from Reading and the reigning British Senior Amateur championship, saw his bid for a British Senior Amateur-U.S. Senior Amateur double finally halted Wednesday with a 1-up loss to Phillip Pleat of Nashua, N.H. in the semifinals.
   Pleat will take on Louis Lee of Heber Springs, Ark., a 5 and 4 winner over William Thomas Doughtie of Amarrillo, Texas, in the other semifinal, for the championship.
   Earlier Wednesday, Lee edge older brother Stanford, the 2007 U.S. Senior Amateur champion, on the 19th hole of a quarterfinal match. According to the USGA website, it was believed to be the first meeting of brothers in a match-play situation in USGA history.

Thompson, Marucci earn spots in match play

   Overbrook Golf Club's Ray Thompson and Merion G.C.'s George "Buddy" Marucci continued their solid play in the second round of qualifying Sunday at Kinloch G.C. in Manakin-Sabot, Va. to earn berths in match play at the U.S. Senior Amateur.
   Thompson, a Drexel Hill resident, added an even-par 72 to his opening-round 70 for a 2-under 142 total that left him in a tie for fourth overall. Thompson shared fourth place with another Golf Association of Philadelphia senior stalwart, Reading's Chip Lutz, the reigning British Senioir Amateur champion.
   Marucci, the winning Walker Cup captain in 2007 and again in 2009 at Merion's East Course, added a second-round 75 to his opening-round 73 for a 4-over 148 total. Marucci, runnerup to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. Amateur, won the U.S. Senior Amateur crown in 2008 in the midst of his two terms as Walker Cup captain.
   Rounding out the Delco contingent at the U.S. Senior Amateur was Mike Owsik, the proprietor of the M Golf Range in Newtown Square. Owsik took five shots off his opening-round 83 with a 78 Sunday, but failed to advance to match play.
U.S. falls in Walker Cup
    The 14-12 victory for the Great Britain-Ireland side over the U.S. in the Walker Cup Match that concluded Sunday at Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie Course in Aberdeen Scotland serves to emphasize what an accomplishment it was for Marucci to win the Cup, not just at his home course at Merion in 2009, but on the road in Northern Ireland in 2007.
   It's not a criticism of Jim Holtgrieve, whose squad made a furious final push in the singles matches Sunday, but came up short. There was no shortage of talent on this team, with many observers comparing it to Marucci's 2007 side that has produced a bunch of PGA Tour regulars.
   It's just not easy to win this thing. It's an exercise in team-building and Marucci was able to create the kind of team chemistry you need to beat a determined and talented GBI squad.
   All of Marucci's players in 2009 talked abou the emphasis he placed on putting together teams for the foursome matches. And it paid off.
   This year's U.S. team dug a 3-1 hole in the first round of foursome matches Saturday it could never dig out of.. GBI picked up three-and-a-half more points in the foursomes matches Sunday, which enabled the home side to withstand the U.S. onslaught in singles.

Thompson in hunt for U.S. Senior Amateur medalist honors

   You always hear that expression about golf being a "sport for life."
   Well, a couple of Delco guys, Ray Thompson and George "Buddy" Marcucci are living, breathing witnesses to that expression.
   It was 42 years ago, when PIAA golf was still a spring sport, that Marple Newtown's Thompson finished in a tie for second at the state tournament and Haverford High's Marucci finished in a tie for fourth.
   Today at the Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va. Thompson and Marucci will be trying to make it to match play in qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur.
   Thompson is very much in the hunt for medalist honors in qualifying aftrer the Drexel Hill resident and Overbrook Golf Club member fired a 2-under 70. Thompson is in a tie for second wtih three other players, two shots back of Mark Bemowski of Mukwonago, Wis. One of the players in that tie for second is Golf Association of Philadelphia stalwart and reigning British Senior Amateur champion Chip Lutz from Reading.
   Marucci, runnerup to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. Amateur, made the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur title his elusive first USGA crown, but was unable to defend because he was busy captaining the U.S. team to a victory over Great Britain/Ireland at the Walker Cup Match on his home course at Merion G.C.
   Saturday, he wasn't far behind his old Central League rival Thompson with a 1-over 73.
   The third member of the Delco contingent at Kinloch, a fellow member of your favorite golf blogger in the Class of 1973 at Archbishop Carroll, M Golf Driving Range owner Mike Owsik did not fare as well. Owsik's 83 left him with a lot of work to do in Sunday's second round of qualifying.
U.S. falls behind in Scotland
   You can bet Marucci will be keeping an eye on developments across the pond Sunday while he's playing his second round of U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying.
   The U.S., under captain Jim Holtgrieve, trails Great Britain/Ireland, 7-5, after Day One of the 2011 Walker Cup Match at Ryal Abeerdeen's Balgowne Course in Abeerdeen, Scotland.
   The U.S. won the Walker Cup in 2007 with Marucci as the captain on the road at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland. He wrapped up his four-year commitment as captain with a special victory two years ago at the famed East Course at Merion, a club that numbers him among its members.
   This U.S. team was touted by many golf experts as one of the strongest we've ever sent into the biennial amateur matches. In addition to 2009 holdovers Peter Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, and Nathan Smith, the veteran from western Pennsylvania, the squad includes UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay and Kelly Kraft, the SMU product who downed Cantlay in a tense U.S. Amateur final a couple of weeks ago, as well as junior phenom Jordan Spieth, among others.
   Cantalay and Chris Williams claimed the only points for the U.S. in morning foursome matches Saturday with a 5 and 3 decision over Steven Brown and Stiggy Hodgson, a gritty competitor who endeared himself to the Philly area golf fans who trudged around Merion East at the Walker Cup Match in 2009. Cantlay, who fired a 60 at the PGA Tour event in Hartford this summer, then stopped the bleeding in the afternoon singles matches with a 2 and 1 victory over Michael Stewart. Uihlein, Spieth and Harris English also win singles matches before Patrick Rodgers, Russell Henley, Smith and Kraft all dropped close decisions as the home team surged in front.
   It will be interesting to see if this very strong U.S. side can rally on Day Two Sunday.
   Anyone who witnessed the matches at Merion two years ago can tell you what a special event this is. And yes, a lot of golf fans gave up watching the Eagles season opener live two years ago without regret.