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Svoboda makes cut at amateur championships

By Dylan Butler

St. John’s junior golfer Andrew Svoboda solidified his place as one of the top collegiate golfers in the country, after losing in the third round of the 101st Annual United States Amateur Golf Association Championship at the East Lake Golf Club and the Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga. last week.

Svoboda, an All-Big East selection last year, carded a three-over par 73 on the opening day of the tournament, but bounced back in the second round, firing a four-under par 68, one of the best rounds of the tournament, and made the cut, which was three-over par 145.

Of the 312 golfers, including Red Storm teammates Jesse Fitzgerald and Joe Saladino and former teammate Gary Blados, only 64 made the cut.

Svoboda lost the first round of match play, falling to Robert Hamilton of Carmichael, California, 3-and-2 last Wednesday morning. Hamilton went on to the final, where he lost to Bubba Dickerson.

“It shows that he is one of the top 64 in the country, which he definitely is,” said St. John's head coach Frank Darby. “He’s pretty consistent, a really fine player. Every time he tees up he has to be one of the favorites.”

Led by returnees Svoboda and Fitzgerald and Saladino, Darby expects big things from the Red Storm this year, after making the NCAA tournament last season.

“It should be interesting,” he said. “A lot of other programs lost a lot of big players. We should be right there with Penn State, who is arguably the best team in the East.”

The St. John’s golf team opens up its season at the Navy Invitational on September 7.