U.S. Amateur Golf Championship : Rebmann Eliminates Sigel and Gump to Reach Final

Eric Rebmann generated momentum with a fourth-round victory over two-time champion Jay Sigel, then defeated medalist Scott Gump, 5 and 4, in the semifinals Saturday to advance today’s final of the 87th U.S. Amateur Golf Championship against Bill Mayfair.

Rebmann, of Plantation, Fla., surprised Sigel, the 1982 and ’83 winner from Berwyn, Pa., 2 up. He stopped Gump, who dominated stroke-play as well as match-play here, without losing a hole.

Mayfair, the 1986 U.S. Public Links champion from Phoenix, defeated Stephen Ford of Melbourne, Fla., 3 and 2.

Rebmann, 23, overcame a two-hole deficit to beat Sigel on the par-72, 6,915-yard course. He won the last three holes to clinch the match and carried the momentum into his semifinal against Gump, a 4-and-3 winner over Chris Webb of Shreveport, La., earlier in the day.

“I got a taste of my own medicine,” said Gump, who trailed by four holes at the turn. “He played very consistent and never hit a shot off line. That’s tough to beat.”

Rebmann won the fourth, fifth and sixth holes with birdies. He won No. 9 with a bogey and birdied No. 12 to go 5 up.

“He wasn’t at his best--didn’t play like he has all week,” Rebmann said of Gump, who as one of the semifinalists qualified for a berth in next year’s Masters.

“I knew Scott had been playing well, but it relaxed me to beat Sigel,” he added. “I thought I would be flat, but I went out there and took up where I left off.”

Mayfair, the 1987 NCAA Player of the Year from Arizona State, never trailed in his match with Ford. It was even after 10 holes, before Mayfair pulled away by winning three of the next four holes.

Ford, a student at Georgia Southern, defeated Robert McNamara, of Frankfort, Ky., 2 and 1, to reach the semifinals. Mayfair, 21, beat Miles McConnell, of Tampa, Fla., 1 up in 20 holes.

Gump, a former University of Miami star, won four of the first five holes against Webb and was 5 up after nine holes. Webb was discouraged but didn’t give up.

The Louisiana State graduate won three straight holes beginning at No. 10 to cut his deficit to two holes. Gump, 21, regained control with a birdie on the par-3, 225-yard 14th hole and closed out the match with a par on No. 15.

“I wasn’t even in the match at the beginning,” said Webb, who saw a dream of qualifying for the Masters disappear.