Spokane, Wash., (Friday, August 27) – 28 players competed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying held at Spokane Country Club in Spokane, Wash. on Friday, with two advancing to the 30th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship to be played at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, New York on September 25-30, 2010.
Jason Goldsworthy from Adelaide, Australia who now lives in Calgary, Alberta and Scott Almquist of Cota De Caza, Cali. both advanced from qualifying after rounds of 2-under par 70 and 1-under par 71.
Goldsworthy claimed medalist honors after carding an opening nine of 1-over par 37 and a back nine, bogey free, 3-under par 33. The 31-year old made six birdies on the day including four in his last ten holes. Excited to qualify for his first USGA Championship, Goldsworthy said he drove 9 hours from Calgary for a bit of a holiday and to play a couple rounds of golf.
Almquist also advanced but had to withstand a four hole playoff with Matt Kerr of Canada after each carded rounds of 1-under par 71. After opening with and even par 36 on the front nine, Almquist made birdies on the 12th, 14th, and 15th holes to offset bogeys on the 11th and 17th for a 1-under par 35 on the back nine. In the playoff, Almquist used a par on the 466-yard par-4 fourth hole to advance after Kerr found a tree off the tee and was unable to reach the green with his second shot, then failing to get up-and-down for par from underneath a greenside tree. Almquist, at age 45 will be making his fourth start in a USGA Championship, having previously played in one U.S. Amateur Public Links and two U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships.
Amateur golfers who have reached their 25th birthday by September 25, 2010 and who have a USGA Handicap Index of 3.4 strokes or less are eligible to qualify for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. All contestants will play 36 holes of stroke play qualifying at the site, with the low 64 advancing to match play for the championship. The U.S. Mid-Amateur champion receives an automatic invitation to the Masters and the U.S. Open.
The Washington State Golf Association is the local representative of the USGA and conducts the local sectional qualifying every year. This was one of 68 18-hole qualifiers for the Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship that will be played from September 25-30 at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, New York.
Entries for the 20010 U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship had to be received by the United States Golf Association by August 4. The cost was $125 to enter. The championship is for mid-amateurs who are 25 years of age or older with a Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4. This year the USGA received 3,860 entries who will compete across the 68 qualifying sites for 243 spots into the field. The remaining 21 spots in the 264 player field are exemptions.
The Men’s Mid-Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
