Want to know what happened in the 26-man
play-off for two places at Pinehurst?

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
US golf correspondents don't bother much with the "also-rans" but you would think they would be interested in a play-off of monster proportions - 26 vieing for only two places in the match-play stages of the United States men's amateur championship.
But no. It has taken me TWO days to find out who claimed the two places from the 26 players who finished on five-over-par 145 after the qualifying rounds.
Played over the No 4 course at Pinehurst - I believe there are eight courses there - 23 of the play-off participants were eliminated at the very first hole as Ross Beal, Jason Bittick and Jack Newman, the US Amateur Public Links champion, all made birdies at it.
All three then bogeyed the second playoff hole, before the 40-year-old Bittick gained the No. 63 spot with a par at the third hole.
Newman and Beal both made par on the next two holes and at the sixth play-off hole, the par-4, 15th, Beal landed the final spot with a two-putt par.
So now you know.