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