July 28, 2010
University Park, Pa. - Two Nittany Lions have qualified for the 110th U.S. Amateur Championship Aug 23-29 at Chambers Bay located in University Place, Wash. Both sophomore Ernesto Marin (Miami, Fla.) and freshman Mike Miller (Brewster, N.Y.) join the elite field of amateur golfers for the first time in their careers.
Marin qualified at the Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Fla., on Aug. 27 with a two-round total, 139. The Miami native joined the Nittany Lions last fall and participated in 11 tournaments with a Lion career average of 75.64.
New to Penn State but not to the golfing world, Mike Miller, an 18-year-old out of Brewster, N.Y., qualified for the championship in outstanding fashion this week. Miller posted a 63, first-round score at the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, N.Y., taking the course record and the lead into the final round. Miller's two-round, 133 trumped the competition leaving an eight-stroke lead between him and second place honoree, Chris DeForest, a senior at Illinois.
Miller has stayed busy the past few weeks keeping his swing hot, winning the Met Junior Championship in match-play format. Before he can take the links at the U.S. Amateur Miller will compete in the Carter Cup beginning Aug. 4 at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Miller will also compete in the MET Amateur, a tournament in which senior Tommy McDonagh has won twice.
Qualifying for the U.S. Amateur will continue across the nation this week. For more U.S. Amateur news and Nittany Lion updates visit GoPSUpors.com.