July 17, 2008

Pinehurst, N.C. - Furman's Blair Lamb defeated NCAA All-American Alison Walshe and Australia's Stacey Keating in match play competition to advance to the quarterfinals of the 106th United States Women's North and South Amateur Championship at the Pinehurst No. 2 course in Pinehurst, N.C., on Thursday.

Lamb, two down entering the final three holes in the round of 16, rallied to win two holes before defeating Keating by draining a 15-foot putt on the 20th hole of the round. The Flat Rock, N.C., native and rising senior advances to face the University of Georgia's Garrett Phillips in a 7:30 a.m. quarterfinal match on Friday at Pinehurst No. 2.

The 2007 Southern Conference individual medalist and No 33 seed opened the day defeating No 1 seed Walshe, the No. 8 ranked amateur in the nation and the tournament's defending champion, 4&3. Walshe, of the University of Arizona, captured individual medalist honors during the two rounds of stroke play to claim the top seed.

This year's North and South Amateur began with 156 golfers. The top 64, after two rounds of stroke play, advanced to the match play portion of the tournament which began on Wednesday. Lamb fired rounds of 74 and 77 to finish stroke play at six-over-par and in a tie for 26th position.

Furman's Stefanie Kenoyer, the No. 18 seed, fell in the round of 64 after advancing through stroke play.

The North and South Amateur is the longest running women's amateur tournament in the country having begun in Pinehurst, N.C., in 1903. Past winners include Morgan Pressel, Carol Semple Thompson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Peggy Kirk Bell.

The quarterfinal are set for Friday morning with the two semifinal matches on Saturday and the finals match on Sunday.