Local golfers Ernst, McInerney alive at U.S. Amateur
Alabama junior Bobby Wyatt finished at the top in stroke-play qualifying Tuesday at the U.S. Amateur in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., and former UNLV standout Derek Ernst also advanced to match play by tying for 25th.
Incoming UNLV freshman A.J. McInerney, a former Coronado High School standout, might also advance, but he has some work to do today. The top 64 players move into match play, and McInerney was among 17 players who tied for 51st. Those 17 will have a playoff for the 14 available spots.
Wyatt shot 68 for a 9-under-par 132 total to earn the top seed for match play. Ernst, who opened with a 67 to tie for ninth, fell back a bit with a 74 to finish at par 141, two strokes above the cutline. McInerney, who shot 68 Monday and was tied for 19th, shot 75 Tuesday, barely avoiding the cut pending today's playoff result.
UNLV's Blake Biddle (74-77-151) missed the cut.
Wyatt tied the 36-hole tournament record for stroke play, accomplished previously in 2011 by Gregor Main and in 1994 by Hank Kim. Wyatt finished two strokes in front of second-place qualifiers Cheng-Tsung Pan of Taiwan and Jeff Osberg of West Chester, Pa.
