Trio of Players Share Medalist Honors at Mid-Am Qualifier
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Players both new to and familiar with the host club set the pace at Monday's Middle-Amateur Qualifier at Blue Ridge Country Club, with club member Derek Price along with Allentown Municipal GC's Zach Fischl and PAGA Individual Member Bryan Lewis each shooting 68 (-4) to share medalist honors.
The three co-medalists were among 27 players to qualify for The Allegheny Health Network 21st Middle-Amateur Championship, which will be held Sept. 15-16 at Moselem Springs GC in Fleetwood.Â
Price set the pace with a strong performance, with four birdies and an eagle (on the par-5 17th) to go against just two bogeys on his day.
"I just didn't want to make any big mistakes in a qualifier," Price said. "It was nice to make a few putts out there today. Obviously the eagle on 17 really helped."
Fischl, who said he'd played the course probably 20-25 times in his life, showed his knowledge throughout the day with a solid round of five birdies and only a lone bogey on the afternoon. After making the turn at 35 (-1), he fired four birdies on the back nine en route to his 68.
"I normally don't putt that well here," Fischl said. "But I was able to make a bunch of short birdies on the back today."
Lewis, meanwhile, was playing in his first Pennsylvania Golf Association event after recently moving to Mechanicsburg from West Virginia. He made a splash immediately in his PAGA debut, with birdies at each of the first three, and five of his first six, as he fired a scorching hot 32 on the front nine. After giving back a pair of shots early on the back, he closed with birdies on 17 and 18 to punch his ticket.
"I told my playing partners to not wake me up until it was over," Lewis said of his fast start.
Three other players were in red numbers at the end of the round, led by Hershey CC's Scott Mayne (-3), as well as Allentown Municipal GC's Jason Wilson (-1) and South Hills CC's Richard Baloh (-1). Gregg Angelillo, attempting to qualify for the event to be held at his home club of Moselem Springs, shot an even par 72 to comfortably make it.
The two remaining qualifiers for the Middle-Amateur Championship will be held on Aug. 25 (Whitford CC) and Sept. 2 (Wildwood GC).