July 12, 2004

Ryan Blaum, a rising junior at Duke, fired a course record-tying 62 on the final day to win the Eastern Amateur on Sunday afternoon at the Elizabeth Manor Country Club in Virginia Beach, Va.

Blaum, a native of Coral Gables, Fla., finished at 268 for the four-round event, one stroke better than Bill Sharpe. No other competitor was within six strokes of Blaum. The victory for Blaum earns him a spot in Virginia Beach's Nationwide Tour event scheduled for September.

Blaum's round of 62 -- which eclipsed his career-low round by three shots -- matched Phil McCormick's 18-hole Eastern Amateur standard established in 1985 and tied Nathan Mitchum of Chesapeake, Va., for the noncompetitive course record.

This past year at Duke, Blaum earned Honorable Mention All-America and All-ACC honors after posting a team-best 71.5 stroke average. He recorded four top-10 finishes in eight tournaments on the season.