ATLANTA — Daniel Summerhays is starting his senior year at Davis High School on Monday. Before hitting the books, he'll try to become the youngest winner in the history of the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Not even Tiger Woods accomplished what Summerhays is attempting — to win the country's most prestigious amateur event at the age of 17. Woods won the first of his three consecutive U.S. Ams at the age of 18.
Summerhays, who is still four months shy of his 18th birthday, advanced to the quarterfinals with two victories Thursday at East Lake Golf Club. After defeating Texas Tech junior Brooks Kelly 2 and 1 in a morning match, he came back to defeat ex-BYU golfer Billy Harvey 4 and 3 in the afternoon in a rematch of the 2000 Utah State Amateur finals.
If Summerhays wins his quarterfinal match against 23-year-old Robert Hamilton Friday, he could face another BYU golfer, Manuel Merizalde, who also advanced to the quarterfinals with victories over Georgia golfer Nick Cassini and Fresno State golfer Nick Watney.
"It's definitely beyond my expectations," said Summerhays, nephew of Senior PGA Tour player Bruce Summerhays. "I was just hoping to get into match play and give that a shot. I'm sure they're just looking at me as some short, pudgy kid. I know I'm the underdog when I go out there. There's no pressure on me."
Although he has made no official announcement, Summerhays told reporters he plans to attend BYU after finishing high school. He has a 4.0 grade-point average and ranks first in a class of 754 students.
"It's tough, but you have to set your priorities and school is first," he said. "You can find time (to play golf).
There's always time for that."
Summerhays, who won his second straight Utah State Amateur last month, finished off Harvey despite a bogey at the 15th. The 22-year-old Harvey, who just completed his four years at BYU in the spring, was desperate for a birdie and chunked a shot from the rough and shanked a wedge into the sand.
"These guys are great," Summerhays said. "It's just a privilege to be here."
Defending champion Jeff Quinney also made the final eight with two grueling 1-up victories, finishing with a towel draped around his neck on a steamy day. Only three players since World War II have won consecutive amateur titles.
Quinney, who graduated from Arizona State this year, approaches the tournament with a different mindset. He remained an amateur largely for the chance to match Harvie Ward Jr. (1955-56), Jay Sigel (1982-83) and Woods as repeat champions.
In the quarters, Quinney will meet Brian Nosler, a former teammate at Arizona State who edged Michael Webb of Elberton, Ga., 1-up.
James Driscoll, of Brookline, Mass., won't be returning to the final. Japan's Taichiro Kiyota posted a 1-up victory in the third round, advancing to meet Merizalde in the quarters. Merizalde, a native of Colombia, will be a senior at BYU this year. He's trying to become the first foreign-born U.S. Amateur champion since Canada's Gary Cowan in 1971.
If Summerhays and Merizalde both win their matches Friday, one of them will be assured of playing in next year's Masters, since the two finalists get invitations to golf's most exclusive event.