Naylor Leads Rain-Delayed Middle-Amateur

Scorecards

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The weather has wreaked havoc on golf in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania all summer long, so it is no surprise that Mother Nature was here at Saucon Valley Country Club for the 25th Middle-Amateur in the form of the remnants of Hurricane Florence. The steady rain made the golf course unplayable and at 2:50 p.m., the first round was postponed until Tuesday. As a result, the championship was shortened to 18 holes. When the delay hit, the clubhouse leader was Applebrook Golf Club's Wil Naylor, who shot a 4-under par 68 at the Weyhill Course to lead the event, which is presented by LECOM.

Resumption of play is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday if conditions permit. Overall, 49 of the 96 competitors completed their rounds, including Naylor, who began his day on the back side of the William and David Gordon design. Naylor got off to a quick start with a birdie on the 10th, hitting a 9-iron approach to 15 feet where he drained the uphill putt. 

"I had not played the golf course today," Naylor said. "But the speed of the greens felt perfect for me and my putting was solid because the greens were so great."

Two holes later, Naylor made another birdie, this on the par-5 12th hole. He stuffed a 54-degree wedge to about five feet and rolled in the putt to move to 2-under par. 

Naylor had a bogey-free card on the day, and for the next 11 holes, he made all pars. It was another par 5, the 587-yard sixth hole, that saw his next red number. After hitting a tree limb off the tee, Naylor then hit a 6-iron to about 140 yards but without a great look at the green. But he pulled out his 8-iron and pulled off a punch shot to four feet from the hole, setting up his third birdie.

"That was one of the better shots I've ever hit," Naylor said of the punch approach. 

On his penultimate hole of the day, Naylor hit his driver off the tee despite thinking better of it.

"I really shouldn't have hit driver there," Naylor said of his tee ball, which landed in the right rough.

But the golf gods were smiling down on Naylor in this instance.

"I got a great yardage and I lucked out from there, to be honest with you," Naylor said. 

After another excellent wedge shot, this time with a 54-degree to just five feet, Naylor sank his fourth birdie of the round. Another par on the ninth hole closed out his day and a round of 68. 

West Shore Country Club's Clay Davidson fired a 69 (-3) and is in the clubhouse one shot behind Naylor. Erik Bertrand of Chartiers Country Club posted a round of 2-under par 70. A host of golfers are in the running when the round resumes, including John Samaha of Old York Road Country Club, who is -4 through his first four holes of the championship.

The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Saucon Valley Country Club for their hospitality in hosting the championship.