Aggie All-American Russell in semifinals at U.S. Amateur

  • Posted: Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:00 a.m.
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ERIN, Wis. -- Texas A&M senior All-American Jordan Russell won two more matches Friday at the U.S. Amateur Championship, including a 2 and 1 quarterfinal victory over defending champion Peter Uihlein of Oklahoma State to reach the semifinals.

In the morning's round of 16, Russell rallied to beat Bobby Leopold of Cranston, R.I., on the 19th hole at the Erin Hills Golf Club.

Russell then ousted Big 12 rival Uihlein, who was trying to become the event's first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods won the Amateur three straight years from 1994-96. Russell birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to take a two-hole lead and parred out for the victory.

After the match, the Oklahoma State standout told Russell that he was the most underrated player in college golf.

"That's pretty cool if he thinks that," Russell said. "I'm maybe a little underrated, but I kind of like it that way. I have my own motivation with that. It kind of keeps me going, so I'm fine with that."

Russell edged Uihlein at the Big 12 Championship earlier this year at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., placing third at 6-over 286 while Uihlein tied for fourth two strokes back.

The Aggie again had a little too much game for the Cowboy on Friday.

"I made too many pars. I only birdied the first hole," Uihlein said. "Jordan played too solid to beat him with pars. I didn't hit it close enough to put pressure on him, and I didn't make any putts going in."

Russell was 2-up after six holes, but Uihlein rallied to tie the match with a par 4 on the 12th hole. But after Russell won the next two holes, Uihlein never recovered.

"I kind of got the momentum early," Russell said. "He kind of swung it, but I made a 60-footer on 13, so that kind of flipped it right there, and I made birdie on the next hole."

Russell, who graduated from A&M Consolidated, will face UCLA's Patrick Cantlay at 9 a.m. Saturday in the semifinals. Cantlay won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the collegiate player of the year last season.

Denton's Kelly Kraft will face England's Jack Senior in Saturday's other semifinal. Senior won 1 up over Dallas' Jordan Spieth, the two-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion and freshman at Texas. Senior is trying to join Harold Hilton (1911) as the only English winners.

The 36-hole final is set for Sunday.