Peck Routs Beck in U.S. Junior Amateur

Cameron Peck, 17, of Olympia, Wash., won six of the first eight holes and never looked back against Evan Beck, 17, of Virginia Beach, Va., closing the final match 10 and 8 to win the U.S. Junior Amateur. It was the largest margin of victory since the championship went to a 36-hole final four years ago.

"I don't think it has sunk in yet," said Peck after he closed out Beck with a winning par on the 28th hole. "This is the biggest win in my life."

Peck is now exempt for the 2008 U.S. Amateur, which will be played August 18-24 at Pinehurst in North Carolina. He carded birdies on three of the first six holes at the 7,251-yard, par-72 Shoal Creek course in Alabama. He made a 7-footer for birdie on the first hole and won the second with a par. He won holes four through six - with birdies on the latter two - and then added another birdie on the eighth from 12 feet to go 6 up.

Beck finally won the 10th and 11th holes to cut Peck's margin to four. But that was the end of Beck's rally and the last time he would win a hole. "It still kind of stings," said Beck, an alternate for the 156-player field until four days before the championship started. "But I made the finals and that's pretty good. I was putting great up until today, but I had only one birdie today and that doesn't do it."

Peck regrouped and pushed his lead to 6 up by winning two of the last three holes before the morning break. He stole the par-3 16th with a par after Beck made a bad chip and took the next hole with a birdie by sticking his wedge shot on the par-5 to within 18 inches.

"I like where I'm standing," said Peck at the break. "I'm just hitting good wedge shots and sticking them to give myself a chance to make birdies."

Peck won four more holes - the fifth, ninth and 10th - in the afternoon to win going away. He closed out Beck with a winning par on the 414-yard 10th hole, two-putting from 18 feet.

While Beck struggled off the tee, Peck's driving was excellent as he hit six of the first seven fairways. Peck also wielded a hot flat stick, one-putting eight times in the morning round. He made another birdie in the afternoon at the par-3 fifth, finishing the equivalent of 2-over par for his 28 holes.

The above article is courtesy of the USGA.