MATCH HOLE-BY-HOLE RESULTS: http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScore.aspx?id=17179869326&year=2011&type=025

ERIN HILLS, Wisc. --- Chattanooga Mocs senior Stephan Jaeger (Munich, Germany) took 2011 NCAA Champion John Peterson to the brink before losing a close match on the 18th hole at the United States Amateur on Erin Hills Golf Club Thursday. Peterson ended the match with a birdie on the 675-yard par five closing hole.

It was a hot start for both golfers. Peterson opened with a birdie on one to take a 1up lead. Jaeger answered with back-to-back birds to flip the score before Peterson birdied four to square the match.

The duo halved four straight holes before the see-saw affair resumed. Peterson parred eight to go back up one before a Jaeger par at nine leveled it again. A Peterson par on 10 got the lead back before his bogey on 11 pulled Jaeger back square.

After four straight halved holes, Peterson birdied 15 for a one hole lead with three to play. Two later, Jaeger struck back with a birdie on the 509-yard par four 17th to even it once again.

For the match, the duo combined to win 11 of the 18 holes. Neither player led by more than 1up throughout the hotly contested match.

Jaeger began his day completing his suspended first round match with Auburn's Blayne Barber. Jaeger, who had a 2up lead through 10 holes, birdied 11 and 12 to open up a 3up lead over the Tigers' second team All-American.

His bogey on 13 opened the door for Barber to cut the lead back to 2up. After halving holes 14 and 15, Jaeger closed out the match with a par on 16 as Barber's four-footer slid by the hole for the 3&2 win.

It was Jaeger's first U.S. Amateur appearance. Over the past four years, he has reached the round of 32 at the British Am twice (2009, 2010) to go with this year's U.S. Am. Peterson advances to face SMU's Max Buckley in the round of 16. Buckley beat Walker Cup member Chris Williams from the University of Washington 1up.