Mid-Amateur Blog

Randal Lewis, 54, of Alma, Mich., made history by becoming the oldest champion in U.S. Mid-Amateur history by defeating 31-year-old Kenny Cook of Noblesville, Ind., 3 and 2, in the 36-hole championship match at Shadow Hawk Golf Club. Lewis and Cook halved the par-4 34th hole to end the match.

Lewis was steady the entire day, making just three bogeys and shooting the equivalent of four under par for the 34 holes, with the usual match-play concessions.

An impressive display of golf.

Congratulations to both players for a fine week of golf.

Randal Lewis and Kenny Cook halved the par-4 33rd hole with 4s, leaving Lewis 3 up with three to play. If he halves or wins any of the final three holes, he will become the oldest U.S. Mid-Amateur champion by five years, surpassing George Zahringer, who was 49 in 2002.

Kenny Cook used his tremendous length to reach the 562-yard, par-5 32nd hole (14th on the course) in two shots and he managed to two-putt from 25 feet for a winning birdie-4. Randal Lewis was unable to convert his birdie and saw his lead trimmed to 3 up with four holes to play.

If Lewis wins one more hole, the match is over.

Randal Lewis drove the par-4 31st hole and had a two-putt birdie to take a commanding 4-up lead with five holes to play against Kenny Cook. Cook bogeyed the hole and now will have to dig deep to rally against the steady 54-year-old Lewis, who has played like a 25-year-old this week. If he wins this match, he will have defeated the No. 1 seed (Mike McCaffrey), the No. 5 seed (two-time defending champion Nathan Smith) and the No. 6 seed (Kenny Cook).

On the flip side, the only single-digit seed Cook has faced this week was John Engler (No. 2) in the semifinals.

But as they say, you can only play who is in front of you and up until now, Cook has been impressive against his five previous opponents. He had trailed for only one hole all week (80 holes) prior to the championship match. He has not had a lead against Lewis and has been all square for just two holes since the opening tee shot at 7:30 a.m.

 

Kenny Cook missed the green at the par-3 29th hole (11th on the course) to the right by 10 yards. He chipped to 8 feet but missed the par putt to lose the hole. Randal Lewis was on the green with his tee shot and two-putted for par and a 3-up lead, the biggest of the match.

With nine holes remaining in the scheduled 36-hole final, Randal Lewis of Alma, Mich., owns a 2-up lead. He just rolled in a nice downhill 8-foot birdie putt at the par-5 ninth hole. Kenny Cook, just like this morning, went for the green in two and missed to the left. His ball rolled down into some gnarly bermudagrass rough. He recovered nicely, getting the ball on the green some 24 feet from the hole. His birdie attempt raced past the hole 4 feet.

Kenny Cook took the par-4 26th hole with a par to cut the deficit once again to 1 down. Randal Lewis missed an 18-foot par putt and made just his third bogey of the 36-hole final.

Randal Lewis knocked his tee shot on the 146-yard, par-3 25th hole (seventh on the course) to 4 feet for a winning birdie and a 2-up lead over Kenny Cook. Both players were coming off birdie-3s at the 288-yard, par-4 24th hole. Some solid golf being played in the second 18 between these two fine golfers.

Randal Lewis drove his ball into a hazard on the par-4 23rd hole, suffering a bogey and losing the hole. Kenny Cook reached the green in regulation and made a par to cut the deficit back to 1 down with 13 holes to play. They now move to the par-4 24th hole, which is playing 290 yards to the flagstick from the teeing ground. Shadow Hawk has a number of driveable par-4s, which can make things very exciting in match play.

Randal Lewis has regained his 2-up advantage by winning the par-3 22nd hole with a par. Kenny Cook missed an 8-foot par putt and is now 2 down with 14 holes left to play.

Kenny Cook unleashed a mammoth drive at the 342-yard, par-4 second hole, reaching the green and two-putting for a winning birdie to cut the lead to 1 down after 20 holes. The hole played 50 yards shorter in the morning round and Cook tried to reach the green with a 3-wood and made a bogey-5.

That's two consecutive birdies to start the afternoon round for the Indiana native and Ball State graduate. By the way, Randal Lewis graduated from Central Michigan, so this is an all-Mid-American Conference final.

With the tees moved forward to make the par-5 first hole just 521 yards, both Randal Lewis and Kenny Cook reached the green in two shots and converted 2-putt birdies. Cook was within 12 feet for eagle and missed the putt. Lewis two-putted from 20 feet. Lewis remained 2 up in the match.

Randal Lewis of Alma, Mich., will take a 2-up lead into the lunch break of the 36-hole final match at the 2011 U.S. Mid Amateur being held at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas. Lewis won the par-5 18th hole when Kenny Cook's second shot found the water hazard and his fourth shot also found the water. Lewis was on the green in two and was given his par 5.

Lewis finished the first 18 at 1-under-par 71, with the usual concessions for match play. His only hiccup came at the par-5 ninth hole when his second shot landed in a fairway bunker and his third bounced into a front-greenside bunker. Facing a downhill shot to a flagstick tucked in the front of the green, his fourth shot sailed over the green into the fringe. He managed to lag the par putt from 90 feet to a few feet, but Cook two-putted for the win to cut his deficit to 1 down.

Cook, a 31-year-old accountant from Noblesville, Ind., wound up with a 2-over-par 74. He seemed to get things going with back-to-back birdies on holes 13 and 14 to square the match. He drove the 253-yard, par-4 13th hole with a 3-wood and two-putted for birdie. He also flopped a wedge at 14 to 4 feet for another birdie.

But he three-putted 16, his second of the inward nine, to fall 1 down and then made a mess of the par-5 18th hole.

Cook also hit his second shot into the water hazard on the par-5 first hole. Lewis' approach stopped 15 feet from the flagstick and he converted the birdie putt to go 1 up.

Lewis also took the second hole when Cook tried to drive the green with a 3-wood. He dumped his second shot into a greenside bunker and made a bogey-5 to Lewis' routine 4.

At 54, Lewis, a financial advisor, is trying to become the oldest champion in Mid-Amateur history, surpassing George Zahringer, who was 49 when he won in 2002 at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn.

Lewis lost in the championshp match 15 years ago at Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford, Conn., to another Indiana native, John "Spider" Miller. He also advanced to the semifinals of the 1999 Mid-Amateur at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis. Lewis was named the Golf Association of Michigan's Player of the Decade for the 1990s and was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. He won the 2002 Michigan State Amateur at Oakland Hills C.C., site of the 1996 U.S. Open and 2002 U.S. Amateur.

Many thanks to Mid-Amateur Championship Committeeman Jack Pultorak of the Florida State Golf Association for providing tidbits from the morning 18. Pultorak served as the referee for the morning 18. Those duties will now go to Lee Cassady of Savannah, Ga., for the afternoon 18. Pultorak is serving as the forward observer.

I was also told that the par-3 seventh hole will play 146 yards for the afternoon round. USGA officials Bill McCarthy and Allison Jarrett have been moving around tee markers for the match-play portion of the championship, creating different strategies and options for the competitors.

Kenny Cook just three-putted the par-4 16th green to fall 1 down. Both golfers hit the green in two and Randal Lewis almost holed his birdie putt. Cook missed a 4-footer for par. Lewis now 1 up going to the par-3 17th hole, which is measuring 158 yards for the morning round.

Kenny Cook's second shot to the par-5 14th hole was just left of the green near a cart path and he was able to flop a beautiful wedge shot to 4 feet for a birdie-4 to win the hole and square the 36-hole final match with Randal Lewis. Cook has now made consecutive birdies after a three-putt bogey at No. 11.

Kenny Cook drove the green at the 253-yard, par-4 13th hole and two-putted for a winning birdie. Cook now trails Randal Lewis by one hole with five remaining in the morning round of the 36-hole final match.

Kenny Cook just three-putted from 30 feet at the par-3 11th hole, which is playing 227 yards this morning. Randal Lewis now leads the 36-hole final, 2 up, after 11 holes.

Also got a note from our championship staff that the par-4 13th hole is playing 253 yards.

Kenny Cook took the par-5 ninth hole with a routine two-putt par from 12 feet after Randal Lewis made a mess of the hole. His second shot found a fairway bunker and his third bounced into a front-greenside bunker. His fourth shot carried just beyond the green into the back fringe. From there, he lagged a 90-foot putt to within 4 feet, but he never had to play another stroke. Cook was in the front-greenside bunker in two and played a conservative recovery to 12 feet beyond the flagstick.

Lewis now leads, 1 up, after nine holes.

By the way, Cook's wife flew in for the final. She had competed in the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Va., this week. This missed the match-play cut on Monday and decided to make the trip to Houston to see her husband play for a national title.

Randal Lewis just birdied the par-4 sixth hole to take a 2-up lead in the 36-hole final against Kenny Cook. Lewis rolled in a 10-foot putt and is now two under for the round.

Kenny Cook has trimmed his deficit in half by holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the 202-yard, par-3 fourth hole. The Noblesville, Ind., resident now trails Randal Lewis by just one hole early in the 36-hole final.

Randal Lewis owns a 2-up lead after two holes of the 36-hole U.S. Mid-Amateur final. He hit a nice drive to the right side of the fairway on the short par-4 hole (the tees were moved up to 292 yards) and made a routine par. Kenny Cook tried to drive the green with a 3-wood and left his second shot in a greenside bunker and proceeded to make a bogey-5. Not the start the Indiana native wanted.

You couldn't ask for a more perfect morning to be playing a national championship. The temperature is comfortable and the sun is out for our two U.S. Mid-Amateur finalists: Kenny Cook of Noblesville, Ind., and Randal Lewis of Alma, Mich.

The 36-hole final got underway at 7:30 a.m. CDT and it didn't take long for Lewis' sizzling putter to get going. He converted a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 opening hole to take an early 1-up lead.

Cook tried to reach the green in two from the fairway, but his approach went left into the water hazard. He took a drop and pitched to 12 feet, but never had to putt.

We'll keep you updated periodically through the match.

Randal Lewis has just defeated medalist Mike McCaffrey, the last Texan in the Mid-Amateur field, 3 and 1. Lewis rolled in a birdie putt at the par-3 17th hole to close out the match. At 54, Lewis is bidding to become the event's oldest champion.

Two-time defending champion Nathan Smith made the turn two holes down to Michael Stamberger, but has managed to claw his way back to all square through 14. Smith won holes 10 and 12 to square the match, but lost 13 to a Stamberger birdie. Stamberger then bogeyed the par-5 14th, with Smith being credited with a birdie. With four holes left, the two are deadlocked.

John Engler has the biggest lead. He is 3 up through 12 holes on Michael Muehr. Kenny Cook is 2 up over Tony Behrstock through 11 holes.

Kenny Cook will carry a 2-up lead into the second nine over Tony Behrstock. It appeared Behrstock was going to win the ninth when he rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt, but Cook answered with a 12-footer of his own. A fist-pump followed before he walked to the 10th tee.

 

Randal Lewis just rolled in a 25-footer from the fringe for a birdie at the par-5 ninth to take a 1-up lead on medalist Mike McCaffrey. Apparently, Lewis has picked up where he left off yesterday afternoon when he had seven one-putt greens over his final nine holes in beating Scott Harvey.

He also birdied the 10th hole to take a 2-up lead.

Two-time defending champion Nathan Smith is struggling. He is 2 down after nine holes to Michael Stamberger. Stamberger just left his 13-foot birdie putt on the lip at No. 9. Smith had a 10-footer for birdie and missed to the right.

John Engler just went 1 up on Michael Muehr after eight holes in a battle of former Atlantic Coast Conference players. Muehr went to Duke and Engler to Clemson.

In the final match, Kenny Cook leads Tony Behrstock by two holes after six.

The quarterfinal round got started on time this morning at 8 a.m. Two-time defending champion Nathan Smith has watched his opponent, Michael Stamberger of Plainfield, N.J., reel off two consecutive birdies to take an early 2-up lead. Smith is looking for an unprecedented fourth U.S. Mid-Amateur title and third consecutive championship. Stamberger has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in the Mid-Amateur.

Medalist Mike McCaffrey and Randal Lewis are all square through three holes. Lewis won the par-5 first hole with a par and McCaffrey took the third with a par.

Michael Muehr and John Engler are also all square through the first hole. Each made a 5 on the par-5 hole.

The fourth match between Tony Behrstock and Kenny Cook has just teed off.

The weather looks fabulous this morning and if the conditions stay like this, we'll have our two finalists by the end of the day.

Just one third-round match still on the course. Kenny Cook has a 1-up lead on Matt Smith through 15 holes. Cook is working on a marathon day of golf. If his match goes the full 18 holes, he would have played 2 1/2 matches covering 40 holes. He had to return to the course this morning to finish up his first-round match against Michael Castleforte. He played three holes and then went out and played 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist Sean Knapp. The two went 18 holes before Cook prevailed, 2 up.

Cook's wife, Lisa, also competed this week at the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, but failed to make match play. Word was she was going to fly to Houston if her husband advanced far in the championship. We could see her on Wednesday if Cook pulls out his match.

Last year Carol Robertson reached the Women's Mid-Am finals, while her husband failed to make match play at the Mid-Amateur.

 

Just heard that there is a 20-minute delay on round-of-32 starting times due to the fog this morning. Play off the first tee will be going off at 8 a.m. CDT. Some parts of the course are still shrouded in fog. But the outward nine appears to be fine. It's a few holes on the inward nine where the fog has made some holes unplayable.

It's not rain momentarily delaying the re-start of the first round of match play and the start of round two, but morning fog. We were scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. CDT at Shadow Hawk Golf Club, but with the course engulfed with fog, it might take a few more minutes before balls are in the air. The good news is the fog seems to be lifting at a good pace. Hopefully we can get started in the next 15 minutes.

Ten matches from the first round will need to be concluded this morning. The second round also will begin simultaneously. First-round winners this morning won't have much time before starting the round of 32. We are also scheduled to play the round of 16 this afternoon.

Medalist Michael McCaffrey is on the 20th hole against No. 64 qualifier Chad Bolt, who survived a 20-for-3 four-hole playoff on Monday to get the final match-play spot.

We'll keep you updated throughout the day on the matches.

Here are a few interesting facts among are 64-player match-play field.

The oldest remaining player is 60-year-old Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C. Simson finished as the No. 4 seed out of stroke play and won the 2010 USGA Senior Amateur. He's also a five-time USGA stroke-play qualifying medalist, including the 2004 Mid-Amateur, where he shared the honor with Jeff Wilson.

The youngest player is Terence Begnel of Tulsa, Okla., who just turned 25 and became eligible for the championship five days ago.

Gary Robinson of San Diego is celebrating his 33rd birthday today. Robinson is playing Kris Mikkelsen of Atlanta.

Of the 64 players in the draw, 37 are reinstated amateurs, including medalist Mike McCaffrey of League City, Texas.

Two past Mid-Amateur champions qualified, including two-time defending champion Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh. Kevin Marsh, the 2005 champion, also is still playing.

We also have 10 players from the state of Texas.

But two players from West Des Moines, Iowa (Mike McCoy and Gene Elliott) and Augusta, Ga. (John Engler and Jeff Knox) also survived the match-play cut.

Chad Bolt of Bellafontaine, Ohio, survived a four-hole playoff with a birdie at the par-4 ninth hole to grab the final match-play berth from seveon other golfers. Bolt holed an 8-foot putt to get the berth. We'll have a story coming shortly from Stuart Hall.

We have two of the three match-play qualifiers from the playoff. Tony Behrstock of Los Angeles and Scott Hovis of Jefferson City, Mo., the executive director of the Missouri Golf Association, each posted birdie-3s on the par-4 first hole at The Houstonian. Behrstock will play No. 3 seed Kevin Pomarleau, while Hovis draws second-seeded John Engler.

Three more players were eliminated from the playoff. Jordan Carpenter, Brian Westveer and former big-league pitcher Mike Ignasiak all made 5s. Ignasiak also failed to qualify during a playoff at last month's U.S. Amateur, despite carding a second-round 66 at Erin Hills.

Seven golfers now remain for the final spot.

That group includes Chad Bolt, R.C. Orr, Todd Mitchell, Herbie Aikens, Steve Daniele, Kevin Westford and Tucker Sampson. They will now play the par-4 ninth hole.

Five more golfers have been eliminated from the massive playoff for the final three spots. Kevin Quinn, Kevin Keller, Jeff Jolley and Joseph Latowski all made bogey-5s on the par-4 18th hole, while Craig Erickson had a 6.

Twelve players now remain for the last three spots.

The first hole of the 20-for-3 playoff for the final match-play spots at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur is completed. Three players have been eliminated, including Jeronimo Esteve, who we featured a couple of days ago. Esteve made a double-bogey 6 at the par-4 10th hole. Also eliminated were Bryan Hoops and Jamie Looper, who may have one of the best last names in the field, at least when it refers to golf. No word yet if Looper plans to caddie for any of the remaining competitors.

The remaining 17 players have moved over to the par-4 18th hole. Three spots are still available.

A total of 20 golfers will be playing off for the final three match-play spots. That group of players included former big-league pitcher Mike Ignasiak, who also was in the large playoff at last month's U.S. Amateur. Ignasiak failed to get into the draw, despite a second-round 66 at Erin Hills. Also in the playoff is Todd Mitchell, the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up. Mitchell is also a former professional minor-league infielder, who spent a couple of seasons in the New York Yankees farm system.

The playoff is taking place at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club. They will start on No. 10 and go to No. 18, No. 1 and No. 9 in that order.

The first match went off at 12:15 p.m. CDT, with Andres Gaviria of Coral Gables, Fla., facing Chris Congdon of Foxboro, Mass.

Four more golfers have withdrawn from the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Those players are Tim Rypien of Spokane, Wash., Jared Eglowsky of New York City, Charlie Schorgl of Leawood, Kan., and Brian Fehr of Lavista, Neb. A total of seven players have officially withdrawn and one golfer was disqualified for not showing up for his starting time within the allotted time period.

Golf has resumed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. The weather-delayed second round resumed at 8 a.m. CDT.

It would be a great story if John Engler wound up as the qualifying medalist at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Eight years ago, Engler was one of the hotshots in golf. He was a three-time All-American at Clemson and seemingly had a bright professional future. But upon returning home from a hunting expedition at his parents' Georgia farm, he was involved in a horrific automobile accident. The Augusta, Ga., native was badly injured and doctors thought he would permanently walk with a limp. His golf career appeared over.

Engler, however, made a remarkable recovery and played two seasons on the Nationwide Tour before eventually having to give it up. While his injuries had healed, Engler could not play in more than a couple of tournaments a month due to fatigue.

Last year, he regained his amateur status and began to discover the joys of playing competitive golf once again. He qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the round of 32 before losing a tough match to eventual champion Nathan Smith.

This year, Engler qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills (missed match-play cut) and this week's U.S. Mid-Amateur at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas.

"My physical therapist, Lonnie Hergott, in Augusta, Ga., has been great," said Engler after carding a 1-under 71 at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club on Sunday, the companion stroke-play qualifying course for the Mid-Amateur. "He’s helped me a lot. A girl by the name of Andrea Murray at our club (Augusta Country Club) has done a great job. I’ve worked out a lot and stayed in great shape. I feel great body-wise over the last six weeks, I’ve prepared to be able to play match play and play 36 holes if I need to."

Right now, Engler is the clubhouse leader for medalist at 5-under 139. Michael McCaffrey, a 41-year-old reinstated amateur from League City, Texas, is at six under par overall with seven holes to play at The Houstonian on Monday morning.

Nevertheless, Engler will be among the 64 match-play qualifiers and could produce quite a story this week in Texas.

 

 

The re-start of the second round of stroke-play qualifying at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur has been delayed 30 minutes to 8 a.m. CDT. A morning thunderstorm rolled through the area, forcing USGA officials to push back the start time. All of the golfers in the Sunday afternoon wave had yet to complete their final stroke-play qualifying round when play was halted for the day last evening.

Three players have withdrawn from the Mid-Amateur. The players are Matt Bianchini of West Boylston, Mass., Mark Bartlett of Little Rock, Ark., and Greg Cole of The Woodlands, Texas.

Play resumed at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur at 5:40 p.m. CDT. John Engler, who shot a 71 today at The Houstonian Golf & Country Club, currently leads for medalist honors at 5-under 139.

Good news: Play at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur will resume at 5:40 p.m. CDT. The practice facilities will re-open at 5:10 p.m., with the vans departing for the holes at 5:25 p.m. If plays starts at exactly 5:40, the delay would have lasted nearly four hours. The horns blew at 1:55 p.m. for inclement weather. Prior to Saturday, the Houston area had not received any rain for 120 days.

On Saturday, Michael Barbosa nearly ended his 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur experience before it started by showing up four minutes late to the first tee at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club. The St. Petersburg, Fla., resident was penalized two strokes for his tardiness and shot an 81.

Brian Corcoran of Dallas, Texas, was not so fortunate on Sunday. He showed up for round two at Shadow Hawk Golf Club eight minutes late and was disqualified from the competition under Rule 6-3. Corcoran had opened the championship with an 8-over 80 at The Houstonian.

 

An afternoon thunderstorm has rolled into the area, forcing a suspension of play at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. The horns blew at 1:55 CDT. It is the second suspension of play for weather in as many days.

Despite an early morning shower, play did resume at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur at 7:34 a.m. CDT. Showers are again in the forecast for today, but as long as no electricity is associated with the rain, we should be able to keep playing. Round two has also started this morning. Starting times were adjusted 30 minutes for golfers starting round two. With the two qualifying courses adjacent to each other, it makes things logistically easier for contestants to get from one venue to the other.

The Houstonian Golf and Country Club and Shadow Hawk Golf Club, which will be the site for match play starting on Monday, are two separate private clubs that are owned by the same company. Both are Rees Jones designs that opened within a week of each other in 1999.

As for a first-round leader, Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C., completed  his final two holes on Sunday morning and posted a solid 5-under-par 67. The 60-year-old Simson is coming off a strong week at the USGA Senior Amateur at Kinloch Golf Club in suburban Richmond, Va., where he earned stroke-play medalist honors and advanced to the quarterfinals. He won the event in a dream 2010 season that saw him win the national senior titles of Great Britain, Canada and the United States, the first player to ever win all three prestigious titles in the same year.

Simson is a five-time USGA medalist, having achieved the feat four times in the Senior Amateur and once in the U.S. Mid-Amateur (2004), where he shared the honor with Jeff Wilson. He is one amazing golfer.

Play has been suspended for the day at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur due to darkness at 7:14 p.m. CDT. The first round will resume at 7:30 a.m. CDT on Sunday. The start of the second round will be delayed from the originally scheduled times.

Play has resumed at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur following a 2-hour, 32-minute weather delay. Due to the available daylight, it doesn't appear the first round will concluded today.

Good news from the U.S. Mid-Amateur. The storm appears to be moving out of the area and players are headed to the practice areas to warm up. USGA officials are hoping to resume the first round at 5:15 p.m. CDT. Play was suspended for thunderstorms in the area at 2:58 p.m.

 

Play has been suspended at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The horns blew at 2:58 p.m. CDT. Players are currently being held in the evacuation vehicles. All 132 players from the morning wave did complete their first round of qualifying.

Yes folks, it is raining in Houston. Those of us who live in the northeast have seen plenty of precipitation, but down here in Texas, where the state is under a severe drought, rain is actually a welcome sight. Except, of course, when you are trying to conduct a USGA championship. Figures, the USGA comes into town and it starts raining.

That seems to be a common theme this year.

Remember The Broadmoor for the Women's Open? Or Erin Hills when play was delayed nearly a half-day during stroke play?

Here in Houston, residents have not seen rain for about three months. USGA staffer Allison Jarrett, who lives here, said she has not seen rain for at least 90 days.

So far, play at the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur has not been suspended, even though some competitors had seen some electricity in the distance and the skies have significantly darkened.

Our on-site meteorologist is monitoring the situation and thus far it is still safe to continue.

We'll keep you posted if there is any delay in play.

Welcome to the 2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, which is being conducted at Shadow Hawk Golf Club, with The Houstonian serving as the companion course for stroke-play qualifying. The Houstonian is actually adjacent to Shadow Hawk. Both are private clubs south of downtown Houston. Former President George Bush is one of the founding members of Shadow Hawk and there are pictures of him throughout the clubhouse.

As for the weather, it is humid, but not stifling. Many of you who have been following the news this summer know that Texas has suffered from a drought and temperatures have consistently been over 100 degrees. Hopefully we can keep the temperatures manageable for this week's championship.

Golf is underway at both courses. The first groups from the morning wave are currently making the turn. Look on the website for nine-hole scoring for stroke play. Once match play begins on Monday, we'll have hole-by-hole scoring.

One player, Michael Barbosa, almost was out of the competition before it began. The St. Petersburg, Fla., resident, who earned his spot in the field by qualifying for this year's U.S. Open at Congressional C.C., showed up at the first tee of The Houstonian four minutes after his scheduled starting time. He thought his tee time was 9:40 a.m., not 9:10. USGA officials were able to find him in the practice area and get hiim to the tee with a minute to spare. Under the Rules, players have a five-minute grace period to get to the tee before they are officially disqualified. Barbosa was still assessed a two-stroke penalty for his tardiness, but at least he could continue in the competition.