Williams survives, Spieth falls in Round 1 | Golf News and Tour Information [Video]

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo.—To be successful at the U.S. Amateur, much less win the USGA’s oldest championship, requires patience, perseverance and a little bit of luck. The latter is something Chris Williams and Jordan Spieth, the No. 1 and 3 ranked amateur golfers in the world, could have used more of entering Round 1 of match play at venerable Cherry Hills CC.

Williams, a senior at Washington, and Spieth, a sophomore at Texas, easily advanced through stroke-play qualifying Monday and Tuesday. Both played well enough in fact to set up a first-round tilts against one of the survivors of the 17-player-for-14-spot playoff Wednesday morning just to get into match play. Yet instead of greeting a golfer just happy to not be heading to the Denver International Airport on the first tee, the two U.S. Walker Cup team members got all they could handle.

Williams’ opponent:Peter Williamson, winner of the North & South Amateur …