Fresno State Athletics
Patel Advances to the Final 4
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Aug. 28, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State's men's golfer Bhavik Patel has advanced to the Final 4 of the 109th U.S. Amateur Championships in Tulsa, Okla. at the par-70, 7,093-yard Southern Hills Country Club.
He defeated Phillip Mollica of Anderson, S.C., in the quarterfinals Friday morning to advance to Saturday's semi-final round.
The match was squared through four holes but then Mollica was one or two up on Patel for holes five through 13. Patel tied the match on the 14th hole after he birdied the Par 3. Patel went two up after 16 and held onto win by one. Patel's win keeps him in the hunt for a national championship.
"It still hasn't sunk in just yet," said Patel. "It just seems like I'm playing a normal round of golf and I don't think it will sink in until I'm actually holding the trophy."
Patel tee's off at 9:15 a.m. CT on Saturday with television coverage on NBC. He will square off against Byeong-Hun An of Korea.
A win on Saturday will put Patel in the final round scheduled for Sunday and televised on NBC. The final round of the U.S. Amateur's format will consist of the final two players competing over 36 holes to determine the champion. The U.S. Amateur champion gets invitations to play in the Master's, British Open and U.S Open in the ensuing year as long as they remain an amateur player.
Some of the greatest players in golf history got their start by having success in the U.S. Amateur. Former U.S. Amateur champions include Tiger Woods (1994, 1995, 1996), Phil Mickelson (1990), Jack Nicklaus (1959, 1961) and Arnold Palmer (1954).
Nearly 7,000 golfers entered this year's U.S. Amateur Championship. To follow live CLICK HERE.
Television Coverage :
| Date | Channel | Round | Time |
| Aug. 29 | NBC | Semifinals | 1-3 p.m. PT |
| Aug. 30 | NBC | Final | 1-3 p.m. PT |
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