Aug. 19, 2008

PINEHURST, N.C. - University of North Carolina golfers Barden Berry and Kevin O'Connell have advanced to match play at the 108th U.S. Amateur. After 36 holes of stroke play, Berry, who just completed his senior year, tied for 33rd place at three-over-par 143 while sophomore O'Connell finished one stroke back at four-over 144 in a tie for 47th place.

Jack Fields, an incoming freshman from Southern Pines, N.C., stands at five-over 145 in a tie for 63rd place and is one of 26 players who will be in a playoff for the two remaining spots Wednesday morning. Fields carded a two-over 72 on Tuesday after posting a 73 in the first round. Another Tar Heel, Reed Darsie, from Chapel Hill, missed the cut for match play after carding a 147 total with rounds of 73-74 to finish tied for 109th place.

Berry, a Cleveland Golf All-America scholar from Kinston, N.C., carded a five-over 75 on Pinehurst's No. 4 course after firing a 68 in the first round at the No. 2 course. O'Connell, the 2008 ACC Freshman of the Year from Cary, N.C., carded a pair of two-over 72s, his second round played at the No. 2 course.

Match play in the prestigious event begins Wednesday and all matches from now on will be played at Pinehurst No. 2 which features a par 70, 7,281-yard layout. The champion will be crowned Sunday following a 36-hole final match.

Berry will play Connor McHenry, a junior at Wichita State, in the first round of match play. The pair will tee off the first tee at 11:10 a.m. O'Connell, who garnered MVP honors representing the United States in the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship at Tokyo Golf Club in mid-July, is matched against Brian Harman, a senior from Georgia, in Wednesday's match play competition. They will tee off the first tee at noon.

Robbie Filmore, a junior at Brigham Young, was the medalist of the stroke play competition. He fired a five-under-par 65 at Pinehurst No. 4 on Tuesday after carding a one-under 69 at the No. 2 course in the first round to finish at six-under 134. Filmore posted a two-stroke win over Wesley Bryan, a freshman at South Carolina, who tallied a four-under 136 total after rounds of 67-69.