
Teenager Ben James of Milford, Conn., has advanced to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur. (David Colt photo)
On a day at the U.S. Amateur when most of the first-round matches went down to the wire, Ben James (Milford, Conn.) and Chris Francoeur (Amesbury, Mass.) took care of their business relatively handily.
Not so for Michael Thorbjornsen (Wellesley, Mass.), who was one of several upset victims on Wednesday.
The field at the 122nd U.S. Amateur at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. is down to 32 players, and will be further trimmed to eight quarterfinalists after two more rounds of match play on Thursday.
Both James and Francoeur are among those final 32 players after both earned 3-and-2 wins in their opening matches. Three other players from New England lost on Wednesday.