Crump Cup: Berkmeyer, Nurski Lead After Round One

September 13, 2018 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Missouri natives Skip Berkmeyer and Brad Nurski shoot 68s at Pine Valley to lead after the first round of stroke play qualifying

PINE VALLEY, NJ (September 13, 2018) - Skip Berkmeyer and Brad Nurski have battled each other for years in their home state of Missouri. Nurski is the back-to-back reigning Missouri Amateur champion, matching Berkmeyer's total of three titles. In the Missouri Mid-Amateur, Berkmeyer has lifted the trophy three times with Nurski winning twice.

The rivalry continues at the 94th Crump Cup, with Nurski of St. Joseph, and Berkmeyer, of Chesterfield sharing the first-round lead after matching 68s at Pine Valley Golf Club.

Related: Crump Cup Week: Top mid-ams, seniors return to Pine Valley
Related: Is the Crump Cup the Best Tournament in Amateur Golf?


Brad Nurski	Skip Berkmeyer

They got there in different ways. Berkmeyer played a flawless front nine, going out in 3-under 32, before back-to-back bogeys slowed his momentum early on his back nine. Nurski turned in 37, with eight pars and a double-bogey 7 on the long Hell's Half Acre 7th hole. He then came home in 31, going 4-under on his last seven holes including back-to-back birdies to finish.

Berkmeyer won the Crump Cup in 2009 and has played well this summer; he was one of just a handful of mid-amateurs to make the cut at the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach.

Stewart Hagestad (Newport Beach, Calif.), who made the final 16 at Pebble Beach -- the deepest run of any mid-amateur -- is one shot back after a 69.

The defending and two-time champion Michael McDermott (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) shot a shocking 82, putting him near the back of the field and showing how Pine Valley can humble even its best players.

Last year's runner-up Bill Williamson (Cincinnati, Ohio) shot a 1-over 71 and is in good position to make the top 16 and qualify for the Championship match play flight.

There are 68 players in the Mid-Amateur Division competing for 48 spots in match play. The championship flight will be comprised of the top 16 players after tomorrow's second round, with two additional flights of 16 players each. After round one, 21 players sit at 2-over or better, and the cut for the 48th match play spot is currently 8-over 78.

In the Senior Division, 2013 Senior Crump champion Marty West (Rockville, Md.) and Oscar Mestre (Berwyn, Pa.) are the co-leaders after opening rounds of 72.

28 senior players are contending for 16 spots. The top 8 will make up the championship flight, with one additional flight of 8 players. After round one the cutoff for the championship flight is 5-over 75; for the second flight it is 8-over 78.

Gene Elliott (W. Des Moines, Iowa), currently the #1 ranked player in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings, shot a 74 and is tied for sixth.

The defending champion John McClure (Los Angeles, Calif.) is right on the cut line for the Senior Championship flight after a 75.

Notes on Round 1: Overcast skies and low wind allowed for good scoring by Pine Valley standards. Five scores were par-or-better, with another 10 players at 1 over. No one broke par in the first round of last year's tournament.

There were also fewer scorecard disasters than usual, although Chris Ault (Yardley, Pa.) did make an 8 on both the 7th and 9th holes. Matt Parziale (Brockton, Mass.), who will be defending his U.S. Mid-Amateur title later this month, made a triple-bogey 7 on the 9th hole en route to a 76.

Four-time champion Mike McCoy (W. Des Moines, IA), who is eligible for the Senior Division but is competing as a Mid-Amateur, shot a 76.

A pair of two-time champions are in good position after rounds of 72. Michael Muehr (McLean, Va.) won the title in 2008 and 2014, while Carlton Forrester (Atlanta, Ga.) won in 2006 and 2015.

Results: Crump Cup

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Win	Patrick Duffy	Omaha, NE	400
Runner-up	Brad Nurski	St. Joseph, MO	300
Semifinals	Dennis Bull	Norwalk, IA	200
Semifinals	Derek Busby	Ruston, LA	200
Quarterfinals	Stewart Hagestad	Newport Beach, CA	100

View full results for Crump Cup

About the Crump Cup

Crump Cup: Berkmeyer, Nurski Lead After Round One

The George A. Crump Memorial Tournament -- named for the hotelier and course architect most famous for building Pine Valley -- is arguably the premier mid- amateur event in the United States. The invitational field is made of of top players from arou...