Nick Taylor reaches Publinx final

NORMAN, Okla. — Top-seeded Nick Taylor has advanced to the finals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links, where he will face Brad Benjamin of Rockford, Ill., in today's 36-hole final.

Taylor, soon to be a senior at Washington, topped Wesley Bryan 2 and 1 in the morning quarterfinal, then defeated Phillip Bryan 3 and 2 in the semifinals.

"To make it to the final to any match-play tournament, it's so difficult," said Taylor. "You've got to be lucky a little bit and you've got to play well, too. It's going to be exciting [in the final], and I'm going to be pumped to play."

The semifinal match drew the largest gallery of the tournament and pitted Taylor against hometown favorite Phillip Bryan, who played collegiately at Oklahoma and is currently the team's assistant coach.

Taylor was ahead 2 up after six holes. The pair halved the next four holes before the Huskies All-American extended his lead by parring No. 11, while Bryan bogeyed. Two holes later, Taylor birdied the par-5 13th to extend his lead to 4 up with five holes remaining.

Bryan fought back with a birdie on the par-3 No. 15. But Taylor's lead proved to be too big and he closed the match on No. 16 after both players notched pars.

In the quarterfinals, Taylor led Wesley Bryan 3 up after 12 holes. Bryan sliced into Taylor's lead with a birdie at No. 13, but gave it right back with a bogey on No. 14. Taylor tightened things up with a bogey at No. 15, but both golfers parred the next two holes to give Taylor the win.

Taylor is attempting to become the second Huskies golfer (Michael Combs, 1990) to win the championship.

"I'm having fun," said Taylor. "At the end of the day, you're having fun but you're also just drained, so it's kind of hard to show how much fun you're having."

Notes

• Spokane's Corey Prugh shot an 8-under 63 to lead after the first round of the Rosauers Open Invitational at Indian Canyon GC.

• Brandon Veltri, men's basketball coach at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., has hired twin brother Brock Veltri as an assistant coach. Brock Veltri spent the past five seasons as head assistant coach at Seattle Pacific. The Veltri brothers played together at Peninsula College in Port Angeles.

• Don Nachbaur has been named coach of the Binghamton (N.Y.) Senators of the American Hockey League. Nachbaur coached the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League the past six seasons.

Compiled from wire, team and sports-information reports.