Norman, Okla.
Nick Taylor, 21, of Canada, finished at 6-under-par 136 to take stroke-play medalist honors at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at the 7,289-yard, par-71 Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. Nick Taylor carded a 70 Tuesday, but still earned medalist honors. (USGA Museum)

Taylor, the low amateur at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park, recorded his second straight round under par with a 1-under 70 to complement his 5-under 66 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying.

Taylor was in the first group off the tee at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and took advantage of benign early conditions before the swirling winds and 100-degree temperatures battered the field throughout the day.

“The wind picked up after seven or eight holes,” said Taylor. “What made it tough was the ball was spinning a little more in the wind and it was tough to get back at the holes. The wind definitely made it a little tougher.”

Taylor, who is riding a hot streak this summer after finishing tied for 36th at the U.S. Open and a recent win at the Sahalee Players Championship, enters the match-play portion of the championship as the No. 1 seed.

He faces Craig Cyr, 25, of Concord, N.H., the 64th seed after shooting 7-over-par 149.

Taylor finished four strokes ahead of Rickie Fowler, 20, of Murrieta, Calif., who entered the championship as one of the players to watch. He was in contention for medalist honors with Taylor until a quadruple-bogey 8 at the 505-yard par-4 eighth hole (his 17th hole of the day). He birdied his final hole to finish at 2-under 140. Fowler, a member of the 2007 USA Walker Cup team who recently completed his sophomore year at Oklahoma State University, attracted the largest galleries of the championship so far.

Notable golfers who advanced to match play included Sean Knapp, 47, of Oakmont, Pa., who is a playing in his 24th USGA championship but his first Amateur Public Links, 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Cameron Peck, 18, of Olympia, Wash., and the University of Oklahoma coach-player duo of Philip Bryan and Liam Logan.

The U.S. Amateur Public Links, established in 1922 for bona fide public course players as of Jan. 1, 2009, is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Norman, Okla. -- Results from the second round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship being played at the 7,289-yard, par-71 Jimmie Austin/OU Golf Golf Club:

Nick Taylor, Canada - 66-70--136
Jace Long, Dixon, Mo. - 68-72--140
Nick Geyer, Albuquerque, N.M. - 67-73--140
Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. - 68-72--140
Gene Webster Jr, San Bernardino, Calif. - 74-67--141
Brad Benjamin, Rockford, Ill. - 70-72--142
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. - 71-71--142