Osberg takes medalist honors at Crump Cup

Jeff Osberg of Bryn Mawr, Pa. shot an even-par 70 to earn medalist honors at the 95th Crump Cup at Pine Valley Golf Club in Pine Valley, N.J. Osberg, who finished at 2-over 142, leads a contingent of 16 players into the championship match play bracket. Once again Pine Valley showed its teeth to many of the nation's top mid-amateurs and seniors. Osberg shot a 32 on the back nine to shoot one of only two even-par rounds in the entire 36-hole stroke play qualifier. Former U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale (Brockton, Mass.) had the other even-par 70, climbing into the top 16. Three other U.S. Mid-Amateur champions have also advanced to the championship bracket and are still alive for the overall Crump Cup title: Scott Harvey (Kernersville, N.C.), Stewart Hagestad (Newport Beach, Calif.), and Kevin O'Connell (Cary, N.C.). Two-time Crump Cup champion Michael Muehr (McLean, Va.) shot a second-straight 72 to finish second in qualifying at 4-over 144. The last two Crump Cup runners-up -- Bill Williamson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Brad Nurski (St. Joseph, Mo.) -- will also move on to the championship flight. Another prominent runner-up, Joseph Deraney (Belden, Miss.) who finished second to Kyle Michel in last week's U.S. Mid-Amateur, rebounded from a 78 with a 72 and will face Williamson in the first match play round. O'Connell and Nurski both survived a 6-man playoff for the final two spots in the championship bracket, after the six players tied at 11-over 151. Osberg will face Nurski when match play starts on Saturday morning, with Muehr facing off with O'Connell. The defending champion Patrick Duffy (Omaha, Neb.) shot a 154 to advance to the second flight. The cutoff for the second flight was 15-over 155. Four-time U.S. Mid-amateur champion Nathan Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and the 2017 Crump Cup champion Michael McDermott (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) were among the players making the third flight, whose cutoff was 19-over 159. SENIOR FLIGHT The defending senior champion Gene Elliott (W. Des Moines, Iowa) shot the only under-par round in either division -- a 1-under 69 -- to earn medalist honors at 3-over 143. Steve Harwell of Mooresville, N.C. qualified second at 6-over 146 after a 71 on Friday, with first-round leader Oscar Mestre (Berwyn, Pa.) third at 147. Four-time Crump Cup champion Mike McCoy (W. Des Moines, Iowa), 2008 senior champion Steve Smyers (Lakeland, Fla.), and 2017 senior champion John McClure (Austin, Texas) all advanced to the senior championship match play flight. McClure finished at 154 to take the 8th and final spot. Former Crump Cup champion Bill McGuinness (Haddonfield, N.J.), former U.S. Senior champion Dave Ryan (Taylorville, Ill.) and Hall-of-Famer Marty West (Rockville, Md.) all made the senior second flight, with 19-over 159 as the cutoff. Match play begins Saturday morning, with the championship matches in all flights to be played on Sunday afternoon, when the general public will be allowed its one day of the year to walk the grounds of Pine Valley. >> Amateur Golf Scoreboard