2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying roundup

August 28, 2018 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Charlotte Country Club (USGA/Thomas Eppes photo)

Qualifying for the U.S. Mid-Amateur has been completed at 64 sites across the country. See who made it to Charlotte CC

The U.S. Mid-Amateur is the everyman’s opportunity to play the Masters at Augusta National. Along with a U.S. Open exemption, it’s the biggest perk that comes with winning this championship. The USGA accepted 4,709 entries for the Mid-Amateur this summer. Qualifying for the event, to be played Sept. 22-27 at Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte, N.C., has been completed at 64 sites around the country. Players exempt from qualifying are below:

Steve Wilson (2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Nathan Smith (2009, ’10, ’12 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Randal Lewis (2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Mike McCoy (2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Scott Harvey (2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Sammy Schmitz (2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Stewart Hagestad (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Matt Parziale (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion)
Marc Dull (2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up)
Josh Nichols (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up)
Scott Strickland (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Dan Sullivan (2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Mark Harrell (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist)
Scott Anderson (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Tyler Crawford (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Joshua Irving (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)
Bradford Tilley (2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist)

Qualifying highlights include:

August 27

Sam O'Dell

Four-time West Virginia Amateur champion Sam O'Dell (Hurricane, W.V.) shot 5-under 67 at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort to medal by one shot over former Carnegie Mellon golfer Ian Bangor (Moon Township, Penn.). Brett Young (Bethel Par, Penn.) took the final spot with a 70.

Qualifiers: San O'Dell (Hurricane, W.V.) 67, Ian Bangor (Moon Township, Penn.) 68, Brett Young (Bethel Park, Penn.) 70

Aaron Siekmann took medalist honors at the qualifier at Tartan Fields Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, with 3-under 69. He was three shots ahead of the next two qualifiers, Tony Hejna and Nick Reardon. Robert Davidge took the final spot when he birdied the first hole of a playoff.

Neither Gary Nicklaus, son of Jack Nicklaus, nor Ben Hogan, a former police officer who won the golf-name lottery, advanced. The two were paired together in the qualifier.

Qualifier: Aaron Siekmann (Powell, Ohio) 69, Tony Hejna (Cleveland, Ohio) 72, Nick Reardon (Columbus, Ohio) 72, Robert Davidge (Columbus, Ohio) 73

Peachtree G&CC in Marysville, Calif.
Qualifiers: John Jennison (San Francisco) 66, Brian Jones (Chico, Calif.) 68, Brett Viboch (Moraga, Calif.) 69

J.R. Warthen punched his ticket to the Mid-Amateur Championship, posting a medalist-earning 5-under 67 in the qualifier at Oakdale (Calif.) GC. Warthen went bogey-free, posting an eagle and three birdies.

Qualifiers: J.R. Warthen (Pacific Grove, Calif.), 67; Daniel Wittlinger (Reno Nev.), 69; Matt Cohn (San Francisco, Calif.), 71

JR Warthen was medalist at Monday's #USMidAmateur qualifier at Oakdale GC, carding a 5-under 67; Daniel Wittlinger & @CohnMatt also advanced https://t.co/gnmm3bcJMq pic.twitter.com/2sPxp7X9EO
— NCGA (@ncga1901) August 28, 2018

August 24

Two of the four spots available at the Monroe (N.C.) Country Club qualifier went to Charlotte residents. The Mid-Amateur will be a home tournament for Cole Isban who took the third spot with a round of 3-under 69. The final qualifying spot came down to a four-for-one playoff and Stefan Brewer, also from Charlotte, got that spot on the second playoff hole.

Qualifiers: Samuel Echikson (Huntersville, N.C.) 66, Zac Lewis (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) 68, Cole Isban (Charlotte, N.C.) 69, Stefan Brewer (Charlotte, N.C.) 70

Justin Young

Three players shared medalist honors in the Mid-Amateur qualifier at Carlisle (Pa.) Country Club. Lefty Chuck Nettles of McMurray, Pa. and a pair of Daniels (Daniel Hurley of Washington, D.C. and Daniel Walker of University Park, Md.) led a field of 70 players with rounds of 2-under 69. Justin Young of Salem, Va. buried an eagle putt from the right fringe on the third playoff hole to grab the final qualifying position.

Carlisle brought out the unique backbone of each medalist. Nettles vanquished ghosts from a year ago with his performance Friday.

“I was here last year and lost in a playoff [for a qualifying spot]. I wanted another shot at it after barely missing last year,” Nettles, 29, an Oakmont Country Club and St. Clair Country Club member, said. “There was a little extra motivation. I really like the golf course. The greens are awesome.”

Coincidentally, Nettles has a 2-year-old daughter named Charlotte, and told her the championship will be played in “her city.”

Information from Golf Association of Philadelphia

Qualifiers: Chuck Nettles (McMurray, Pa.) 69, Daniel Hurley (Washington D.C.) 69, Daniel Walker (University Park, Md.) 69, Justin Young (Salem, Va.) 70

August 23

Joe Alfieri

Joe Alfieri, a four-time Florida State Golf Association Player of the Year, flew into Albany, N.Y., on Tuesday from a business trip on the West Coast in order to compete in a U.S. Mid-Amateur sectional qualifier at Waubeeka Golf Links. He made the most of his jet-setting adventure by posting a medalist score of 5-under 66 in Williamstown.

“It was hard just to get here,” Alfieri told Mass Golf while he waited to board his 5:45 p.m. flight out of Albany back to Florida. “I have been traveling quite a bit. Between the U.S. Amateur, getting my son off to school at Gardner-Webb University where he will be on the golf team and then for business in Northern California this week somehow I ended up in Williamstown, Massachusetts.”

Qualifiers: Joe Alfieri (Lutz, Fla.) 66, David Spitz (Weymouth, Mass.) 68, Herbie Aikens (Kingston, Mass.) 69, Ryan Kohler (Chesterfield, N.H.) 71

Jamie Miller, winner of the C.B. McDonald Annual Invitational in June and a semifinalist at the 2017 Crump Cup, led qualifiers at the Country Club of Buffalo (N.Y.) with a bogey-free, even-par 70. Miller and his three fellow qualifiers – who all had 1-over 71 -- are from Western New York. He and Jim Scorse are past New York State champions.

Qualifiers: Jamie Miller (Silver Creek, N.Y.) 70, Nicholas Morreale (Buffalo, N.Y>) 71, Michael Piccillo (Buffalo, N.Y>) 71, James Scorse (Churchville, N.Y.) 71

Jake Erickson, a former Southern Illinois University golfer and five-time Springfield City champion, has qualified for his second Mid-Amateur in the past three years. Erickson tied for the top spot at Heritage Bluffs Public GC in Channahon, Ill., with a 4-under 68. Erickson received a sponsor exemption into the Web.com Tour’s Lincoln Land Charity Championship this spring.

Qualifiers: Jake Erickson (Springfield, Ill.) 68, Grant Milling (Bloomington, Ill.) 68, Brett Tomfohrde (Chicago) 70, Brian Van de Motter (Chicago) 70

Bayou Oaks at City Park in New Orleans, La.
Qualifiers: Clinton Shepard (Maurice, La.) 67, Douglas Dupont (Monroe, La.) 69

Keith Guest made headlines during the 2012 Masters when he proposed to his girlfriend at Augusta National. Now he has earned a spot in the Mid-Amateur. Guest, of Athens, Ga., tied for medalist honors at Chattanooga G&CC. Guest, 33, competed on Augusta State University’s golf team and turned pro after graduating. He was reinstated as an amateur in 2013.

Qualifiers: Keith Guest (Athens, Ga.) 69, David Noll Jr. (Dalton, Ga.) 69, Vance Embry (Dalton, Ga.) 70, Michael Pearson (Atlanta) 70

Newly turned golf pro Keith Guest proposes to his girlfriend Laura at Augusta National yesterday (Augusta Chronicle) pic.twitter.com/BpP99W0Y
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 5, 2012

Jacob Koppenberg

Jacob Koppenberg, 31, recently played in his fourth U.S. Amateur. Now he has a ticket into the Mid-Amateur, too, having qualified out of Tumble Creek GC in Cle Elum, Wash. Koppenberg, of Bellingham, Wash., is a volunteer assistant golf coach at his alma mater, Western Washington University, and works in business development for a communications services company. He tied Jacob Rohde, another Washington dweller, for medalist honors with 71.

Qualifiers: Jacob Koppenberg (Bellingham, Wash.) 71, Jacob Rohde (Everett, Wash.) 71, Mark Strickland (Everett, Wash.) 73, Reid Hatley (Hayden Lake, Idaho) 74

August 22

Heritage Club in Mason, Ohio
Qualifiers: Tyler Fields (Lexington, Ky.) 71, Tad Tomblin (Hamlin, Va.) 72, David Watts (Cleveland, Tenn.) 72, Kenneth Cook (Noblesville, Ind.) 73

Weymouth CC, Medina, Ohio
Qualifiers: Chris Okeson (Lyndhurst, Ohio) 69, Aaron Crewse (Akron, Ohio) 70, Josh Clay (North Canton, Ohio) 71

August 21

Joe Ryon

Kyler Sauer, a reinstated amateur who tried his hand at professional golf after playing for Cal State Northridge, took one of four qualifying spots out of Soule Park Golf Club in Ojai, Calif. Sauer had 71, and along with Lewis Simon, advanced from a playoff.

Joe Ryon, the 2013 Oceanside City Championship winner, was medalist with 66.

Qualifiers: Joseph Ryon (Carlsbad, Calif.) 66, Tim Moore (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 69, Kyler Sauer (Valencia, Calif.) 71, Lewis Simon (Torrance, Calif.) 71

Metamora (Ill.) Fields GC
Qualifiers: Kyle Davies (Iowa City, Iowa) 68, Todd Mitchell (Bloomington, Ill.) 69

Chris Thayer, the 2017 Colorado Mid-Amateur champion, had 4-under 68 at Lone Tree (Colo.) Golf Club to advance to the Mid-Amateur. Thayer was bogey-free until making a 5 on the par-4 18th. He still finished two shots ahead of runner-up Matt Evelyn and easily earned one of four spots into the event.

Qualifiers: Christopher Thayer (Golden, Colo.) 68, Matt Evelyn (Denver) 70, Brian Dorfman (Denver) 71, Michael Harrington (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 71

Crooked Stick GC in Carmel, Ind.
Qualifiers: Keith Blythe (Decatur, Ind.) 69, Anthony Fowler (Chicago) 71, Luke Waggoner (Chicago) 71, Sean Rowen (Greenwood, Ind.) 72

Kevin O'Connell

Qualifiers out of the Legends at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga., included Monroe Invitational winner Kevin O’Connell of Cary, N.C. O’Connell had 3-under 69 to finish in a three-way tie for medalist honors. The 30-year-old gave PGA Tour Qualifying School three tries from 2011-13, decided it wasn’t for him, and dove back into competitive amateur golf. He is a former University of North Carolina player.

Qualifiers: Rusty Mosley (Vidalia, Ga.) 69, Kevin O’Connell (Cary, N.C.) 69, Thomas Todd III (Laurens, S.C.) 69, Don Carpenter (Athens, Ga.) 70, Tevis Upton (Acworth, Ga.) 70, Nick Cassini (Roswell, Ga.) 71

August 20

Nicholas Loar has been out of the USGA spotlight for a few years, but with a 3-under 69 at Red Rock Country Club in Las Vegas, Loar took medalist honors at his Mid-Amateur qualifier. It’s the first USGA medal for the former SMU player in 22 years. Loar was reinstated as an amateur in 2017. The 38-year-old, who graduated from SMU in 2003 and now works as a roofing contractor, was a semifinalist at the 1999 U.S. Amateur Public Links and made it to the Round of 16 at the 1999 US. Amateur.

“I’m excited to qualify,” Loar told the Southern Nevada Golf Association. “It’s my first time trying to qualify for the Mid-Am. I tried to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in Florida this year but finished fifth and they took the top three.”

Loar is from Rockwall, Texas, but was in Las Vegas taking a lesson from Joe Mayo at TPC Summerlin. Mayo also instructs Loar’s brother Edward, a Web.com Tour player.

Qualifiers: Nicholas Loar (Rockwall, Texas) 69, Marc France (Plantation, Fla.) 70, Edward Fryatt (Las Vegas) 70,

Been 22 years since I’ve had one of these @USGA medals😳 pretty cool! pic.twitter.com/82qQpoEtTn
— Nick Loar (@nickloar) August 21, 2018

Inverness (Ill.) GC
Qualifiers: Joseph Carlson (Chicago) 70, Curtis Skinner (Lake Bluff, Ill.) 70, Tony Albano Jr. (Park Ridge, Ill.) 71, Chad Frye (Davidson, N.C.) 71

Idaho Falls (Idaho) CC
Qualifiers: Tanner Higham (Riverton, Utah) 70

Charles River CC in Newton, Mass.
Qualifiers: Joseph Alvarez (North Berwick, Maine) 70, Brian Bassett (Charlottesville, Va.) 70, Kevin Quinn (Needham, Mass.) 70, Jordan Burke (Neeham, Mass.) 71

Scott Loving

Scott Loving made his USGA championship debut in 2017 with partner Justin Kaplan at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. They made it to the quarterfinals before bowing out. Now Loving is back for his first U.S. Mid-Amateur after taking one of six qualifying spots out of the Woodlands Country Club in Spring, Texas.

Broc Haymon, who defended his title this spring at the Texas South Mid-Amateur, also qualified at the Woodlands. Devaughn Robinson, who became the first Bahamian to make match play at last year’s Mid-Amateur, will play in his second consecutive event.

Qualifiers: Stuart Wallace (Houston, Texas) 70, Scott Loving (Conroe, Texas) 71, Broc Haymon (Pearland, Texas) 72, Devaughn Robinson (Bahamas) 72, Warren Smith (Lakeway, Texas) 72, Grant Schroeder (Montgomery, Texas), 73

Scott Shingler

Buck Brittain, the 2017 Virginia Senior Open champion, led qualifiers at the Foundry Golf Club in Powhatan, Va. Brittain shared medalist honors with Scott Shingler, another notable Virginia player. Shingler also qualified for this championship a year ago. Since then he has finished second at the Middle Atlantic Amateur and T-14 at the Coleman Invitational.

Qualifiers: Buck Brittain (Tazewell, Va.) 68, Scott Shingler (Haymarket, Va.) 68, Patrick Hawkins (Suffolk, Va.) 70, Stephen Woodard (Charlotte, N.C.) 71

Damon Krause, the reigning Los Angeles City champion, was medalist at Annandale GC in Pasadena, Calif. Krause also qualified for the U.S. Amateur, but did not advance to match play. Krause birdied the 18th to finish one ahead of Adam Walicki, winner of the San Diego City Amateur.

Qualifiers: Damon Krause (Los Angeles) 68, Adam Walicki (Phoenix) 69, Joseph Benedetti (Playa Vista, Calif.) 70, Brad Uptgraft (Valencia, Calif.) 70

Steven Behr, the first Clemson player to win the Byron Nelson Award, didn’t turn professional when he graduated college in 2016. Instead, he remained amateur and took a job with Ernst and Young. That doesn’t mean Behr’s golf days are over, however. The 25-year-old has qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur for the first time. He had a 5-under 67 at Montgomery (Ala.) CC to take one of four available spots. Even though he didn’t want golf to be his full-time job, Behr still names his goals as winning a USGA event and playing in the Masters. He could check both of those off his list with a Mid-Amateur victory.

Qualifiers: Will Clowdus (Montgomery, Ala.) 66, Stephen Behr (Florence, S.C.) 67, Cates Culpepper (Columbus, Ga.) 67, Clark Brown (Navarre, Fla.) 68

Colonial CC in Thomasville, N.C.
Qualifiers: Clay Holland (Greensboro, N.C.) 68, Jerry Richardson Jr. (Cary, N.C.) 68, Chad Wilfong (Charlotte, N.C.) 69, Sherill Britt (West End, N.C.) 70

With the U.S. Mid-Amateur headed to his hometown, Brett Boner made qualifying a priority on his golf list. He flew nearly two hours to do so, passing the test in flying colors. Boner, 44, of Charlotte, N.C., had a 5-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors at Cedarbrook Country Club in Blue Bell, Pa.

“I wanted to come somewhere with bentgrass greens,” Boner, a Carolina Golf Club member, said. “I knew nothing about [the course], but it worked with my business and family schedule. I flew up yesterday morning. Unfortunately, my golf bag didn’t come until mid-afternoon, which was a little bit of a scare. But I got a practice round in. This is a great golf course — very demanding off the tee. If you hit the driver well out here, you have a lot of birdie opportunities.”

Nick Biesecker of Staunton, Va. and Bryn Mawr, Pa. residents Chris Lange, Jr. and Jeff Osberg also qualified in regulation. Matthew Mattare of Jersey City, N.J. and Harvin Groft of Dover, N.H. emerged from a 12-for-2 sudden-death playoff to advance.

Qualifiers: Brett Boner (Charlotte, N.C.) 67, Nick Biesecker (Staunton, Va.) 69, Jeffrey Osberg (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) 69, Chris Lange Jr. (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) 70, Matthew Mattare (Jersey City, N.J.) 71, Harvin Groft (Dover, N.H.) 71

Brett Boner of Charlotte, N.C. gets in with a 5-under 67 to grab clubhouse lead in #USMidAm Qualifier at Cedarbrook. Playoff looming to decide final spots.

Scoring: https://t.co/96kWdes4bC pic.twitter.com/A8o9x5wQll
— Golf Assn. of Philly (@GAofPhilly) August 20, 2018

August 19

The Falls at Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa
Qualifier: Danny Amundson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) 66

August 17

Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach, Fla.
Qualifiers: Ryan Abbate (Weston, Fla.) 71, Ben Finley (Plantation, Fla.) 71, Daniel Young (Miami) 71, Robbie Wight (West Palm Beach, Fla.) 72

August 16

Chip Brooke, the 2017 Florida Mid-Amateur champion, was among four qualifiers out of Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Fla. Brooke was also the low amateur at the 2017 Florida Open. Daniel Debra, another well-known Florida mid-am, also made it into the tournament. Debra, who went out in the second round at Florida Amateur Match Play earlier this month, tied Brooke at 71. They took the final two spots in a playoff.

Qualifiers: Jon Veneziano (Mount Dora, Fla.) 68, Matthew Avril (Vero Beach, Fla.) 70, Chip Brooke (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) 71, Daniel Debra (Lutz, Fla.) 71

Former Siena College teammates Kyle Downey and Jim Gifford took the two qualifying spots out of the Edison Club in Rexford, N.Y. Interestingly, only Gifford was a member of the golf team. Downey played on the basketball team. Gifford and Downey, paired together at the qualifier, were co-medalists, each posting a 2-under-par 70.

Downey, who finished fourth in last year's New York Mid-Amateur, had four birdies to offset a pair of bogeys, both on par 5s. Gifford, a former Edison member, had five birdies and three bogeys in only his second tournament of the season. He missed the cut by four strokes July 9 in the 36-hole U.S. Amateur qualifier at Seven Oaks. Gifford lost in playoffs two of the previous three years for a U.S. Mid-Amateur berth.

"The USGA events and the U.S. Open qualifier are the ones I look most forward to," he told the Times Union. "I've had some success. I've gotten to four (U.S. Open) sectionals. I've got to the (USGA) Fourball."

Qualifiers: Kyle Downey (Rochester, N.Y.) 70, Jim Gifford (Clifton Park, N.Y.) 70

Cutter Creek GC in Snow Hill, N.C.
Qualifiers: Danny Evelyn (Charlotte, N.C.) 66, Fred Gahl (Raleigh, N.C.) 68, Jake Colley (Raleigh, N.C.) 70, Anthony Conn (Raleigh, N.C.) 70

August 15

Jim Lemon & Garrett Jones punch their 🎟’s to the @USGA #USMidAm after both posted 3-under 69 to take co-medalist honors @GolfWCGC.

Complete results available at https://t.co/Fl1P1xjN1X. pic.twitter.com/lTAvVCFmwh
— WSGA Golf (@WSGAGolf) August 15, 2018

Qualifiers: Garrett Jones (Madison, Wis.) 69, Jim Lemon (Madison, Wis.) 69

August 14

Craig Steinberg

Craig Steinberg took the only qualifying spot at Leilehua Golf Course in Wahiawa, Hawaii. Steinberg, who won the Golfweek Senior Amateur in extra holes earlier this spring, had 71 to advance. Steinberg also won the SCGA Senior Match Play earlier this month.

Qualifiers: Craig Steinberg (Agoura Hills, Calif.) 71

The Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y.
Qualifiers: Patrick Griffin (Unionville, Conn.) 70, Thomas Lee (Alpine, N.J.) 71, Matthew Fields (New York, N.Y.) 72, George Boudria (New York, N.Y.) 73, Andrew Lord (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) 73, Jason Zubatkin (New Rochelle, N.Y.) 73

Nate Dunn of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was one of three qualifiers to share medalist honors with 2-under 70 at Stoneridge Golf Club in Stillwater, Minn. Dunn had five birdies on the day. The 43-year-old has won three Iowa Amateur Championships. Bradley Wohlers, another co-medalist, had a bogey at the last to fall into the three-man tie.

Qualifiers: Nate Dunn (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 70, Bradley Wohlers (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) 70, Bryce Hanstad (St. Louis Park, Minn.) 70, Michael Martin (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 71

August 13

Jeff Champine has qualified for his third Mid-Amateur in a row after taking one of four qualifying spots at Grosse Ile G&CC in Grosse Ile, Mich. Champine won medalist honors on the strength of a back-nine 31. He finished the day with 67, one better than Tyler McDannold, the 2013 Ontario Mid-Amateur champion who tied for 14th at this year's Ontario Mid-Am.

Qualifiers: Jeff Champine (Rochester Hills, Mich.) 67, Tyler McDannold (Canada) 68, Eric Pattenaude (Canada) 68, Kenneth Hudson (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) 69

Andy Sajevic

For the second time in three years, Andy Sajevic of Omaha, Neb., will play in the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Sajevic shot a 4-under 67 at Fremont (Neb.) Golf Course, his home course, to claim the one available spot in the qualifier.

Qualifiers: Andrew Sajevic (Omaha, Neb.) 67

Otter Creek GC, Ankeny, Iowa
Qualifiers: JD Anderson (Johnston, Iowa)

Former Southern Nazarene golfers Gerod Black of Edmond, Okla., and Mike Hearne of Yukon, Okla., led four qualifiers at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.

Rob Laird of Tulsa, Okla., got in with a 69 and Spencer Christian of Wichita, Kan., earned the fourth spot with an even-par 70, surviving a playoff with four others including alternates Austin Hannah of Jenks and Kevin Schultz of Tulsa.

Qualifiers: Gerod Black (Edmond, Okla.) 68, Mike Hearne (Wales) 68, Rob Laird (Tulsa, Okla.) 69, Spencer Christian (Wichita, Kan.) 70

Joel Myrick was one of two golfers to qualify out of Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss. Myrick, who played for Southern Mississippi, also qualified for last year’s Mid-Amateur, but lost in a playoff for the final match-play spots.

Qualifiers: Steve Johnson (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 69, Joel Myrick (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 69

San Jose CC in Jacksonville, Fla.
Qualifiers: Christopher Henderson (Jacksonville, Fla.) 69, Harold Baldwin (Loganville, Ga.) 70, Benjamin Hayes (Jacksonville, Fla.) 70, Steven Carter (St. Augustine, Fla.) 71

Andrew Pranger

Andrew Pranger, coming off victories this summer at the Metropolitan Amateur and the Old Warson Cup, led qualifiers at Lake Forest Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., with a 1-under 71. The 34-year-old is a reinstated amateur who played collegiately at Rollins College before trying his hand at the professional life. He qualified for last year’s Mid-Amateur but missed the cut with rounds of 75-73. It was his first USGA event.

Qualifiers: Andrew Pranger (St. Louis) 71, Buddy Allen (Pevely, Mo.) 72, Derek Meinhart (Mattoon, Ill.) 72, Sam Migdal (Ballwin, Mo.) 72

Ian Dahl, who played his college golf at the University of Seattle, led qualifiers at Fountaingrove Golf Club in Santa Rosa, Calif. Dahl was 4 under over his first nine and finished with 4-under 68. He also qualified for last year’s Mid-Amateur but missed the match-play cut.

Qualifiers: Ian Dahl (Carmel, Calif.) 68, Ian Albrecht (Sonoma, Calif.) 71, Kyle Hopkins (Santa Rosa, Calif.) 72

Kevin Bodlovich, a former UCLA golfer, had a bogey-free, 8-under 62 at Redlands (Calif.) CC to take the first of four qualifying spots. Bodlovich, 40, was five shots ahead of the next qualifier, Scotland Schmidt.

Qualifiers: Kevin Bodlovich (San Pedro, Calif.) 62, Scotland Schmidt (San Diego) 67, Chris Rendler (Costa Mesa, Calif.) Shankar Natarajan (Phoenix) 69

Pauma Valley (Calif.) CC
Qualifiers: Nick Lumsden (Escondido, Calif.) 68, Keith Earle (El Centro, Calif.) 71, Vincent Strong (Potrero, Calif.) 71, Chris Watters (San Diego) 71

CC of Lexington (S.C.)
Qualifiers: Barry Dyche (Charlotte, N.C.) 66, Kyle Bearden (Barnwell, S.C.) 66, Damon Postal (Charlotte, N.C.) 67, Jordan Sease (Lexington, S.C.) 67

Danny Simmerman

Danny Simmerman, a former All-American and assistant golf coach at North Florida, took the first of two spots out of the Club at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, Texas. Simmerman won the Texas South Mid-Amateur in 2016 and has qualified for match play at the Crump Cup each of the past two years.

Qualifiers: Danny Simmerman (San Antonio) 67, Jay Reynolds (Austin) 71

Hackberry Creek CC in Irving, Texas
Qualifiers: Scott Abbott (Dallas) 68, Zach Atkinson (Colleyville) 70, Paul McNamara III (Dallas) 71, Brad Beeson (Dallas) 72, Ryan Eibner (Dallas) 72, Ryan Sloane (Campbell) 72

August 9

Chris Stutts, a former All-American at Arizona State and a club champion at Whisper Rock (one of Arizona’s top golf clubs that has been home to several top professionals through the years), is into the Mid-Amateur after taking one of four qualifying spots at Hop Meadow CC in Simsbury, Conn. Stutts, 46, had a 2-under 70 that included two birdies in the final three holes. He also won the Lupton Memorial Invitational earlier this year.

Qualifiers: Benjamin Day (North Haven, Conn.) 69, Michael Kennedy (Milford, Conn.) 70, Chris Stutts (Palm Beach, Fla.) 70, Glen Boggini (Tolland, Conn.) 71

Chartwell G&CC in Severna Park, Md.
Qualifiers: Benjamin Shields (Towson, Md.) 66, Charles Windegardner (Annapolis, Md.) 67, Frank Alafoginis (Arlington, Va.) 69, Mark Cusic (Leonardtown, Md.) 69, Matthew Sughrue (Arlington, Va.) 69, Ben Warnquist (Olney, Md.) 70

August 8

Chris Polski

All four qualifiers at the Oswego Lake CC qualifier in Lake Oswego, Ore., earned co-medalist honors at 3-under par 68: Michael Johansen, Taylor Klopp, Travis Milleman and Chris Polski.

Johansen is a former University of Portland golfer who won the 2012 Oregon Men’s Stroke Play Championship. Klopp played golf at Linfield University in McMinnville, where he was the Northwest Conference Player of the Year in 2015 and a two-time All-America Scholar.

A former Oregon State University golfer, Milleman won the 2017 Arizona Mid-Amateur Championship, and just last month, earned a T3 finish at this year’s Oregon Men’s Stroke Play Championship. Polski is the Associate Head Coach for both the Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams at Northwest Christian University in Eugene. A quarterfinalist at the Oregon Amateur in 2017, Polski birdied two of the final four holes to earn a spot at this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Qualifiers: Michael Johansen (Vancouver, Wash.) 68, Taylor Klopp (Portland, Ore.) 68, Travis Milleman (Portland, Ore.) 68, Chris Polski (Eugene, Ore.) 68

Pleasant Valley CC in Little Rock, Ark.
Qualifiers: Carl Santos-Ocampo (Naples, Fla.) 70

David Denham, the 2017 Georgia Mid-Amateur champion, led qualifiers at Standard Country Club in Louisville, Ky. Denham, a native of Athens, Ga., played college golf at the University of Georgia and was a member of the 2005 national championship squad. He won the Georgia Amateur Championship in 2004. Denham’s 8-under 64 included six birdies on the back nine. He was one ahead of Joshua Rhodes, who had two eagles in his 7-under 65.

Qualifiers: David Denham (Athens, Ga.) 64, Joshua Rhodes (Paducah, Ky.) 65, Bryan Conway (Frankfort, Ky.) 66)

Let’s go! Qualified for the @USGA US Mid Am! pic.twitter.com/VBtqfq869h
— Kenny Ebalo (@KennyEbalo) August 9, 2018

Kenny Ebalo of Las Vegas took the sole qualifying spot in the qualifier at Palmer GC in Palmer, Alaska. The reinstated amateur (and former player manager) has experienced golf from all perspectives. He has even done caddie stints for Gary Player, Andres Gonzales and Lee Janzen. Ebalo played the Mid-Amateur in 2013 and 2014.

Qualifiers: Kenny Ebalo (Las Vegas) 68

Watchung (N.J.) Valley GC
Qualifiers: Sam Bernstein (New York, N.Y.) 66, Kevin Moore (Athens, Ga.) 66, Gregg Angelillo (Basking Ridge, N.J.), 67, Daniel Macdonald (Ridgewood, N.J.) 68, Tommy McDonagh (Norwalk, Conn.), 68, Darin Goldstein (New York, N.Y.) 69, Steven Zychowski (Mendham, N.J.) 69

August 7

Bryan Hoops

Bryan Hoops recently won his second Arizona Mid-Amateur title in the past three years. Now he is going to the U.S. Mid-Amateur. The 49-year-old took the only qualifying spot out of Red Hawk Golf Club in Las Cruces, N.M., with a bogey-free, 3-under 69.

Qualifiers: Bryan Hoops (Chandler, Ariz.) 69

August 6

Cimarron Hills G&CC in Georgetown, Texas
Qualifiers: Finley Ewing IV (Dallas) 72, Timothy Hamm (Austin) 73, Andy Kampen (Lakeway, Texas) 73

Jerred Barley earned a return trip to the Mid-Amateur after medaling at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Country Club. Barley had a 3-under 69. The 31-year-old also qualified a year ago, but lost to eventual champion Matt Parziale in the second round.

Qualifiers: Jerred Barley (Tecumseh, Mich.) 69, Mike Ignasiak (Saline, Mich.) 70, Chris Schultz (Laporte, Ind.) 70, Alex Zeoli (Royal Oak, Mich.) 70

Brad Nurski

A little over a month after winning his third Missouri Amateur title, Brad Nurksi qualified for the Mid-Amateur at Oakwood Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. Nurski and Mathew Murray tied for medalist honors with 5-under 67. Nurski, from nearby St. Joseph, Mo., made it to the third round of match play last year. He was runner-up at the 2014 Mid-Amateur.

Qualifiers: Mathew Murray (Bolivar, Mo.) 67, Brad Nurski (St. Joseph, Mo.) 67, Kory Bowman (Springfield, Mo.) 68

Ogden (Utah) G&CC
Qualifiers: Denny Job (Murray, Utah) 65, David Jennings (Layton, Utah) 67

About the U.S. Mid-Am Qualifying

2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying roundup

The U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier is open to all competitors with an index of 2.4 or lower who will be at least 25 years of age at the start of the championship. Format is 18-holes of stroke play with the number of qualifiers dependent on the size of fi...

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