Woods Advances to Quarterfinals in Public Links Championship

Eric Woods of Newport Beach won two matches Thursday to advance to today’s quarterfinal round of the 1987 U.S. Amateur Public Links Golf Championship at Glenview Golf Course in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Woods, 23, and a graduate of Corona del Mar High School, defeated William Beck of Joliet, Ill., 6 and 4, Thursday morning.

Thursday afternoon, Woods beat Franklin Langham of Thompson, Ga., 3 and 2.

Defending champion Bill Mayfair nearly lost an early lead, but stood off the challenge to advance to the quarterfinals.

Mayfair, an Arizona State junior, won his match against Jim Gilleon, of Ocala, Fla., 4 and 3. Mayfair was ahead five holes at the turn, but nearly let his lead get away.

Mayfair saved his par at hole 13 when he hit a 7-iron out of the rough to within eight feet of the pin and two-putted for his par.

Of the eight golfers who advanced to today’s quarterfinals at Glenview Golf Course, Scott Munroe, an Indianapolis insurance salesman and graduate of Georgia Southern, is the oldest at 26. Munroe beat Ray Vanyo, 49, a schoolteacher from San Bernardino, 4 and 3.

Kevin Johnson, 20, from Pembroke, Mass., a sophomore at Clemson University, defeated Brian Lindley of Long Beach, 1-up in 19 holes. Johnson had never seen the Glenview course until he played it in Monday’s qualifying round because he had won the Massachusetts amateur tournament last weekend and did not have time to arrive earlier in Cincinnati.

Brian Bridges, 18, of Whitehall, Ohio, a Kent State student, defeated Ed Smith of Tempe, Ariz., 3 and 2 Thursday.