AURORA, Colo. ? Former Austin Peay State University golfer Grant Leaver saw his quest end, Thursday afternoon, for a United States Public Links Championships. 

After winning his second-round match, Thursday morning against Nakarintra Ratanakul, Leaver fell to Corey Nagy, of Charlotte, N.C., 2 & 1, in the Round of 16, being playing at Murphy Creek Golf Course. Murphy Creek is the longest course in Amateur Public Links history, a par-71 playing at 7,551 yards.

Leaver fell behind early in the match, bogeying the first hole and was two down after four holes. However, he gained one of those shots right back on fifth hole after recording a birdie while Nagy only made par. He was able square the match on the ninth hole by recording another birdie. That is how the match stood until Leaver took the lead on the 12th hole, recording a par while Nagy made bogey.

 

However, Nagy won the next two holes to go 1 up and all but put the match away on the 16th hole when he recorded a par and Leaver a bogey. Two up with two holes to play, Leaver had to win the final two holes. Both recorded bogeys on No. 17, as a result, ending the match.

 

Still it was strong first U.S. Public Links tourney for the Centerville native, who played in the NCAA Regional at Chattanooga back in the spring. The tourney opened with a two rounds of qualifying stroke play with the top 64 advancing to a match-play championship bracket. Leaver fired a 72-73 for a 3-over par 145, good enough for 44th place and a place in the 64-man match-play bracket.

 

In match play, Leaver was paired with No. 21 seed J C Horne, of Daytona Beach, Fla. Leaver opened with a pair of pars, but Horne was better with back-to-back birdies to go 2-up early. Horne held that margin through five holes. Leaver then birdied No. 6 ? a 566-yard par 5 ? before parring No. 7 to square it up with 12 holes to play. At No. 8, Leaver took over. He knocked in back-to-back birdies and capped an eight-hole stretch with an eagle on No.15, to win the match, 4 & 3.

 

The second match-play round, played Thursday morning, put Leaver up against No. 12 seed Ratanakul, of West Lafayette, Ind. Ratanakul won his opening-round match 5 & 3.

 

The two traded birdies on the first two holes before Leaver's birdie on No. 3 put him 1-up. That lead held until Ratanakul evened up at No. 8 and went 1-up on No. 9. After two holes all square, Leaver again used a late push with birdies on No. 12 and No. 14, combined with a pair of Ratanakul bogeys, to win the match 4 & 2 and advance to the Round of 16.

 

-AP-