A pair of well-accomplished 40-somethings are off to a strong start against a talented field of 25-and-older players at the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Todd White, 45, of Spartanburg, S.C., and Kevin Marsh, 40, of Henderson, Nev., shot rounds of 4-under-par 66 Saturday to share the lead after the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the Country Club of Birmingham.
White, a member of last month’s winning USA Walker Cup Team, birdied the last three holes on the par-70, 6,471-yard East Course, one of two courses being used during the championship’s two stroke-play rounds. A high school history teacher, White drove the green at the 297-yard, par-4 16th to begin his birdie run. He then hit a gap wedge for his approach shots to Nos. 17 and 18 to set up birdie putts of 6 and 4 feet, respectively.
"I managed my way around the golf course very well today," said White, whose only bogey came on the par-4 ninth during his morning round. "I have always looked at this (stroke and match play) as two individual tournaments. I didn’t come here with the idea of just trying to make one of the top 64 (low scorers); I came here with the idea of winning stroke play."
Marsh, who won the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur title, eagled the East Course’s par-5 sixth in the afternoon when he rifled a 170-yard, 8-iron to within 12 feet below the hole. However, the commercial real estate developer may have saved his round in the middle of the inward nine. He made a 30-foot putt for par on No. 14. After making bogey on the next hole, Marsh hit his tee shot just over the green on the par-4 16th and pitched to 6 feet for birdie.
"A lot of guys think you have to play perfect golf," said Marsh about the two rounds of stroke play. "You don’t have to play great; you just can’t play bad. It’s really nice to play a good first round; you can play more conservative tomorrow."
The U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Thursday, Oct. 10, starting at 7 a.m. CDT. It is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Jim Chang, 43, of San Marino, Calif., and Matthew Mattare, 27, of New York, N.Y., each carded 3-under-par 67s in the afternoon on the East Course.
Chang, who is playing in his third U.S. Mid-Amateur, played the outward nine in 4-under 31. He birdied Nos. 4 and 5 before sinking a 125-yard approach shot for eagle at the par-4 eighth. Chang made consecutive bogeys early on the inward nine but regrouped by holing a curling 30-foot birdie putt on No. 14.
"I was making putts but I knew the challenge was ahead," he said. "It’s hard to keep it going. [The birdie at 14] really got my confidence back up."
Mattare, who advanced to the quarterfinals at last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, made consecutive birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 to ignite his round. He hit the cart path with his tee shot at the par-5 sixth and then played his 130-yard approach shot under some tree limbs and onto the green for a two-putt birdie. Mattare followed with a 5-iron to within 3 feet at the 204-yard, par-3 seventh.
"Very happy about my score, but it’s mile one of a marathon," said Mattare, who played in the last group of the day on the East Course. "It doesn’t mean anything unless you can follow it up."
Four players are tied at 2-under par after the first round. Tim Jackson, 54, of Germantown, Tenn., and Jon Veneziano, 42, of Mount Dora, Fla., each had the best scores of the day with 69s on the par-71, 7,173-yard West Course. Mike McCoy, 50, of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Keith Unikel, 34, of Potomac, Md., had 68s on the East Course.
Jackson, the 1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, recovered from a three-putt bogey on the first hole to birdie Nos. 6 and 7. He struck a sand wedge to within 2 feet on par-5 10th for the first of two consecutive birdies on the inward nine. Jackson, who kept his drives in the fairway throughout the round, made a 20-foot putt on No. 11 before leaving his approach short and bogeying No. 17.
"Shoot a better score," said Jackson, when asked about his mindset heading into the second round of stroke play. "Keep the pedal down. Keep going through the same routines and the same thought processes and make aggressive swings."
McCoy made five birdies against three bogeys. He drilled an 18-foot uphill birdie putt on the par-5 11th, his fourth birdie of the round, and sank a downhill 8-footer on No. 14.
"I am glad I played a good round; you always like to have a few acorns in your pocket," said McCoy, who has advanced to match play in 10 of his previous 13 Mid-Amateur appearances. "I holed a couple of nice putts. I hit a lot of quality iron shots. [But] I hit a couple of drivers out of play and that’s where I made those bogeys."
Paul Simson, 62, of Raleigh, N.C., was one of two players to record a hole-in-one during the first round. Simson, a two-time USGA Senior Amateur champion, hit a 148-yard, 8-iron into the hole on the West Course’s par-3 13th en route to a 1-under 70.
Brian DePasquale is the USGA’s manager of championship communications. E-mail him at bdepasquale@usga.org.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Results from Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, played at the 7,173-yard, par-71 Country Club of Birmingham (West Course) and 6,471-yard, par-70 Country Club of Birmingham (East Course).
Todd White, Spartanburg, S.C. 35-31--66 EC
Kevin Marsh, Henderson, Nev. 32-34--66 EC
Jim Chang, San Marino, Calif. 31-36--67 EC
Matthew Mattare, Jersey City, N.J. 32-35--67 EC
Michael McCoy, West Des Moines, Iowa 34-34--68 EC
Keith Unikel, Potomac, Md. 35-33--68 EC
Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. 34-35--69 WC
Jon Veneziano, Mount Dora, Fla. 34-35--69 WC
Kenneth McCready, San Diego, Calif. 34-36--70 WC
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. 38-32--70 WC
Corby Segal, Santa Clarita, Calif. 35-35--70 EC
J. J. Jakovac, Las Vegas, Nev. 35-35--70 EC
Patrick Christovich, New Orleans, La. 34-36--70 EC
Joseph Alfieri II, Lutz, Fla. 35-35--70 EC
Jay Degenhart, Savannah, Ga. 37-33--70 EC
Matthew Rosen, Tucson, Ariz. 34-36--70 EC
David Womack, McDonough, Ga. 37-33--70 EC
Joe Jaspers, Huntersville, N.C. 34-36--70 EC
John Hunter, Houston, Texas 34-36--70 EC
Scotty Jones, Dennison, Ohio 34-36--70 EC
Brad Valois, Warwick, R.I. 36-34--70 EC
Randal Lewis, Alma, Mich. 34-37--71 WC
Joseph Benedetti, Newport Beach, Calif. 36-35--71 EC
Drew Olson, Piedmont, Calif. 34-37--71 EC
Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. 36-35--71 EC
Matt Schneider, Grand Rapids, Minn. 35-36--71 EC
Brad Gibson, Frisco, Texas 37-34--71 EC
Joseph Saladino, Huntington, N.Y. 34-38--72 WC
Jonathan Jackson, Chapel Hill, N.C. 37-35--72 WC
Scott Rowe, Hinsdale, Ill. 35-37--72 WC
Erik Hanson, Kirkland, Wash. 35-37--72 WC
Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, Calif. 35-37--72 WC
Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif. 36-36--72 WC
Bill Williamson, Cincinnati, Ohio 35-37--72 WC
Jeronimo Esteve, Windermere, Fla. 36-36--72 EC
Austin Hannah, Tulsa, Okla. 35-37--72 EC
Will Swift, Vestavia, Ala. 39-33--72 EC
Kenny Ebalo, Las Vegas, Nev. 36-36--72 EC
John Ehrgott, Peoria, Ill. 35-37--72 EC
Scott Shingler, Haymarket, Va. 36-36--72 EC
James Scorse, Churchville, N.Y. 35-37--72 EC
Steve Hudson, Birmingham, Ala. 38-34--72 EC
Doug Clapp, Walpole, Mass. 39-33--72 EC
Ken Tanigawa, Phoenix, Ariz. 34-38--72 EC
Benjamin Day, North Haven, Conn. 37-36--73 WC
Jeff Knox, Augusta, Ga. 38-35--73 WC
Kenny Cook, Noblesville, Ind. 38-35--73 WC
Jay Whitby, Wyoming, Del. 36-37--73 WC
David Easley, Lincoln, Neb. 34-39--73 WC
Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C. 36-37--73 WC
John Rudolph, San Diego, Calif. 37-36--73 WC
Zach Atkinson, Hurst, Texas 35-38--73 WC
Bryan Haase, Jupiter, Fla. 38-35--73 WC
Michael Walton, Indian Wells, Calif. 38-35--73 EC
Andy McCabe, Dallas, Texas 37-36--73 EC
Steven Groover, Birmingham, Ala. 37-36--73 EC
Ken Buchan, Monroe, La. 36-37--73 EC
Todd Mitchell, Bloomington, Ill. 37-36--73 EC
Kyle Milner III, Spartanburg, S.C. 39-34--73 EC
Arnold Cutrell, Greensburg, Pa. 36-37--73 EC
Daniel Griffiths, Redwood City, Calif. 37-36--73 EC
Eddie Davis, San Mateo, Calif. 34-39--73 EC
Benjamin Cooke, Westlake, Ohio 36-37--73 EC
Jeffrey Oxandaboure, San Marcos, Calif. 37-36--73 EC
Danny Simmerman, San Antonio, Texas 35-38--73 EC
Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga. 33-40--73 EC
Josh Nelms, Hixson, Tenn. 38-35--73 EC
John Engler, Augusta, Ga. 34-39--73 EC
Bobby Leopold, Coventry, R.I. 35-38--73 EC
Ted Moloney, St. Louis, Mo. 36-37--73 EC
Andrew Gabelman, Barrington, Ill. 37-36--73 EC
Richard Berkmeyer, St. Louis, Mo. 36-37--73 EC
Michael Greene, Overland Park, Kan. 36-38--74 WC
Ryan Sloane, Campbell, Calif. 36-38--74 WC
Tucker Sampson, Chevy Chase, Md. 39-35--74 WC
Michael McDermott, Bryn Mawr, Pa. 34-40--74 WC
Stan Gann Jr., Bonaire, Ga. 39-35--74 WC
Aaron Hickman, Tyler, Texas 36-38--74 WC
Nathan Smith, Brookville, Pa. 36-38--74 WC
R.J. Nakashian, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 37-37--74 EC
Casey Boyns, Monterey, Calif. 37-37--74 EC
Troy Johnson, Maple Grove, Minn. 40-34--74 EC
Clint Provost, Birmingham, Ala. 36-38--74 EC
Craig Smith, Springfield, Tenn. 37-37--74 EC
Andy Drohen, Granville, Mass. 37-37--74 EC
Ryan Murphy, Austin, Texas 39-35--74 EC
Brian Higgins, Bellingham, Mass. 38-36--74 EC
Robert Godfrey, Anderson, S.C. 36-38--74 EC
Paul Tucker, Waxhaw, N.C. 35-39--74 EC
Preston Smith, Fishers, Ind. 36-38--74 EC
Keith Humerickhouse, Eagle, Colo. 38-36--74 EC
Mike Hyland, Marlton, N.J. 36-38--74 EC
Blake Johnson, Winnetka, Ill. 38-36--74 EC
Scott Congdon, Foxboro, Mass. 37-37--74 EC
Jeff Hoffman, Folsom, Calif. 31-44--75 WC
Steve Serrao, Midlothian, Va. 38-37--75 WC
Brad McFadden, Bryn Mawr, Pa. 35-40--75 WC
Davis Boland, Louisville, Ky. 39-36--75 WC
Haymes Snedeker, Fairhope, Ala. 37-38--75 WC
Trevor Hyde, Kerrville, Texas 36-39--75 WC
Dan Sullivan, Pasadena, Calif. 36-39--75 WC
T.J. Shuart, Coral Springs, Fla. 36-39--75 WC
Daniel Gabel, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 39-36--75 EC
Stephen Mayes, Westerville, Ohio 36-39--75 EC
Jon Wright, Salt Lake City, Utah 36-39--75 EC
James Gallagher, Yorktown, Va. 38-37--75 EC
Packard Dewitt, Germantown, Tenn. 36-39--75 EC
Jess Bonneau, Houston, Texas 37-38--75 EC
Kent Brown, Colville, Wash. 37-38--75 EC
Ryan Pelletier, Mansfield, Mass. 36-39--75 EC
Michael Pearson, Roswell, Ga. 38-37--75 EC
Mark Cusic, California, Md. 38-37--75 EC
Graham Hill, Canada 36-40--76 WC
Todd Burgan, Knoxville, Tenn. 39-37--76 WC
Garrett Rank, Canada 36-40--76 WC
Philip Bartimus, Kansas City, Mo. 36-40--76 WC
Tristan Lewis, Shaker Heights, Ohio 39-37--76 WC
Patrick Duffy, Omaha, Neb. 40-36--76 EC
Corey Rochelle, Lawrenceburg, Tenn. 38-38--76 EC
Patrick Britt, St. Louis, Mo. 37-39--76 EC
Christian Andy Allen, Jacksonville, Fla. 38-38--76 EC
Mitch Mercer, Pittsburgh, Pa. 38-38--76 EC
Christopher Davis, Beaumont, Texas 39-37--76 EC
Sam Farlow, Birmingham, Ala. 41-35--76 EC
Jeffrey Scohy, Bellbrook, Ohio 40-36--76 EC
Ryan Gelrod, Ambler, Pa. 38-38--76 EC
Gary Robinson, San Diego, Calif. 39-37--76 EC
Colby Harwell, Bryan, Texas 36-40--76 EC
Andrew Diramio, Duxbury, Mass. 40-36--76 EC
Gary Havro, Claremont, Calif. 39-37--76 EC
Justin Wenger, Indianapolis, Ind. 37-39--76 EC
Brian Armstrong, Tampa, Fla. 38-38--76 EC
Michael Kelley, Westerville, Ohio 39-38--77 WC
Ronald Denunzio, Jeannette, Pa. 39-38--77 WC
Kevin Fitzgerald, Riverside, Calif. 37-40--77 WC
Matthew Swan, Montgomery, Ala. 38-39--77 WC
Andrew Grow, Middleton, Wis. 39-38--77 WC
Bradley Bastion, Clinton Township, Mich. 40-37--77 WC
Brad Faulkner, Louisville, Ky. 36-41--77 WC
Robby McWilliams, Benton, La. 37-40--77 WC
Mike Bell, Indianapolis, Ind. 38-39--77 WC
Tyler Matthews, Bellevue, Wash. 37-40--77 WC
Patrick Forbes, Canada 40-37--77 WC
Benjamin Campbell, Cleveland, Va. 38-39--77 WC
Bobby Delagrange, Westfield, Ind. 41-36--77 WC
Nathan Colson, Milwaukee, Wis. 38-39--77 WC
David Weisfeld, New York, N.Y. 37-40--77 WC
Andy Roberts, Owensboro, Ky. 38-39--77 WC
David Ujihara, Brea, Calif. 38-39--77 EC
Jeffrey Jolley, South Jordan, Utah 36-41--77 EC
Paul Gortnar, Canada 39-38--77 EC
J.C. Halsell, Little Rock, Ark. 39-38--77 EC
Robbie Wight, West Palm Beach, Fla. 38-39--77 EC
Woodie Eubanks, Trussville, Ala. 39-38--77 EC
Trey Martin, Scottsdale, Ariz. 38-39--77 EC
Justin Fluit, Canada 39-38--77 EC
Sherrill Britt, West End, N.C. 39-38--77 EC
Philip Lee, Nashville, Tenn. 42-36--78 WC
Tim Sundseth, Redmond, Ore. 39-39--78 WC
Craig Poet, Ponca City, Okla. 37-41--78 WC
Tim With, Albuquerque, N.M. 39-39--78 WC
Ryan Dwight, Costa Mesa, Calif. 41-37--78 WC
John Baranco, Boise, Idaho 40-38--78 WC
Joe Ryon, Carlsbad, Calif. 37-41--78 WC
Jason Pool, Dunn Loring, Va. 40-38--78 WC
Matt Parziale, Brockton, Mass. 38-40--78 WC
Michael Pruitt, Lubbock, Texas 38-40--78 WC
Grant Skyllas, Wyomissing, Pa. 39-39--78 WC
Shane Evangelist, Manhattan Beach, Calif. 42-36--78 EC
Matthew Rison, Ardmore, Okla. 39-39--78 EC
Terence Begnel, Midland, Texas 39-39--78 EC
Sam Audia III, Birmingham, Ala. 39-40--79 WC
Steven Velardi, Stamford, Conn. 39-40--79 WC
William Lincicome, Pinehurst, N.C. 40-39--79 WC
Matt Jeffers, Nashville, Tenn. 38-41--79 WC
David Marquardt, Bloomington, Ill. 36-43--79 WC
Jim Ream, Cerritos, Calif. 37-42--79 WC
Phil Caravia, Saint Louis, Mo. 39-40--79 WC
Joe True, Milwaukee, Wis. 42-37--79 WC
John O'Donnell, Los Angeles, Calif. 41-38--79 WC
Ronald Vannelli, Edison, N.J. 38-41--79 WC
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill. 41-38--79 WC
Howard Clendenin, Seville, Ohio 38-41--79 WC
Michael Slaven, Chicago, Ill. 37-42--79 WC
Clay Homan, Starkville, Miss. 41-38--79 WC
J.P. Kircher, Pittsford, N.Y. 38-41--79 EC
Daniel Debra, Lutz, Fla. 38-41--79 EC
Tom Kelley, Omaha, Neb. 42-37--79 EC
Jeff Panek, Johnston, Iowa 40-39--79 EC
Shane Meredith, Louisville, Ky. 41-38--79 EC
Jeremy Defalco, Tucson, Ariz. 41-38--79 EC
Brent Holmes, Glen Carbon, Ill. 44-35--79 EC
Danny Smyth, Alpharetta, Ga. 39-40--79 EC
Joe McGowan, Lake Forest, Ill. 38-42--80 WC
Jay Fisher, Charlottesville, Va. 39-41--80 WC
Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. 39-41--80 WC
Tim Sheppard, East Peoria, Ill. 40-40--80 WC
David West, Exton, Pa. 39-41--80 WC
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo. 35-45--80 WC
Clarke Kincaid, Trophy Club, Texas 37-43--80 WC
Dennis Bull, Fairbury, Ill. 39-41--80 WC
Andrew Gundersen, Woodbridge, Va. 40-40--80 WC
Matt Behm, Janesville, Wis. 39-41--80 WC
Brad Hartz, Wellesley, Mass. 37-43--80 WC
Nathan Clark, Mason, Mich. 41-39--80 WC
Hogan Kaney, Savannah, Ga. 39-41--80 WC
Tal Tartaglia, Reedley, Calif. 38-42--80 EC
Chet Walsh, Wayne, Pa. 41-39--80 EC
Glen Boggini, Tolland, Conn. 39-41--80 EC
Jared Tendler, Newtown, Conn. 40-40--80 EC
Mac Butler, Saint Simons Island, Ga. 39-41--80 EC
Dan Horner, Sandy, Utah 41-40--81 WC
Sean Barrett, San Francisco, Calif. 40-41--81 WC
Torrie Coghlin, Irondale, Ala. 40-41--81 WC
Chadd Slutzky, Deer Park, Ill. 42-39--81 WC
Matt Busa, Bay Village, Ohio 40-41--81 WC
Roger Hoit, Summit, N.J. 40-41--81 WC
Peter Kozubal, Bridgewater, N.J. 39-42--81 WC
Scott Fawcett, Dallas, Texas 43-38--81 EC
Tony Daffer, Eden Prairie, Minn. 42-39--81 EC
Joseph Rydberg, Chicago, Ill. 40-41--81 EC
Christopher McConnell, Lewistown, Mont. 39-42--81 EC
Brodie Hullinger, Vivian, S.D. 41-40--81 EC
Raymond Floyd, Old Greenwich, Conn. 40-41--81 EC
Scott Kraul, Irving, Texas 37-45--82 WC
Eric Russell, Hendersonville, N.C. 40-42--82 WC
Michael Stamberger, Brielle, N.J. 40-42--82 WC
Ken Baer, Wellesley, Mass. 39-43--82 WC
Bob Cooper, Monroe, La. 41-41--82 WC
John Bearrie, Arlington, Texas 40-42--82 WC
Scott Maurer, Richardson, Texas 43-39--82 WC
Dan Hosek, Alexandria, Va. 41-41--82 WC
Geno Berchiatti, White Pigeon, Mich. 39-43--82 WC
Topher Baron, Duluth, Minn. 42-40--82 EC
Jeff Sweat, Spokane, Wash. 39-43--82 EC
Tom Nolan, Greensboro, N.C. 37-45--82 EC
Daniel Rudershausen, Kennett Square, Pa. 41-41--82 EC
Jordan Byrd, Greenville, S.C. 46-37--83 WC
Steve Wilson, Ocean Springs, Miss. 40-43--83 WC
Eric Sage, Phoenix, Ariz. 39-44--83 WC
Chris Sabo, Cincinnati, Ohio 42-41--83 WC
Jason Wood, Oklahoma City, Okla. 42-41--83 WC
William Mitchell, Roswell, Ga. 41-42--83 WC
Scott Patnode, Southern Pines, N.C. 39-44--83 WC
Mason Casper, Lindon, Utah 42-41--83 EC
Drew Mayhew, Canada 45-38--83 EC
Jerry Slagle, Southlake, Texas 45-38--83 EC
Thomas Immenschuh, San Antonio, Texas 40-44--84 WC
Mike Ignasiak, Saline, Mich. 41-43--84 WC
Brian Koehler, Sacramento, Calif. 41-43--84 WC
Matthew Fields, Los Angeles, Calif. 44-40--84 WC
Shawn Scott, Tewksbury, Mass. 40-44--84 EC
Luke Vermeer, Sioux Center, Iowa 42-43--85 WC
Kevin Haag, Hershey, Pa. 44-41--85 WC
Paul Day, Dayton, Ohio 42-44--86 WC
Chad Bolt, Grove City, Ohio 41-46--87 WC
Todd Rego, Waipahu, Hawaii 43-44--87 WC
Mark Caplow, Los Angeles, Calif. 43-44--87 WC
Bryan Hoops, Chandler, Ariz. 41-46--87 WC
Tristan Sanders, Denver, Colo. 42-46--88 WC
Robert Blackmar, West Boylston, Mass. 45-43--88 WC
Tim Tucker, Coos Bay, Ore. 43-47--90 WC
Brett Okimura, Reno, Nev. 45-48--93 EC
J.D. McNeill, Raleigh, N.C. DQ