U.S. Mid-Amateur Blog

It appears that Nathan Smith’s game plan is oriented on centers of greens and Tim Hogarth is attempting to get closer to the hole as Smith holds a 3-up lead. 

Through 13 holes, with the usual match play concessions, Smith has 10 pars and four birdies (although his 25-footer on the on the par-4 fifth was topped by Hogarth’s 15-footer).  Hogarth has four birdies and three bogeys. 

Hogarth narrowed Smith’s lead to just 1 up with birdies on No. 8 and No. 9. The ninth showed plan to go at flags when he stuck his short iron to 3 feet to a hole location that Atlantic Golf Club assistant professional Mike Stevenson termed ‘jazzy’.  He later called the laser iron from Hogarth to that location – razzle dazzle. -- Pete Kowalski

Nathan Smith has been a fairway and center of greens guy for the first seven holes while establishing his 3-up lead. 

His birdie on the par-3 fourth was a thing of beauty. 

Tim Hogarth has been relatively steady but caught a bad break on the second hole. His tee shot was hit toward the right-side bunkers and the ball could not be found. With Smith's drive in the fairway and facing a walk back to re-tee. He decided to concede the hole near the end of the lost ball search time. Moment after that, a volunteer found his ball in the bunker face. -- Pete Kowalski 

The practice range doesn’t have a whole lot of population when the match play field heads toward the championship match. 

This morning at 6:53, defending champion Nathan Smith and his father (and caddie), Larry, were the first to step up. “We are ready to go,” Nathan said. “They just start me up and off we go,” added Larry. 

Finalist Tim Hogarth, who won the 1996 U.S.  Amateur Public Links, arrived just after 7 a.m. to begin his warm-up routine. 

Thankfully, the rain that is pelting the New York City area and western Long Island is ONLY supposed to be showery (perhaps heavy at times) with late afternoon winds with gust of more than 40 MPH. 

The championship match – third time in a final for Smith and second time for Hogarth – is set for an on-time start at 7:30 a.m. – Pete Kowalski

The semifinal matches are underway at Atlantic Golf Club. Nathan Smith is playing Todd Burgan in the first semifinal, and Sean Knapp and Tim Hogarth will meet in the other.

All four have already played a lot of golf today but are ready for more. When Hogarth's quarterfinal match ended, officials asked if 30 minutes would be enough time before his semifinal match. His response? "I'm ready now." And Knapp agreed, saying, "We need to get in as much golf as we can."

Off they go...

The PGA Tour’s “These guys are good" motto can easily be adopted for this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship quarterfinalists.

Since 2003 and through Wednesday’s third round, the eight players, including two-time Mid-Am champion and USA Walker Cup Team member Nathan Smith, are a combined 63-21 — a .750 winning percentage — in Mid-Am and U.S. Amateur match play.

Smith leads that group with 20 match play wins, followed by Sean Knapp and Tim Hogarth with 10 each. Anthony Barrera and Robby McWilliams, each making their first U.S. Mid-Am match play appearances, have yet to a match-play loss. -- Stuart Hall

The quarterfinal matches are all on the course, about a half day behind schedule because of Tuesday’s torrential rain.

Four of the eight players are repeat quarterfinalists (from one year or another) and a fifth is a USGA champion. Sounds like Atlantic Golf Club has brought out the best of the field.

Defending champion Nathan Smith (2003 and 2009), Todd Burgan (2009), Tim Mickelson (2007), Sean Knapp (2008) are previous quarterfinalists. Knapp reached the semifinals in 2008. Tim Hogarth won the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links.

These eight players are now exempt from qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur, which will be played Sept. 17-22, at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas. -- Pete Kowalski

More than 24 hours after it began, the second round is finally complete. Mike Calef of West Bridgewater, Mass., defeated Ben Hayes of Scottsdale, Ariz., in 21 holes to complete round two. It was the longest match of the championship.

Calef's third-round opponent will be Sean Knapp of Oakmont, Pa. Knapp, a Mid-Amateur semifinalist in 2008, has spent his time waiting for his opponent to be determined on the practice tee and practice green. --Pete Kowalski

Floodlights for players in the practice area and for the grounds crew working on nearby greens and tees illuminated the skies around Atlantic Golf Club this morning.

Opponents Tim Jackson (on the practice tee) and Todd Burgan (on the practice green) were the first players to begin warming up. Both players are from Tennessee and have become friends through competitive golf. Burgan holds a 2-up lead in their third-round match.

They will resume third-round play on the third green. Jackson, a two-time Mid-Amateur champion, who sipped coffee as the range was about to open at 6 a.m, chatted congenially about his life and his golf.

“I don’t sleep anymore,” said the 51-year-old Jackson. “It’s roll around every two hours. It’s just a series of naps.”

His son, Austin, a high school sophomore in Germantown, Tenn., called his father last night to relay some good news: he had shot his career-best score – 69.

“He’s lying in the weeds for the old man,” said Jackson. “I may have the savvy but I wish I had the upside.”

 Play resumed at 6:52 a.m. with one second-round match still on the course. Five of the third-round matches have already begun and the other three will follow in 10-minute increments. Yesterday’s rainfall totaled 1.25 inches with none recorded overnight. The weather looks cooperative for a full day of golf.

Championship officials hope to play the third round, quarterfinal round and as much as possible of the semifinals. --Pete Kowalski

Play resumed at 4:37 p.m., after a delay of four hours and 31 minutes.

Officials focused on holes 10-18 for maintenance so the 11 incomplete second-round matches could resume as quickly as possible. They are now working on the first nine holes and hope to start the third round as soon as those holes are ready.

The heavy rain has finally stopped after about 90 minutes. Officials are currently looking at the golf course to determine if there are any problems with standing water or the conditions in bunkers. They hope to make an announcement about plans for play the rest of the day in about 30 minutes.

It's difficult to describe how hard it rained for the past hour and a half. As a group of officials, players and caddies stood on the patio outside Atlantic's pro shop and watched the deluge, one USGA committeman, who hails from Louisiana, noted, "Back home, when it rains like this, they give it a name."

The rain that has threatened to arrive began about 9 a.m. A practice range that included David Ujihara (the only player wearing shorts), Sean Knapp, Rick Cloninger and Brian Atkinson and others has cleared - only Knapp remains.  

Weather reports indicate heavier rain might hit until around noon. After lunch, the chance for showers is more scattered. Winds are brisk again but temperatures should remain in the 70s for most of the day.  

Supposedly the Shinnecock Canal is the demarcation line for whether the weather comes to Atlantic Golf Club. Here’s hoping that ‘boundary’ holds up. --Pete Kowalski

Here’s a compilation of tidbits from the 32 pairings in the first round of match play:

…David Ujihara, 56, of Brea, Calif., is the oldest remaining player … Rick Cloninger, 53, of Fort Mill, S.C., and Tim Jackson, 51, of Germantown, Tenn., also advanced.

…Anthony Barrera, 26, of San Jose, Calif., is the youngest remaining player.

…Of the remaining players, six are in their 20s, 12 are in their 30s, 11 are in their 40s and three are in their 50s.

…California and North Carolina each have four players in the final 32.

…Nathan Smith, defending champion, will be looking for his eighth consecutive victory in match play after going 6-0 in 2009.

…Four USGA champions remain – Smith (2003 and 2009 Mid-Am); Jackson (1994 and 2001 Mid-Am); Kevin Marsh (2005 Mid-Am); Tim Hogarth (1996 Amateur Public Links). The 2002 Mid-Am winner, George Zahringer, lost in 19 holes.

…Six Mid-Amateur quarterfinalists from 2009 advanced to match play; only two won (Smith and Todd Burgan).

…Only one of the five players who made it through this morning's playoff won - Tim Mickelson, who beat Mike McCoy, 2 and 1.

…Two golfers with Long Island ties face each other in the second round: Joe Saladino, 30, of Huntington, N.Y. vs. R.J. Nakashian, 43, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who grew up in Locust Valley, N.Y.

…Four of 32 matches went to extra holes; Saladino defeated Raymond Floyd of Old Greenwich, Conn., in 20 holes, the longest match of the day.

…Bill Jeremiah, 42, of West Grove, Pa., played the fewest holes (13) in a 6-and-5 win over Nolan Mills of Charlotte, N.C.

… Ben Hayes of Scottsdale, Ariz., defeated Robert Gerwin, in 19 holes, on the eve of his 28th birthday.

--Pete Kowalski

It’s like the ESPN college football matchmakers were running the draw for match play, which started today at Atlantic Golf Club.

That’s because Nathan Smith and Tim Spitz, who battled for the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur title, were paired in the first round.

Smith was one of three co-medalists and was the No. 1 seed for match play. Spitz won the last spot (#64) in the field through a playoff this morning at The Bridge.

“I was at the BBQ last night and some of the guys were talking about a lot of great players in the playoff,” Smith said. “I thought there was a chance that I was going to get one of them.

“When I was eating breakfast this morning, I looked up at the (scoring) screen and I saw it. It was a little weird, kind of shocking. It’s a tough draw and he played great out there. I was surprised. I didn’t have too much breakfast.”

 On a dreary morning, Smith played some terrific golf - with the normal match-play concessions he was the equivalent of 5 under par through 14 holes - and defeated Spitz, 5 and 4.

Spitz probably summed it up best when he said: “I had more fun playing him the final.” -- Pete Kowalski

Two-time Mid-Amateur champion Tim Jackson, 51, Germantown, Tenn., won his first-round match, 2 and 1, over Jordan Nasser, 26, of Irvine, Calif., for his 28th match-play victory at the championship.

Jackson is now tied with George Zahringer on the all-time match-play wins list in fourth place, behind Jerry Courville (first with 36), Danny Yates and Jay Sigel (tied for second with 30).

“Does it mean anything? Do I get a lifetime exemption?” Jackson asked with a touch of friendly sarcasm.  He also asked if Zahringer had won (he did not).

The two-time Walker Cup representative and current Tennessee Golf Association president has advanced to match play at the Mid-Amateur 18 times.

“It's good to win,” Jackson said. “To play these 26- and 27-year-old kids and still be competitive, that’s all you can ask for – to be competitive and still have a chance.”

Jackson, who earned low-amateur honors at the U.S. Senior Open for the second consecutive time earlier this summer, is using his experience to its fullest.

Asked what he uses against younger and stronger players, he says: “I got the grey hair and the savvy.” --Pete Kowalski

Serge Hogg of Baltimore, Md., recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3, 161-yard fifth hole at The Bridge. The ace is the second for the 36-year-old Hogg, who is playing in his first USGA championship. It was the 19th hole-in-one in U.S. Mid-Amateur history and the first at this year’s championship.  

Most players in USGA amateur championships will tell you that getting into match play is the most important step in their competitive process. You can’t move on unless you manage your game well enough to get one of the coveted 64 places in the field.

So Tom Krystyn, 46, of Denver, Colo., shrugged his shoulders after a 9-over-par 81 at The Bridge in the first round of Mid-Amateur stroke play yesterday.

“Any course is tough when you are hitting it bad,” said Krystyn, a sales representative for Acushnet. “I didn’t hit the well. I didn’t hit the ball solid. I didn’t putt well yesterday. I turned it around. It was a lot better today.”

With two birdies and an eagle against two bogeys, Krystyn fired a 2-under-par 70 at Atlantic Golf Club for a 36-hole total of 7-over-par 151, which might just get him one of the spots in the match-play field.

 “It couldn’t get any worse,” Krystyn said of his Saturday round. “I was more patient. I didn’t hit it great. I didn’t hit it in trouble. I hit it in trouble yesterday.”

The tall and slender Krystyn started bogey, par, bogey on his first three holes today but made a 60-foot putt to eagle No. 4.

“Then, I started feel more comfortable over the ball,” he said. “That kind of righted the ship.”

Asked for what part of his game was better 24 hours later and he quickly replied, “Driving. I drove the ball poorly (yesterday). I was hitting it in the bushes, in the tall grass. It’s hard to hit the greens when you are hitting it all over the place on the tee.”

Krystyn will probably do some scoreboard watching this afternoon to see if he joins the select 64.  

“I was hoping to make a couple more birdies coming in,” he said. “But, I was also happy with an up-and-down from over the green on the long, into-the-wind ninth. I was hoping 70 would be good enough to get in but 69 would have been a better shot.” -- Pete Kowalski

It’s a shame the tuxedo will go unused.

But 50-year-old Martin Rifkin packed it for his flight to Long Island from Fort Wayne, Ind., Saturday.

The tuxedo was only to be used for tonight’s black-tie Bat Mitzvah for his friend’s daughter in New Jersey in case he couldn’t make his 12:25 p.m. starting time at Atlantic Golf Club as an alternate at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. But he won't need it.

Rifkin, who has access to a private jet, was called early this morning by the USGA to take the place of former major league pitcher Mark Mulder, who withdrew with a shoulder injury this morning.

“I was reading the Wall Street Journal, getting ready to work out and the caller ID says USGA,” Rifkin said. “And I think, I’ve been waiting for three weeks.”

The call came from Bill McCarthy, the USGA’s staff in charge of the Mid-Amateur.

“I got the call,” Rifkin said. “I did the math and I said ‘Well, I’ll give it a shot. If for some reason, I don’t make my tee time, I can go to my friend’s party.’ ”

Rifkin, in a plane owned by his family after they sold a scrap metal business, took off from Fort Wayne at 10 a.m. Eastern and landed at East Hampton Airport at 11:20. He was in a car loaned to him by his friend Chad Penman, an assistant at Maidstone Golf Club. He arrived at Atlantic Golf Club at 11:45 a.m.

“I hit half a dozen 7-irons, half a dozen drivers, five putts and got on the shuttle to the 10th tee,” Rifkin said. “And then I birdied hole!”

He shot 44 on the inward nine of Atlantic and followed with an even-par 36 on the outward nine for an 8-over-par 80.

“Under the circumstances, I was satisfied,” Rifkin said. “It took about nine holes to calm down and nine holes to get a feel for the conditions, the speed of greens, a lot of stuff you’d get from practice rounds.”

Rifkin, who qualified for the 2010 U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle, wouldn't change his decision, saying it was “absolutely worth it. But, now I’ve got to find a place to stay tonight.” --Pete Kowalski

Dick Engel is coming up on 20 years in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The 44-year-old from Quartz Valley, Calif., is a full-time deputy on the force. Since age 30, he has been serious about competitive golf.

He is playing in his second USGA championship. But it was his first appearance at the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina that showed him that his true desire to improve existed. He did not qualify for match play.

“I realized then that my game was nowhere near where it needed to be,” Engel said. “That’s when I started working with my instructor Marshall Patterson in order to get to that next level, to get to things like this.”

Now, he hits a lot of balls on the weekends and has played competitive golf in the Southern California Golf Association as well as police golf events.

The practice has proved fruitful, with a 1-under-par 71 at Atlantic Golf Club in the first round of stroke play today at the Mid-Amateur. He made three birdies against two bogeys.

Asked if doing police work made his perspective on the golf course different, he said: “No, there’s still pressure. I feel pressure on 4-footers. I had a few of them today.” --Pete Kowalski

Former major league pitcher Mark Mulder withdrew from the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur with a shoulder injury, indicating he could not swing a club. The 33-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., pitched for the Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals during a major-league career that lasted from 2000-2008.

Mulder was replaced in the field by Martin Rifkin of Fort Wayne, Ind. Rifkin, who flew in on a private jet this morning, arrived in time to make the 12:05 shuttle to the 10th tee for his 12:25 tee time at Atlantic Golf Club.