Chattanooga’s Adam Mitchell high-fived his caddie and twirled around in celebration after he holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the fifth hole at Pinehurst No. 2.

The shot put him 2-up against Drew Kittleson in the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur on Saturday.

But Mitchell and his caddie, his father Jim, had little else to celebrate after that perfect wedge shot. Mitchell fell 4 and 2 to the Florida State sophomore.

“You don’t prepare yourself for losing,” Mitchell said via cell phone. “You go into it expecting to win, and you come up a little bit short.

“I’m a little bummed out.”

An exemption to the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black and an invitation to the 2009 Masters came within a few putting inches of Mitchell’s grasp. U.S. Amateur finalists receive both rewards if they maintain amateur status through the events.

“If he’s usually an ‘A’ putter, then he was a ‘B’ putter today, and that was the difference,” said Mitchell’s swing coach, Zeb Patten. “It wasn’t like he was 6-over. He was even-par on a U.S. Open golf course, but Kittleson played better.”

Kittleson and top-ranked amateur Danny Lee, who defeated Georgia freshman Patrick Reed 3 and 2, will play a 36-hole match today for the championship.

Mitchell earned an exemption into the 2009 U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa by reaching the quarterfinals. He may be invited this week to play for the United States in the World Amateur Team Championship, according to Patten.

“Any time you get to the semis of this tournament, it’s an awesome week,” said Mitchell, a McCallie graduate ready to begin his senior year at Georgia. “It was a great week, and it ranks up there, but it’s hard to say it’s the best week ever if you didn’t win.”

He remained 2-up Saturday until a bogey on No. 6, and Kittleson made a birdie at No. 7 to square the match. Mitchell won No. 8, then lost the next three holes to go 2-down through 11. Kittleson won five of six holes during the middle of their match.

“I’ve been playing well, so you ride your highs and lows,” Kittleson told The Golf Channel after the match. “I caught a hot streak there toward the end.”

Mitchell tried to rally late but couldn’t find the right speed or the precise read on the crowned greens of the gem of a course designed by Donald Ross.

“On No. 9, I thought my (tee shot) was going to be good, but it was way over the green,” Mitchell said. “Then my putter went cold.”

The finance major is not looking forward to the next several weeks after missing the opening week of classes in Athens.

“Catching up is not going to be a lot of fun, but that’s priority No. 1,” said Mitchell, who play will play with the Bulldogs in the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament Sept. 12-14 at The Farm in Rocky Face. “I learned a lot about myself this week, and I know I can get down and come back.

“I know I’m capable of hitting good shots and how well I can play.”

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