HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – James Rico shot the low score of the second round at the Club at 12 Oaks on Tuesday and qualified for his first ever U.S. Amateur Championships.
 
The Loyola University Maryland rising sophomore was in 27^th place after shooting a 2-over 74 in Monday's opening round, but he bounced back with a 5-under 67 Tuesday to finish fourth in the qualifier and grab the final guaranteed spot to the U.S. Amateur.
 
Rico, who led Patriot League freshmen in scoring average in 2022-23, started his second round with three birdies on his first five holes. He made the turn at 3-under for his round, 1-under overall, but he slipped back to even for the qualifier after bogeying his 10^th hole (the course's first).
 
After three-straight pars, Rico put up birdies on the course's fifth and seventh holes before birding the par-four ninth hole to finish with a 67.
 
The birdie came up big as he finished a shot clear of the fifth-place finisher and avoided playing off for the final spot.
 
He will move on to compete in the 123^rd-annual U.S. Amateur Championship in the Denver area next month. Rico and other amateurs will compete at Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club from August 14-20.
 
Rico played in 11 tournaments as a freshman for the Greyhounds and had a 75.27 stroke average. The Cary, North Carolina, native had two top-10 finishes, coming in sixth in his native state at the Ross Collegiate Classic and then tying for sixth at the Craft Farms Invitational in Alabama.
 
Two other members of the Greyhounds Class of 2026 finished as the first alternates at their qualifying sites thus far in July.
 
Gustavo Rangel finished second in his native Puerto Rico at the Grand Reserve Golf Club, finishing eagle-birdie to take the first alternate position.
 
Lorenzo Sanz had the low round of the qualifier earlier in July at Clustered Spires Golf Club in Frederick, Maryland, shooting 7-under 64 in the second round to finish at 9-under for the first alternate spot.
 
Several other current Loyola players will compete in qualifiers later this month.