Haas reaches U.S. Amateur quarters

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Medalist Bill Haas rallied from three holes down at the turn Thursday to defeat D.J. Trahan, 2 & 1, and earn a spot in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Teen-agers Spencer Levin and Henry Liaw, either of whom would be the youngest winner in the history of the tournament, also advanced to the quarterfinals but Kevin Stadler, son of veteran touring pro Craig Stadler, bogeyed the 17th and 18th holes and was eliminated by John Klauk, 1-up.

Haas, whose father Jay was in the field this week at the PGA Tour stop in Reno, Nev., stormed from behind to defeat the 2002 collegiate player of the year. Trahan, the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion and a member of the 2001 U.S. Walker Cup team, had rallied earlier in the day to win his second-round match against David Skinns of England, 2 & 1.

In his second-round match, Haas was a 4 & 3 winner over Greg Kennedy.

Haas will face Klauck in the quarterfinals in what should be Friday's feature attraction.

Klauck fell behind by a hole when Stadler chipped in from 100 feet for a birdie at the par-4 16th at the Oakland Hills Country Club. But Stadler missed the green at the par-3 17th and then drove into the deep rough at the par-4 18th, leading to bogeys on both holes.

Friday's other quarterfinals will find Levin taking on Ricky Barnes, Liaw meeting Hunter Mahan and Ryan Moore playing Dustin Bray.

Levin, 18, recorded two one-sided victories Thursday -- beating U.S. Junior champion Charlie Beljan, 5 & 4, and then eliminating Brad Morris, 4 & 3. Barnes, one of the longest drivers in the field, was a 6 & 5 winner in the morning over Daniel Summerhays and then made eight birdies in defeating Brett Foulds, 2 & 1.

The 16-year-old Liaw held off Seth Porter in the third round, 1-up, after a 3 & 2 win over J.J. Kakovac. In the second round, Mahan eliminated John Merrick, 2 & 1, and then he outlasted Conner Robbins, 1-up.

Bray beat Jerry Courville in the morning, 3 & 2, and then downed Camilo Villegas of Colomba, 3 & 2. Moore cruised into the quarterfinals with a 7 & 5 win over David Miller and a 5 7 4 decision over Bruce McDonald.