Oliver Schniederjans of Powder Springs, Ga., earned medalist honors and an automatic spot into the U.S. Amateur Championship after firing a 10-under-par 132 (67-65) for the 36-hole qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club.  The 19-year-old Schniederjans is a rising junior on the Georgia Tech golf team.  

Joining Schniederjans with automatic spots into the Championship field included five other players who made up the top six.  Sepp Straka of Valdosta, Ga., who plays for the University of Georgia, finished second at 9-under-par 133.  Michael Hebert of Atlanta, a member of Auburn University’s golf team, came in third at 7-under-par 135.  Zack Jaworski of Alpharetta, who will begin his collegiate career at Vanderbilt University this fall, tied for fourth at 6-under-par 136.  Chris Waters of Athens, who also qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship earlier this summer, also tied for fourth at 136, and Justin Cho of Alpharetta, a member of Purdue University’s golf team, finished sixth at 5-under-par 137.    

Finishing as first alternate was former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket James White of Acworth, Ga., who came in seventh at 4-under-par 138.  Three players tied for eighth at 3-under-par 139, including Anders Albertson of Woodstock, Ga., Tom Lovelady of Birmingham, Ala., and Scott Wolfes of St. Simons Island, Ga., so a playoff was needed to determine the second alternate.  After the second playoff hole (No. 2), current Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Albertson made a birdie to clinch the second alternate position.  

Piedmont Driving Club was set to 7,028 yards and a par of 71.  A field of 144 players competed in the qualifier, with 62 players advancing at 4-over-par 75 or better (low 44 and ties and those within eight strokes of the leader) to the final round after the 18-hole cut.  This was the first of two U.S. Amateur qualifiers in Georgia.  The second will be July 30-31, at The Brickyard at Riverside in Macon.  
 
Qualifiers advance to the 112th annual U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., August 13-19, 2012.  Entries were open to any amateur golfer with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 2.4.  The U.S. Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA.