AURORA -- Pat Grady sees the paradox, but he still doesn't mince any words regarding the format for this week's U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course.

"I hate match play," the Colorado senior said. "The first seed beats the 64th seed by 15 shots in stroke play, then they start over even (in match play)."

On the other hand ...

"But match play gives guys like me a chance when they would have no chance in a four-round stroke play event," Grady added.

Whatever the case, Grady survived both the stroke-play portion of the tournament and Wednesday's first round of match play. A 2-and-1 victory over Brandon Berry of Lagrange, Ky., put Grady into the round of 32, where he'll face the 62nd seed, Zach Sebert of Grove City, Ohio today at 8:48 a.m. The winner will play in the third round today at 1:30 p.m. Play concludes Saturday with a 36-hole final, with the champion earning an invitation to the 2009 Masters.

Not so fortunate as Grady Wednesday was older brother Jim, who just wrapped up his senior season at CU. The elder Grady held a lead after 11 holes, but lost to Colorado State golfer Riley Arp in the first round, 3 and 2. Arp won four of the last five holes in the match.

"I need considerable improvement to beat someone who drives the ball as great as Riley does, especially if my driver is off three or four times a round," Jim Grady said.

The brothers from Broomfield had similar stroke-play scores on Wednesday -- Pat was 1 under par through 17 holes and Jim was even after 16 -- but that isn't the name of the game in match play.

Just ask Aaron Goldberg of Carlsbad, Calif., who earned medalist honors Monday and Tuesday, shooting 15 strokes lower than first-round opponent Brady Johnson of Canada, only to be routed by a 5-and-4 margin. Also losing Wednesday was the third seed, Zach Zaremba of Pueblo West, 1-up to Sebert.

The top remaining seed and the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, Oklahoma State golfer Rickie Fowler, cruised into round 2 with a 4-and-2 victory. He'll face 2007 U.S. Publinks runner-up Cody Paladino of Kensington, Conn., this morning.

As the field dwindles, the possibilities improve for the Coloradans, including Pat Grady, the 2007 state amateur of the year.

"It feels great," said Grady, the 2005 Colorado Golf Association Match Play champion. "I'm confident that if I can win one I can win more. I hate sports clichés, but I can't think past the next shot. If I can shoot even par, I think my chances are good (this morning)."

Grady never trailed in Wednesday's match, but he was also never more than 2-up. He was hoping a victory would earn him a match today against fellow Coloradan Zaremba, but it wasn't to be.

"It's too bad because he played awesome in stroke play," Grady said of Zaremba.

Like his brother, Jim Grady has mixed emotions about this week's U.S. Publinks. On the one hand, it was his first USGA championship. On the other, it didn't stand out in his mind from many of the state-wide events he competes in. Part of the reason was being matched up with Arp, who like the Gradys is a regular in top-level state events.

"I don't feel any different than I did last week at the CGA Match Play," Jim Grady said. "I know this is a big event, but it didn't feel very special. I see the same guys I do every week."

Arp likewise wasn't a big fan of playing a fellow Coloradan in the first round.

"It was a tough match to draw Jim," Arp said. "I wanted to play someone I didn't know rather than another Colorado guy, knowing that one of us would have to be gone (after round 1)."

U.S. Amateur Public Links

At Murphy Creek Golf Course

Aurora

Yardage: 7,551; Par 71

Match Play

Upper Bracket

Brady Johnson, Canada (147) def. Aaron Goldberg, Carlsbad, Calif. (132), 5 and 4.

Cason Hammock, Columbus, Ga. (143) def. Daniel Sorgini III, Pickerington, Ohio (143), 1 up.

Riley Arp, Fort Collins, Colo. (140) def. Jim Grady, Broomfield, Colo. (145), 3 and 2.

Trey Bowling, Manchester, Ky. (141) def. Lion An, Duluth, Ga. (145), 5 and 4.

Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash. (146) def. Travis Reid, Clovis, N.M. (138), 2 up.

Randall Hutchison, Traverse City, Mich. (144) def. James Dalthorp III, Houston (142), 1 up.

Peter Malnati, Dandridge, Tenn. (146) def. Kevin Aylwin, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. (139), 4 and 2.

Andrew Paulson, White Bear Lake, Minn. (142) def. Chan Kim, Chandler, Ariz. (144), 3 and 2.

Brian Locke, Los Angeles, Calif. (137) def. Kent Wiese, Los Angeles (146), 3 and 2.

Kelly Kretz, Antigo, Wis. (143) def. Lucas Lee, Brazil (144), 2 and 1.

Billy Horschel, Gainesville, Fla. (140) def. Nicholas Macdonald, Zimbabwe (145), 4 and 3.

Jack Newman, Des Moines, Iowa (142) def. Ryan McDonald, Rocklin, Calif. (145), 3 and 2.

Corey Nagy, Charlotte, N.C. (137) def. David Ludlow, Burton, Ohio (146), 4 and 2.

Patrick Lundy, Little River, S.C. (144) def. Les Teuteberg, Watsonville, Calif. (143), 6 and 5.

Nakarintra Ratanakul, West Lafayette, Ind. (140) def. Austin Love, Redding, Calif. (145), 5 and 3.

Grant Leaver, Centerville, Tenn. (145) def. J.C. Horne, Daytona Beach, Fla. (142), 4 and 3.

Lower Bracket

Rickie Fowler, Murrieta, Calif. (133) def. Michael Knott, Buffalo, N.Y. (146), 4 and 2.

Cody Paladino, Kensington, Conn. (143) def. Phillip Choi, Orlando, Fla. (144), 21 holes.

Scott Langley, St. Louis (140) def. Peter Fallon, Grapevine, Texas (145), 2 and 1.

Kyle Leach, Louisville, Ky. (141) def. Nicklaus Newcomb, Benton, Ky. (145), 3 and 2.

Jon McLean, Weston, Fla. (138) def. Rod Butler, Carson City, Nev. (146), 3 and 1.

David Johnson, Palm Bay, Fla. (143) def. Matthew Lapham, Brighton, Mich. (144), 6 and 5.

Andy Winings, Brownsburg, Ind. (139) def. Sterling Clark, Salt Lake City (146), 19 holes.

Robert Rohanna, Waynesburg, Pa. (144) def. Philip Arouca, Wilmette, Ill. (142), 4 and 2.

Zach Sebert, Grove City, Ohio (146) def. Zachary Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo. (135), 1 up.

Pat Grady, Broomfield, Colo. (143) def. Brandon Berry, Lagrange, Ky. (144), 2 and 1.

Jeff Dennis, Jacksonville, Fla. (140) def. Ricky Montanez, Helendale, Calif. (145), 3 and 1.

Ben Bastel, Upper Sandusky, Ohio (145) def. Ji Moon, Las Vegas (141), 1 up.

John Chin, Temecula, Calif. (146) def. Brandon Crick, McCook, Neb. (137), 20 holes.

Luke Morgan, Muldrow, Okla. (143) def. Craig Voorhees, Burton, Ohio (144), 1 up.

Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J. (145) def. Greg Pool, Canada (140), 8 and 7.

Wesley Bryan, Chapin, S.C. (142) def. Brad Nicholson, Chandler, Ariz. (145), 2 and 1.