Local players qualify for U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships

Bellingham, Wash. – U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship qualifying and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship qualifying were both conducted today at North Bellingham Golf Course in Bellingham, Wash.

In the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier, Sandy Vaughan of Seattle, Michael Eads of Long Beach, Calif. and Taylor Durham of North Vancouver, B.C. all shot rounds 2-under par 70 to secure spots in the championship after tying for medalist honors and advancing through a 4-for-3 playoff.

Vaughan is the Head Golf Coach of the men’s and women’s teams at Bellevue (Wash.) College. He played collegiate golf at Western Washington University.

Justin Towle of Bothell is the first alternate in the Mid-Amateur qualifier, Johnny Carey of Seattle is the second alternate.

Entries in the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier are open to any amateur golfer who has reached their 25th birthday as of September, 10, 2022 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 3.4.

Vaughan, Eads and Durham will now advance to the 41st U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be held September 10-15 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.

Marianne Li (left) and Krissy Carman

In the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifier, Krissy Carman of Eugene, Ore. earned medalist honors with a round of even-par 72. Marianne Li of Bellevue, Wash. claimed the other qualifying spot with a round of 1-over 73.

Carman won the 2016 Oregon Women’s Amateur Championship and she played collegiate golf at Oregon State University and Portland State University. Last week, she won the Oregon Women’s Stroke Play Championship.

Li won the 2016 Washington Women’s Amateur Championship and that same year she was named the WA Golf Women’s Player of the Year. She played collegiate golf at the University of California, Berkeley.

Taya Battistella of Bellingham is the first alternate in the Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifier, Tina Papatolis of Issaquah is the second alternate.

Entries in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifier are open to any female amateur golfer who has reached her 25th birthday by September 25, 2022 and whose Handicap Index does not exceed 9.4.

Carman and Li will now advance to the 35th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be held September 17-22 at Fiddlesticks Country Club (Long Mean Course) in Fort Myers, Fla.

Washington Golf (WA Golf) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted these qualifier for the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur championships.