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Aug. 16, 2008

Pineburst, N.C. - Scott Langley and Chris DeForest will likely always be linked in Illinois golf history. The duo represented a much heralded freshmen class in 2007 and became the first pair of Illinois freshmen to claim individual tournament titles in school history.

The college roommates have taken their own paths this summer - Langley canvassing the country from Georgia to Colorado to North Carolina to Michigan, playing at a number of major amateur tournaments with DeForest playing mainly around his hometown of Cottekill, N.Y. Both converge next week in Pinehurst, N.C., as they represent the Fighting Illini at the oldest golf tournament in the country, the U.S. Amateur.

Langley tied for fifth at the Western Junior Championship in St. Simons Island, Ga., in June with back-to-back rounds of 66 and 68. He advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Public Links Championships in Aurora, Colo., in July and competed at the Western Amateur in Benton Harbor, Mich., in late July.

Langley is making his second appearance of the summer at Pinehurst's No. 2 and 4 courses where the field of 312 begins play on Monday. He had his most successful performance of the season at Pinehurst, putting on some fireworks around the 4th of July at the North & South Amateur. Langley fired a 145 through 36 holes of match play, then defeated 16th seeded Philip Hendrickson 4 & 3 and 17th seeded George Bryan 1 up to reach the round of 16.

The North & South used the same format as the U.S. Amateur will next week. Stroke play will be Monday and Tuesday with match play starting Wednesday and continuing until a 36-hole final on Sunday, August 24. Pinehurst has been home to the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens and the 1994 U.S. Senior Open.

DeForest, who placed second at the 68th Monroe Invitational in mid-June, won his U.S. Amateur qualifier by a whopping nine strokes with rounds of 67 and 65 at the Dutchess Golf & Country Club in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on July 24.

"As a long hitter on a relatively short course, I was able to use my 3 woods and 3 irons to manage my way around the course," DeForest said.

While DeForest destroyed the field at his qualifier, Langley had to overcome a slow start and win a playoff to advance. He birdied the second playoff hole to edge Brad Hopfinger of Lake Forest, Ill., on Aug. 4 at Piper Glen Golf Club in Springfield, Ill. Langley shot 72 in his opening round and played the second nine of the second round at +1. However, he used a five-under par 31 on the front nine of the second round to get him into the playoff.

Langley used the experience he had in NCAA Championship where he played through four sudden playoff holes before one of his opponents birdied to advance to the final round. Now he hopes to use his experience from earlier this summer at Pinehurst.

"I'm sure the greens will be faster and the rough longer," Langley said of what he expects. "The course demands that you drive it straight and the greens are sloped at every side."

Before starting their sophomore seasons together, DeForest and Langley are excited to be able to compete together at the U.S. Amateur.

"I was really pumped for Chris when I saw what he was able to do at his qualifier," said Langley.

"I have a lot of respect for Scott's game and his personality," DeForest said. "I'm looking forward to having both of us down there competing against some of the nation's best players."

Guthrie finishes impressive showing at Junior PGA
Illinois incoming freshman Luke Guthrie tied for fourth at the 33rd Junior PGA Championship at TPC River Bend in suburban Cinicnnati. Guthrie shot a final round 74 and after firing 70-66-69 in his first three rounds of the tournament to finish at -9 276 and three strokes behind the leader. Guthrie posted his third straight top-five finish after placing third at last year's event