LSU golfer Loupe falls in quarterfinals

• Advocate news services
• Published: Jul 3, 2009 - Page: 2C

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

PINEHURST, N.C. – LSU sophomore Andrew Loupe saw his run as the No. 64 seed at the 109th North & South Amateur Championship end Thursday with a 2 and 1 loss to Florida’s Tyson Alexander in the quarterfinal of match play at Pinehurst No. 2.

After defeating the No. 1 seed and defending tournament champion Matt Savage of Florida State on Wednesday, Loupe, a former Episcopal standout, advanced with a 4 and 3 victory Thursday morning over Lion Kim, a sophomore All-American at Michigan.

The win put Loupe in the Sweet 16 against Alexander.

Alexander, one of the premier players in the Southeastern Conference this season, was coming off an appearance in the U.S. Open two weeks ago.

Loupe battled for a 1-up lead after birdies on the par-5 fourth and par-4 fifth. But Alexander won three of four holes to take a 2-up lead after nine holes. Alexander closed the match by matching Loupe with a par at the par-three 17th hole.

Against Kim, Loupe was 4-up at the turn after making birdie on the par-3 ninth.

Kim was poised to close the gap with birdies at the par-five 10th and par-4 13th holes, Loupe responded by winning Nos. 12 and No. 13. Loupe closed the match by making par on the par-3 15th hole.

Yi wins Gateway event

LSU sophomore Sang Yi has enjoyed a fast start to his summer golf schedule, earning a one-stroke victory last weekend in the Gateway Tour Summer Series tournament held at the Golf Club at Castle Hills in Lewisville, Texas.

After opening with a 2-under par 70, Yi fired back-to-back 7-under-par 65s to capture the title with a 54-hole score of 16-under 200.

Yi, the only amateur to make the cut, defeated professional Kris Cox, a Lafayette native, by one stroke as Cox fired a 15-under 201 in 54 holes.

In its eighth year of existence, the Gateway Tour is a developmental golf tour.

Yi is currently competing in the Spirit of America Amateur Championship, which started Thursday at Burning Tree Country Club in Decatur, Ala. The four-day event wraps up Sunday.