Aug. 22, 2004

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) - Ryan Moore won the last four holes Sunday to beat Luke List in the U.S. Amateur and put his name on a page with some of golf's greatest players. Moore birdied Nos. 15, 17 and 18 at Winged Foot Golf Club to take his fourth prestigious amateur this year. The UNLV senior and U.S. Amateur Public Links champ won 2-up in the 36-hole final, and became the fifth golfer with two USGA championships in the same year. He joined Bob Jones and Chick Evans (U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open), Jay Sigel (U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur) and Pearl Sinn (U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, U.S. Women's Amateur). Moore also won the NCAA Division I and Western Amateur titles this year. A 2003 U.S. Open qualifier, List took the lead on the seventh hole of the 36-hole final and held it for the next 24 before Moore rallied from two holes down. Moore, who won the Public Links championship in July, is the first to take those two titles in the same year. Both Moore and List earned full exemptions into the 2005 U.S. Open, and U.S. amateur champions historically been invited to compete in the next Masters. Moore also receives an exemption for the 2005 British Open. "This was the goal at the beginning of the summer," Moore said. "I m not sure what else to say, I'm so excited." But he certainly was all business near the end. "Coming down 17 and 18 in the afternoon, I knew I had to make birdies," Moore said. A three-time NCAA All-American, Moore's best previous finish in a U.S. Amateur was the quarterfinals in 2002. He is the first stroke-play medalist to win the event since Tiger Woods in 1996. List, a 19-year old sophomore at Vanderbilt, had never trailed in his previous five matches. He built a 4-up lead twice, at the 17th in the morning round and on the first in the afternoon. List was 2-up after making a 3-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th. Moore made his move on the 15th, making birdie while List, of Ringgold, Ga., bogeyed the 16th and 17th. Moore closed out the match with a 10-foot birdie putt at 17 and a 6-footer at 18. He played the back nine in 4 under. "Going into the back side, I knew I had to make some birdies," Moore said. "He was playing so solid that the only way I could win holes was to make birdies. "I was close all day, and I knew I was going to make some putts coming down the stretch. I know I can close as good as anyone." List won the seventh and eight holes with pars, and then built his lead to 4-up with a birdie on the 15th and a par at the 17th. Moore rebounded to win the 18th, but still found himself three holes down at the break. Then List started the afternoon round with a winning par to stand 4-up again. But from there, Moore slowly whittled away at the lead, and finished the equivalent of 4-under for his last nine holes. List proved to be a solid front-runner until the last four holes of the final match. He trailed for only five holes during his six matches. But, in the end he trailed when it mattered most. "I knew I was the underdog today, but I thought I could pull it out," List said. "It just didn't happen. I didn't quite hang on. He really put it to me coming down the stretch. "I expected to come in here and do well, but I guess I didn't expect to come this far. Now that I have, it feels great. This has been my best tournament ever. I wish I could have won, but Ryan is a great champion." Indeed. His match-play record in seven USGA championships is 27-4, and he has played 39 of his last 41 competitive stroke-play rounds at par or better. "My game has been real solid," he said. "Since last October, I've been real consistent. On a golf course like this, that's what you want to do."