Trio Leads the Way at Amateur Qualifier
MACUNGIE, Pa. - A pair of young guns and a Pennsylvania Golf Association stalwart fired even par 71s to lead the way on a hot but breezy day at Brookside Country Club of Allentown in today's qualifier for the 102nd Amateur Championship, presented by Allegheny Health Network. Talamore Country Club's Jalen Griffin, Spring Mill Country Club's Vinay Ramesh and Whitford Country Club's David West shared medalist honors, leading the way among 27 qualifiers for the championship proper, which will be held on July 27-29 at the Country Club of Scranton.
Griffin, a rising sophomore member of the golf team at the University of San Francisco, began his round on the back nine and carded a pair of bogeys to make the turn at +2. After pars on his first three holes of the front nine, he turned his round around with three consecutive birdies to get into red numbers for the day before dropping a shot on the par-3 eighth hole to eventually finish at even par for the day.
Ramesh, who will play at Princeton University in the fall, came into the qualifier playing very solid golf. Just three days prior, he nearly qualified for next week's US Open at Chambers Bay, finishing just one shot out at the local qualifier. Like Griffin, he began his round on the back nine. He made birdie on the par-4 11th hole and the par-3 17th, but bogeyed the 15th and then double-bogeyed the 18th to make the turn in 36 (+1). A strong front nine, including a birdie at the par-5 4th hole, kept him near the top of the leaderboard. He parred the final five holes to finish at 71.
West, whose last appearance in a PAGA event saw him finish a strong second at last year's Art Wall, Jr. Memorial Tournament, started quickly with birdies on the two par-5s on the front side (No. 2 and No. 4). However, he found trouble on the par-3 fifth hole, hitting his tee shot into the water. But West bounced back, getting up and down after that to make bogey and salvage a decent score on the hole.
"That was a real key for me," West said of saving bogey on that hole. "I was able to minimize the damage there."
After another bogey on the par-4 ninth hole, West came right back and birdied the 10th hole. Steady play the rest of the way resulted in a strong 71, more than enough to get him to the championship event.
A home club hopeful made the cut, as Adam Sutovich used his local knowledge to shoot a 73 (+2). The final cut ended up being at 74, with the 27 players scoring that or better able to advance to CC of Scranton.
There are two more qualifiers scheduled for the championship - June 17 at Treesdale Golf & Country Club and June 22 at Out Door Country Club.