ATLANTA --- Former Sacramento State golfer Robert

Hamilton capped a magnificent week by

finishing second at the 101st U.S. Amateur Sunday

afternoon at the East Lake Golf Club.

Hamilton fell to 20-year old Bubba Dickerson, 1-up, in

the 36-hole match-play final.

Hamilton, who starred for the Hornets in 1997 and 1998

and won a pair of Big Sky individual titles, built a

5-up lead through the first 14 holes. Dickerson,

however, won the final four holes of the morning round

to cut the deficit to 1-up.

Dickerson continued his surge at the start of the

second round, building a 1-up advantage after 11

holes. Hamilton, however, answered to square the match

and eventually reclaimed the lead.

Both players struggled to find the fairway throughout

the afternoon round and neither was able to build a

lead larger than 1-up. With the match squared entering

No. 16 (No. 34 overall), Hamilton reached the green in

two while Dickerson hit his drive into the trees and

needed three shots to reach the green.

The victory at No. 16 gave Hamilton a 1-up edge with

two holes left. The Carmichael, Calif., native opened

No. 17 by placing his drive into the right rough and

settled for a bogey while Dickerson parred the hole to

square the match.

Dickerson began the 18th by crushing a 4-iron to

within 12 feet of the pin on the 230-yard par 3.

Hamilton opted for a 3-iron but hooked the ball into

the left bunker. With the ball nearly plugged into the

front lip, Hamilton was only able to advance the ball

onto the fringe and needed two more shots before

Dickerson sank his putt to win.

Despite the loss in the final, Hamilton was awarded an

invitation to compete in the 2002 Masters. Dickerson,

who won the Western Open earlier this year and was a

member of Florida''s NCAA Tournament championship team,

will also compete in the Masters as well as the U.S.

Open and British Open.

Hamilton, who played his final two collegiate seasons

at Cal, was appearing in his first Amateur after

attempting to qualify six previous times. He was

joined throughout the week by his best friend and

caddie, former Hornet Phil Cuthbertson.