Gossett to Stay at School

Associated Press August 25 7:32pm ET AUSTIN --

The pros can wait for U.S. Amateur champion David Gossett. For now, the desire to play college golf, go to class and spend Saturdays watching football games is stronger than the lure of endorsement contracts and professional prize money. David Gossett wants to add NCAA titles to his amateur resume.

"I want another year in school," Gossett said Wednesday. The 20-year-old sophomore business major at the University of Texas won the U.S. Amateur last week with a dominating 9-and-8 final round victory over Sung Yoon Kim. Gossett said he now has goals of winning the NCAA team and individual titles. He also wants to see how he'll play in three professional majors next season. As U.S. Amateur champion, Gossett can play in The Masters, U.S. Open and British Open next year if he remains an amateur.

"I'm just going to take it one year at a time," Gossett said. "Playing well as the U.S. Amateur has given me a lot of confidence." Gossett said he'll reevaluate his career next summer. "I just want to enjoy my second year at Texas," he said. "I just love the enthusiasm here with the football game Saturday, there's just so many positive people here at Texas."

Gossett has received congratulations and well wishes from several former UT golfers, including Justin Leonard, the 1992 U.S. Amateur champion, Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite, with whom he has played practice rounds in Austin. Gossett said he thought of Kite during his semifinal round at the U.S. Amateur against Ben Curtis of Ohio. Sitting on a three-hole lead on No. 15, Gossett had to punch back onto the fairway after his drive found the rough. Curtis then chipped onto the green within 10 feet.

"I had to get up and down from 65 yards. I was thinking how we had practiced wedge shots. I said, 'OK Tom, here we go,' and got it to within three feet." It's that kind of cool on the course that prompts questions of how long he'll remain an amateur. The college all-American tasted the pressures of the professional tour when he shot a first-round 66 in the 1998 FedEx St. Jude Classic. He played there again this year but missed the cut.

He also has friends in the professional ranks, including Spanish teenage sensation Sergio Garcia. The two played junior golf together. Texas golf coach John Fields likes the fact his star player is sticking around.

"He's got a lot of opportunities that he's going to have to look at over the course of the next few years. I know sitting here at the University of Texas, I sure wouldn't want him anywhere else right now," said Fields.

Gossett will play next month in the Walker Cup in Scotland against amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland. And then it's back to the books instead of the potential big money on the pro tours.

"It's another year to mature and another year to work on my golf game," Gossett said. "It's also another year of education and maybe a better vocabulary when I answer these questions."