His time at Pinehurst Resort ended a bit more quickly than he had hoped, but Thursday capped off one heck of a week for Anderson’s Patrick Rada.

The rising South Carolina junior and former T.L. Hanna standout participated in the 108th Men’s North and South Amateur Championship in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., where he made it into match play Wednesday and topped James Sacheck 2-and-1.

Thursday also started off well for Rada with a 2-up victory over incoming Clemson golfer Jacob Burger. In the afternoon session, however, he came up short against Andrew Guiliani — son of “America’s Mayor” and former presidential candidate Rudy Guiliani — who came away with a 1-up victory.

“I hit the ball well all week,” Rada said. “But in the final match it was a just a situation where I couldn’t make putts. But it was still a great experience.”

Rada said it was a thrill to play on Pinehurst No. 2, which has hosted a pair of U.S. Opens. No. 2 is a challenging par 71, 7,346-yard layout.

But aside from competing on a world famous course, Rada had golf royalty on his bag.

Willie McRae, who has caddied at Pinehurst since 1943, was with Rada all the way.

“I had him all week, and that was great,” Rada said. “I mean, here’s a guy who has caddied at Pinehurst since he was 9-years-old and he has so much insight. He’s just a great, great caddy.”

McRae, in fact, has caddied for the likes of Arnold Palmer and Gene Sarazen.

“It was just amazing to be out there with someone who has been doing this for 65 years,” Rada said. “I just hate the tournament had to end as early as it did for me.”

A rising junior at USC, Rada played in four tournaments for the Gamecocks in the 2007-08 season, registering a 74.09 stoke average. He made his postseason debut at the SEC Championships, and he finished with a career-best fifth place showing at the Furman Invitational.

While at Hanna he won the 4A individual state title his senior season in 2006 and was an all-state selection.

Rada will now take a few days off before gearing up for the Players Amateur at Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton next week.

“I’ll drive back home (Thursday) and then take the Fourth of July off, but the Players Amateur starts next Thursday so I’ll get right back at it,” Rada said. “I’d have d to have played more in this event, but the good thing about it is there’s another tournament coming right up.”

Anderson native and Clemson standout Patrick Mollica, who won the North-South Amateur in 2007, was eliminated from the competition Wednesday when he lost on the 21st hole to Duke rising junior Adam Long. Mollica won four consecutive holes to go 2-up after 12, but missed some key putts down the stretch of the back nine to go all square.

Mollica conceded Long’s final putt on the third extra hole when he misfired on a bunker shot that saw the ball roll back in the sand.