NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Tim Jackson, 55, of Germantown, Tenn., shot a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of stroke-play qualifying in the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, being conducted at the par-72, 6,770-yard Big Canyon Country Club.
Four other golfers, including 2013 medalist Chip Lutz, 59, of Reading, Pa., finished at 4-under 68. Lutz was joined by James Gallagher, 56, of Yorktown, Va.; Bob Baker, 58, of Little Rock, Ark.; and Scott Mayne, 55, of Harrisburg, Pa.
On a day conducive to good scoring, 16 players bettered par, including 71-year-old Vinny Giles, of Richmond, Va., the 1972 U.S. Amateur champion and 2009 Senior Amateur champion, who shot one under his age.
Jackson seemed unfazed by the unseasonably high temperatures and elevated humidity that made conditions feel more like Florida than Southern California. The 1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and member of the 1995 and 1999 USA Walker Cup Teams registered seven birdies, including three in a row from No. 7 to conclude his first nine holes.
While he is in position to earn medalist honors in his first Senior Amateur, Jackson, a USGA veteran, knows the championship cannot be won in Sunday’s final stroke-play qualifying round.
I am going to put in a practice session [Saturday afternoon] and see how I play [on Sunday], said Jackson, a two-time low amateur in the U.S. Senior Open and medalist in the 2009 U.S. Amateur. If it works I am going to come out and be aggressive and see how low I can score instead of just gliding through.
The U.S. Senior Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play, after which the field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers for match play beginning on Monday. Six match-play rounds will determine the champion, with the 18-hole final set for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. PDT.
The U.S. Senior Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Lutz, a two-time winner of the British Seniors Amateur (2011, 2012) and Canadian Men’s Senior Amateur (2011, 2012), is still searching for his first U.S. Senior Amateur title after several close calls. He has reached the semifinals three of the past four years.
Lutz got out to a strong start on Saturday with five birdies against one bogey.
This is all about getting to match play, said Lutz, 59. My first concern is to do well enough to do that. I was fortunate enough to play strongly through qualifying last year and be medalist. I am really trying to get through this piece [of the competition] and get through to match play and hope that I am seeded well.
Defending U.S. Senior Amateur champion Doug Hanzel, of Savannah, Ga., echoed Lutz’s sentiment after shooting even-par 72.
Today is about trying not to make a big number and trying to make it back around, said Hanzel, who in 2012 became the only golfer in USGA history to make match play at the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur in the same year. Part of what makes this place so great is that the golf course is so narrow. You have your hands on the steering wheel because you don’t want to let one loose and make a double or a triple.
Big Canyon member Don Dubois, 55, of Newport Beach, Calif., finished with a 3-over-par 75, while two-time champion Kemp Richardson (2001 and 2003), 68, of nearby Laguna Niguel, carded a 69.
Jeff Altstadter is the USGA’s manager of media relations. Email him at jaltstadter@usga.org.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Results from Saturday’s first round of stroke play at the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, played at the 6,770-yard Big Canyon Country Club.
Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. - 32-34--66
Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa. - 36-32--68
James Gallagher, Yorktown, Va. - 37-31--68
Bob Baker, Little Rock, Ark. - 34-34--68
Scott Mayne, Harrisburg, Pa. - 32-36--68
Gary Carpendale, Las Vegas, Nev. - 35-34--69
David Nelson, Reno, Nev. - 34-35--69
Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif. - 34-35--69
Vinny Giles, Richmond, Va. - 34-36--70
Jack Hall, Savannah, Ga. - 37-33--70
Alan Fadel, Toledo, Ohio - 33-37--70
Larry Silvestri, Lincolnshire, Ill. - 33-38--71
Randy Haag, San Francisco, Calif. - 35-36--71
Neil Vanleeuwen, Tarpon Springs, Fla. - 36-35--71
Michael Hughett, Owasso, Okla. - 33-38--71
Randy Reifers, Columbus, Ohio - 37-34--71
Conrad Nilmeier, Fresno, Calif. - 36-35--71
Robert Shelton, Lafayette, La. - 36-36--72
Douglas Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. - 34-38--72
Kelly Miller, Southern Pines, N.C. - 38-34--72
Stephen Fox, Huntington, W.Va. - 37-35--72
Peter Herzog, Norwalk, Conn. - 37-35--72
Alan Thielemann, Woodstock, Ga. - 38-34--72
John McClure, Austin, Texas - 34-38--72
Ron Carter, Monticello, Ind. - 35-37--72
Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. - 36-36--72
David Szewczul, Farmington, Conn. - 35-37--72
Allan Small, Florham Park, N.J. - 37-35--72
Raymond Thompson, Drexel Hill, Pa. - 36-36--72
Jeff New, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 35-38--73
Emile Vaughan, Pike Road, Ala. - 35-38--73
Tim Sorrows, Liberty Twp., Ohio - 38-35--73
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. - 37-36--73
Jim Lehman, Minnetonka, Minn. - 38-35--73
Don Reycroft, Norfolk, Mass. - 35-38--73
Chris Hall, Mableton, Ga. - 37-36--73
Stewart Alexander, Gainesville, Fla. - 37-36--73
Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. - 37-36--73
George Marucci Jr, Villanova, Pa. - 37-36--73
James Stormont, Atlanta, Ga. - 34-39--73
Randal Lewis, Alma, Mich. - 39-34--73
Cy Kilgore, Peabody, Mass. - 36-37--73
Trip Boinest, Shelby, N.C. - 35-38--73
Todd Hendley, Greer, S.C. - 36-37--73
Bill Argus, Fort Wayne, Ind. - 38-35--73
Mark Nickeas, Westlake Village, Calif. - 37-36--73
Pat O'Donnell, Happy Valley, Ore. - 35-38--73
Jack Kearney, Peachtree City, Ga. - 37-36--73
Peter Wegmann, Ft Lauderdale, Fla. - 36-37--73
Tom Brandes, Bellevue, Wash. - 37-36--73
Michael McCarthy, Bethesda, Md. - 38-35--73
Frank Dial, Auburn, Ala. - 36-38--74
Gregg Guernsey, Vancouver, Wash. - 38-36--74
Mike Peck, Irving, Texas - 38-36--74
Marcus Beck, Tallahassee, Fla. - 37-37--74
Richard Marlowe, Youngstown, Ohio - 37-37--74
Skip Zobel, Virginia Beach, Va. - 36-38--74
Jim McNelis, Gig Harbor, Wash. - 36-38--74
Mike Davis, Laguna Niguel, Calif. - 38-36--74
Gary Vansickle, Wexford, Pa. - 36-38--74
Scott Edwards, St Louis, Mo. - 35-39--74
Adam Kugler, Closter, N.J. - 35-39--74
Steven Poulson, North Salt Lake, Utah - 39-35--74
Duke Delcher, Bluffton, S.C. - 35-39--74
Vance Antoniou, North Barrington, Ill. - 36-38--74
Doug Roxburgh, Canada - 36-38--74
Michael Turner, Sherman Oaks, Calif. - 37-38--75
Ken Palladino, Dunedin, Fla. - 38-37--75
John Anderson, Andover, Minn. - 36-39--75
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill. - 35-40--75
Don Dubois, Newport Beach, Calif. - 35-40--75
Jim Quinn, Arlington, Texas - 40-35--75
Gary Robinson, Fayetteville, N.C. - 40-35--75
Paul Zarek, Burlington, Wis. - 39-36--75
Don Russell, Atlanta, Ga. - 38-37--75
Jim Knoll, Sunnyvale, Calif. - 38-37--75
John Gibbs, Augusta, Ga. - 37-38--75
Jeff Burda, Modesto, Calif. - 35-40--75
Randall Mahar, Portland, Ore. - 37-38--75
Doug Snoap, Apopka, Fla. - 37-38--75
Lee Sandlin, Dallas, Texas - 37-39--76
Mike Root, Omaha, Neb. - 40-36--76
Mike Rice, Houston, Texas - 39-37--76
Matthew Horwitch, Northbrook, Ill. - 37-39--76
Thomas Beach, Marana, Ariz. - 38-38--76
Edward Steiber, Cincinnati, Ohio - 34-42--76
Mark Nickerson, Roswell, Ga. - 37-39--76
Don Marsh, Alpharetta, Ga. - 38-38--76
Harry Johnson, Edwards, Colo. - 42-34--76
Rusty Brown, Phoenix, Ariz. - 38-38--76
Ted Zurkowski, Chicago, Ill. - 38-38--76
Curtis Skinner, Lake Bluff, Ill. - 38-38--76
Ben Brundred, Potomac, Md. - 39-37--76
Mitch Wilson, Portage, Mich. - 38-38--76
Craig Rumora, Katy, Texas - 38-38--76
Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev. - 40-37--77
Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn. - 39-38--77
Jim Seymour, Bakersfield, Calif. - 38-39--77
Mark Rallas, Leeburg, Va. - 38-39--77
Gus Sylvan, Columbia, S.C. - 39-38--77
Bob Munoz, Chandler, Ariz. - 37-40--77
Mike Cassell, Hudson, Ohio - 38-39--77
Patrick Murphy, Provo, Utah - 35-42--77
James Harless, Aurora, Ohio - 38-39--77
Frank Abbott, Las Vegas, Nev. - 39-38--77
Bruce Hanavan, San Anselmo, Calif. - 36-41--77
Mike Bell, Indianapolis, Ind. - 38-39--77
Sean McAvoy, Johns Island, S.C. - 39-38--77
Spike Smith, Pinehurst, N.C. - 41-36--77
David Clement, Henderson, Ky. - 40-37--77
Donny Phillips, Suwanee, Ga. - 39-39--78
Roc Irey, Furlong, Pa. - 38-40--78
Don Erickson III, Dubois, Pa. - 38-40--78
Randy Vautravers, Andover, Kan. - 39-39--78
John Lindholm, Grand Blanc, Mich. - 39-39--78
Kenneth Bakst, Riverhead, N.Y. - 37-41--78
Richard Hageman, San Antonio, Texas - 38-40--78
John Schaller, Scottsdale, Ariz. - 37-41--78
Don Blanton, Selma, Ala. - 38-40--78
Mark Bemowski, Mukwonago, Wis. - 39-39--78
Philip Pleat, Nashua, N.H. - 39-39--78
Bev Hargraves, Helena, Ark. - 40-38--78
Joseph Russo, Sewell, N.J. - 37-41--78
Ronald Laverdiere, Amherst, Mass. - 37-41--78
Rick Woulfe, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - 36-42--78
Eugenio Nava, Mexico - 42-37--79
Tommy Reynolds, Sioux Falls, S.D. - 40-39--79
Mel Collins Jr., Long Beach, Calif. - 36-43--79
Chris Wilmot, Orlando, Fla. - 40-39--79
Thomas Hyland, Marlton, N.J. - 42-37--79
Cyrus Whitney, Oro Valley, Ariz. - 38-41--79
Thomas Destefani, Western Springs, Ill. - 39-40--79
Bill Brammer, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. - 39-40--79
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. - 40-39--79
Patrick Tallent, Vienna, Va. - 41-38--79
Jerry Hudgins, Tyler, Texas - 39-40--79
Christopher Clauson, Philadelphia, Pa. - 40-39--79
Craig Hardcastle, St. Louis, Mo. - 38-41--79
Michael Staskus, Los Altos, Calif. - 37-42--79
Bill Hood, Beaverton, Ore. - 40-40--80
Willard Richart, Saline, Mich. - 40-40--80
Bruce Belcoure, Las Vegas, Nev. - 39-41--80
John Benson, Punxsutawney, Pa. - 40-40--80
Rick Turner, Houston, Texas - 40-41--81
Mickey Jones, Odessa, Texas - 39-42--81
Thomas Scheuerman, Pewee Valley, Ky. - 40-41--81
Derek Waddington, Trinity, Fla. - 42-39--81
George Pirie, Warwick, R.I. - 36-45--81
John Pigg, Austin, Texas - 40-41--81
Bob Bret, Dallas, Texas - 42-40--82
David Griffin, Belden, Miss. - 43-41--84
Keith Whitehead, Temecula, Calif. - 43-41--84
Jim Hosey, Chicopee, Mass. - 43-42--85
William Hadden, Manchester Village, Vt. - 42-43--85
Clive Kegel, Lahaina, Hawaii - 39-47--86
Tom Yellin, New York, N.Y. - DQ-DQ--DQ