June 19, 2009 01:10 am
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From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
CAMDENTON, Mo. — Andrew Maier posted two wins on Thursday to move into the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Golf Association 2009 Junior Match Play.
Maier, a Webb City High School graduate who plans to continue his golf career at Missouri Southern, will play Columbia’s Wilson Sundvold today in a morning quarterfinal.
The format at the par-72 Lake Valley Golf and Country Club course calls for semifinals in the afternoon and a 36-hole final on Saturday.
“It’s our first meeting,” Maier said of facing Sundvold. “Really, I haven’t even met him. I met his dad, Jon (former University of Missouri basketball star), today.”
Maier played 37 holes on Thursday. He opened by edging Nevada’s Tyler Gast 1-up in 19 holes before clipping Grant McNeley of Kansas City (Mo.) 1-up.
“Tyler (Gast) is a good friend. I’ve played with him a lot,” Maier said. “I rallied from three shots down after 12 holes. I birdied the first playoff hole to win.
“I hadn’t met McNeley before (Thursday). I had him two down after nine holes. He tied me by winning holes 10 and 11. Then, we went back and forth until I birdied the par-5, 16th to go 1-up. We tied on 17. Then, on 18, I 2-putted for a par to tie and win.”
Maier said there was about a 40-minute break between his matches.
“I was able to grab a bite and hit a bit,” he said. “It was very hot and we were allowed to use carts on the second 18.
“Rain washed out our scheduled practice round on Tuesday,” Maier said. “But we did walk the course. Still, I wasn’t 100 percent sure of anything about the holes on Wednesday.”
Maier shot a 76 — good for a fifth-place tie — in qualifying. Republic’s Kyle Knierim led with a 72.
Knierim lost 1-up to Springfield’s Jonathan Fulp in the first round.
Sundvold ousted Washington’s Mitch Brauer 6 and 4 in the second round.
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