Moore never gives Williamson a chance in final
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Ryan Moore defeated Lee Williamson 10 and 9 Saturday to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
Moore, of Puyallup, Wash., a sophomore at UNLV who played in the U.S. Open, had 14 birdies and one bogey and closed out Williamson in 27 holes of the 36-hole final at The Orchards.
The margin of victory was the second-largest in tournament history behind Jim Sorenson's 12 and 11 win over Jay Cooper in 1985.
"I'm not sure where that came from,'' said Moore, who lost in the final of the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur. "I just know I would have hated playing against me today.''
Moore earns a spot in the 2003 Masters, if he remains an amateur, and the finalists receive automatic berths into next month's U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills.
Moore was 6-up after 18 holes and was 9-up after 24 holes.
After Williamson's chip for par on the 27th hole ran 6 feet past the hole, he conceded Moore's 10-foot birdie putt and the championship.
"I'm disappointed, but he never really gave me a chance,'' said Williamson, the Crawfordsville, Ind., player preparing for his final season at Purdue. "My only regret was that I couldn't stay even for a few holes and put a little more pressure on him.''
Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press
