CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. (AP) — Michael Weaver opened a big lead, and then hung on to beat Justin Thomas 3-and-2 on Saturday to advance to the final of the U.S. Amateur championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club.
Weaver will face Steven Fox of Hendersonville, Tenn., in Sunday’s 36-hole match-play championship. Fox won his semifinal 2-up over Brandon Hagy, who is Weaver’s teammate at the University of California at Berkeley.
The 21-year-old Weaver, of Fresno, Calif., opened his semifinal match with Thomas with three consecutive birdies to go 2 up. He stretched his lead to 5 up after the 10th hole but then had to withstand a rally by Thomas, a University of Alabama freshman who won three of four holes to get within two of Weaver.
