Sixteen players are moving on to Union League National Golf Club to compete in the 41st Mid-Amateur Championship after a qualifying round at Brooklake Country Club on May 6. Max Bichsel fired a score of four-under par, 68 to earn medalist honors.

Despite an errant tee shot on his first hole, Bichsel was able to settle in and right the ship on his way to the top of the leaderboard.

“I drove it pretty well, but I snap hooked it into the water on the first hole and made bogey but was able to get it going after that. The sightlines are tough out here, so you’ve got to know where to pick your spots,” said Bichsel. “I started playing more strategically and managing my game a lot better. I tried to use my length off the tee to make sure I had short shots in on some of the longer holes.”

Bichsel is looking forward to a return to the Mid-Amateur Championship and the challenge of Union League National.

“I’ve never played the golf course, but I have a couple of buddies who are members down there so I’ll calling them up to see what they’ve got.”

Finishing one shot behind Bichsel, Cody Cox, a Penn State golf alumnus, rode a hot putter and a chip-in eagle on his fifth hole on his way to qualifying.

“I had the putter rolling pretty nice. Got off to a little bit of a slow start on the back nine but made a few putts to keep me in it,” said Cox. “I didn’t make every single putt, but they were scaring the hole and gave myself some good looks.”

Cox will be looking to continue his solid play when he tees off in the 92nd Four-Ball Championship which will begin tomorrow at Hollywood Golf Club from May 7-9.  

“It was good to get a competitive round in before going to Hollywood, so it was nice seeing putts go in and prep for the tournament that way,” said Cox.

Tied with Cox at three-under par, 69, Andrew Hurley avenged missing the cut in the Mid-Amateur qualifying at Cobblestone Creek last year despite an early bogey.

“Right off the bat I chunked a six iron on the first hole, made bogey and just kind of laughed at myself like, ‘Here we go again,’ but I made steady pars and tried to take advantage of a few of the holes,” said Hurley. “I made a long putt on the third hole to get back to level. By the third hole last year I was already five-over.”

Brooklake served as the second of four qualifying sites for the 41st Mid-Amateur Championship at Union League National, which will host its first NJSGA major championship from June 4-6. Two qualifying dates remain for the championship: May 16 at Little Mill Country Club and May 20 at Westlake Golf and Country Club.

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