SAN FRANCISCO — John Daly II and Niall Shiels Donegan each won two matches Thursday at The Olympic Club to advance to the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals as more top-ranked players dropped out.
Daly, the son of two-time major champion John Daly, beat Nate Smith 2 and 1 in the morning in the round of 32, then topped Daniel Bennett of South Africa 3 and 2 in the afternoon in the round of 16.
Daly, a senior-to-be at Arkansas, set up a match with Mason Howell, the 18-year-old from Georgia who qualified for the U.S. Open this year with rounds of 63-63 from the Atlanta sectional.
Howell beat second-ranked Virginia senior Ben James 1 up and Max Herendeen 2 and 1. In the morning, Herendeen eliminated top-ranked Jackson Koivun 3 and 2.
Donegan had two 1-up victories, topping ninth-ranked Christiaan Maas of South Africa and fourth-ranked Preston Stout, the Oklahoma State junior who was the stroke-play medallist.
Donegan, who plays under the Scottish flag and lives in the Bay Area, pulled even with Stout with a birdie on the par-3 15th and took the lead with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th.
Donegan was among 17 players who advanced from a 20-man playoff Wednesday morning to determine the final 64 for match play. His father, Lawrence, was a longtime golf correspondent for The Guardian.
Donegan, will face Jacob Modleski, a 2-up winner over Paul Chang of China. Modleski, at No. 15, is the top player left in the world amateur ranking.
Sixteen-year-old Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., also advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Mahanth Chirravuri 2 and 1. Russell is No. 16 in the ranking.
Russell will face 29th-ranked Eric Lee, a 2-up winner over Josh Duangmanee when Duangmanee lost his ball off the tee on the final hole. In the other quarterfinal, Jimmy Abdo will play Jackson Herrington.
