Menante Advances To U.S. Amateur Semifinal

Paramus, N.J. – University of North Carolina senior Dylan Menante won seven holes, including the decisive 15^th with a 12-foot birdie, to defeat Nicholas Gross 4&3 Friday in the quarterfinals of the 122^nd United States Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club.

Menante will play Sam Bennett, a fifth-year senior at Texas A&M, at 2 p.m. Saturday in the first semifinal (TV: Golf Channel). Bennett is No. 3 and Menante No. 8 in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking. They were teammates this summer on the United States' Palmer Cup team that competed in Switzerland.

Gross, a 15-year-old from Downingtown, Pa., won the first and third holes for a 2 up lead, the third time in four matches Menante fell behind and the second time he trailed by at least two holes.

However, Menante won four consecutive holes (five through eight) and six of 10 holes to take a 3 up lead through 12. The Carlsbad, Calif., native closed out the match on the 135-yard, par-3 15^th. He stuck his drive to 12 feet and made the putt for the win.

This is the second consecutive year a Tar Heel has advanced to at least the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur. Austin Greaser won his semifinal match last year and competed in the championship match. Menante and Greaser are UNC teammates this coming season.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Austin Greaser

Dylan Menante

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