Qualifying for the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur is complete at 46 sites across the United States.
The USGA accepted a record 2,565 entries for the 66th U.S. Senior Amateur, to be played Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, 2021 at the Detroit Country Club in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. The tournament is open to any golfer 55-years or older (as of Aug. 28) and whose handicap does not exceed 7.4. The field will ultimately be comprised of 156 players.
Highlights from qualifying include:
August 12
College Grove, Tenn. (The Grove)
Tim Jackson, the all-time wins leader in Tennessee Golf Association history, overcame an early double bogey on the third hole and was 4-under over his final 15 hole to take medalist honors in College Grove, Tenn. at 2-under 70.
Qualifiers: Tim Jackson (Williston, Tenn.) 70; John Foster (Woodstock, Ga.) 74; Steve Rogers (Bowling Green, Ky.) 75
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Rochester, NY (Stafford Country Club)
Jim Scorse claimed the lone qualifier's spot out of Rochester on the second playoff hole against Don Burns and Brian Kumiega after all three golfers finished at 3-over 75. Scorse seemed to be on cruise control before he made bogeys on the final three holes. Burns birdied the 18th while Kumiega made an eagle on the par-5 15th to join Scorse in a playoff.
Qualifier: Jim Scorse (Churchville, NY) 75
August 12
Villanova, Pa. (Radnor Valley Country Club)
Qualifiers: Glenn Smeraglio (Newtown, Pa.) 69; Joe Roeder (Marlton, NY) 69; Chris Fieger (Denver, Pa.) 70; Patrick Dougherty (North Wales, Pa.) 71.
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Henderson, Nev. (Southshore Country Club)
Glen Hogle birdied the 18th hole for a 1-under 71 to claim the lone qualifier's spot at Southshore CC.
Qualifier: Glen Hogle (Henderson, Nev.) 70
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Madison, Wisc. (Blackhawk Country Club)
John Ihm bounced back from a double bogey on No. 14 with an eagle on 15 and a birdie on 17 to shoot an even par round of 72 to claim the second qualifier's spot, joining medalist Jim Doing.
Qualifiers: Jim Doing (Verona, Wisc.) 71; John Ihm (Peosta, Iowa) 72
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Bridgeport, W. Va. (Bridgeport Country Club)
Qualifier: David Clarke (Saint Clairsville, Ohio) 72
August 10
Broussard, La. (Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club)
Kevin Hubbs made a hole-in-one on the 158-yard 16th en route to claiming medalist honors with a 1-over round of 73, one stroke better than Eric Lavespere.
Qualifier: Kevin Hubbs (Denham Springs, La.) 73
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Williamsburg, Iowa (Stone Creek Golf Club)
Gary Ellis made birdies on holes 15 and 18 while James Butler picked up birdies on 15 and 17 as both golfers tied for medalist honors at 1-under 71, with Ellis advancing to Detroit via a playoff.
Qualifier: Gary Ellis (Norwalk, Iowa) 70
August 9
Santa Barbara, Calif. (The Valley Club of Montecito)
It was a heavyweight battle at The Valley Club of Montecito, where Scott Anderson rode birdies on holes 9, 10 and 11 to medalist honors with a 2-under score of 70. John McClure is also through to Detroit after carding a 71, while Michael Staskus made a birdie for an even par rounds of 72 and more importantly, avoid a playoff with two Northern California golf legends Casey Boyns and Jeff Burda. Boyns, a two-time California State Amateur champion and California Golf Hall of Famer, edged his longtime rival Burda, the NCGA's all-time leader in senior wins with 11, in a playoff to earn the fourth qualifier's position.
Qualifiers: Scott Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif.) 70; John McClure (Austin, Tex.) 71; Michael Staskus (Los Altos, Calif.) 72; Casey Boyns (Monterey, Calif.) 73
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Minneapolis, Minn. (Minneapolis Golf Club)
Jim Lehman, brother of PGA TOUR Champions star Tom Lehman, Bob Rolston, Tim Peterson and Jay Cotta tied for medalist honors at 2-over 72, with Lehman and Rolston advancing to Detroit after surviving a 4-for-2 playoff.
Qualifiers: Jim Lehman (Minnetonka, Minn.) 74; Bob Rolston (Hopkins, Minn.) 74
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Quincy, Ill. (Quincy Country Club)
David Pfeil started with three straight bogeys, but bounced back with three birdies, two coming on No.’s 8 and 9, to make the turn at even par. A pair of bogeys on the par 4 12th and 14th pushed the round to 2-over, but making a birdie on the last got him to 1-over 71.
Qualifier: David Pfeil (Eureka, Mo.) 71
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San Antonio, Tex. (The Dominion Club)
Qualifier: Ronald Kirby (McAllen, Tex.) 73
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Bluffton, SC (Colleton River Club - Nicklaus Course)
Jeff Knox shot a bogey free round of 6-under 66 to lead a group four qualifiers from Bluffton, SC.
Qualifiers: Jeff Knox (Augusta, Ga.) 66; Jack Hall (Savannah, Ga.) 69; Eddie Hargett (Blythewood, SC) 70; Toshi Hirata (Pooler, Ga.) 71
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Fremont, Neb. (Fremont Club)
John Sajevic shot a 1-under 70 to edged fellow Fremont resident Steve Samuelson by a stroke, claiming the lone spot available.
Qualifier: John Sajevic (Fremont, Neb.) 70
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Lakeland, Fla. (The Club at Eaglebrooke)
Elso Caponi and Ed Parnell finished 1-2 at The Club at Eaglebrooke while Rich Kerper birdied holes 16 and 18 to finish at 2-under 70, good for the third spot out of Lakeland.
Qualifiers: Elso Caponi (Oviedo, Fla.) 67; Ed Parnell (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) 68; Rich Kerper (Oldsmar, Fla.) 70
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Powhatan, Va. (The Foundry Club)
Steve Galing shot a 3-under 69 to earn medalist honors while Philip Mahone defeated David Pulk in a playoff to earn the second qualifier's spot after both players carded rounds of 70.
Qualifiers: Steve Galing (Burke, Va.) 69; Philip Mahone (Charlottesville, Va.) 70
August 5
McCall, Idaho (Jug Mountain Ranch)
Rick Lloyd birdied the final hole to gain a share of medalist honors at 4-under with Steve Hartnett and then preceded to defeat Hartnett in a playoff to take the lone qualifier's spot from McCall, Idaho.
Qualifier: Rick Lloyd (Sandy, Ut.) 68
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Cincinnati, Ohio (Western Hills Country Club)
Jim Volpenheim made three bogeys on holes 13-15 but birdied 18 to gain a share of medalist honors with Jim Muething and Rick Harmon after all three golfers finished at even par 72. Volpenheim and Muething are onto Detroit after surviving a 3-for-2 playoff with Harmon.
Qualifiers: Jim Muething (Cincinnati) 72; Jim Volpenheim (Cincinnati) 72
Portland, Ore. (Columbia Edgewater Country Club)
In a tightly-contested qualifier at Columbia Edgewater CC, Bill Winter and Jeff Wright shared shared co-medalist honors at even par 72, edging Vince Price and Brian Leff by a stroke.
Qualifiers: Bill Winter (Portland, Ore.) 72; Jeff Wright (Vallejo, Calif.) 72
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Charlotte, NC (Myers Park Country Club)
Mike Arnold and Joe Jaspers shared medalist honors after shooting rounds of 2-under par 69. Pat Thompson and Preston Edmondson earned the final two qualifying spots in a 4-for-2 playoff over Brian Westveer and Gary Robinson after all four golfers carded rounds of 70.
Qualifiers: Mike Arnold (Mooresville, NC) 69; Joe Jespers (Huntersville, NC) 69; Pat Thompson (Cary, NC) 70; Preston Edmondson (Morrisville, NC) 70.
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Naples, Fla. (Country Club of Naples)
Andrew Fogarty birdied the last hole to shoot and even par round of 72, good enough for medalist honors at the Country Club of Naples. He will be joined in Detroit by James Starnes, who survived a rollercoaster round to finish at 2-over 74.
Qualifiers: Andrew Fogarty (Naples, Fla.) 72; James Starnes (Fort Myers, Fla.) 74
August 3
Cle Elum, Wash. (Suncadia Resort - Prospector Course
Scott Almquist made four birdies and just one bogey to earn medalist honors in Cle Elum, Wash. with a 3-under round of 69. Also advancing to Detroit CC was Timothy Rypien, the brother of former NLF quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, who defeated Tom Herrick in a playoff after both golfers finished at 1-under 71.
Qualifiers: Scott Almquist (Coto de Caza, Calif.) 69; Timothy Rypien (Spokane, Wash.) 71
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Marshfield, Mass. (Marshfield Country Club)
Keith Smith birdied the 18th hole for a 72 and a share of medalist honors with Daniel Harding. Darin Eddy and Frank Vana are also through to Detroit, after surviving a 3-for-1 playoff with Joe Walker.
Qualifiers: Daniel Harding (Wellesley, Mass.) 72; Keith Smith (Franklin, Mass.) 72; Darin Eddy (Marshfield, Mass.) 73; Frank Vana (Boxford, Mass.) 73
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Prospect, Ky. (Nevel Meade Golf Club)
Jim Murphy culminated a rollercoaster round with a birdie in 18 for a 69 to grab the only available spot at the Nevel Meade Golf Club by one shot over Buddy Bryant. After shooting 4-under on his outward nine, Murphy gave all of the strokes back before making a clutch birdie on 18 to earn his way to Detroit. Bryant's steadiness (eight pars on the back) was not rewarded.
Qualifier: Jim Murphy (Crestwood, Ky.) 69
August 2
Horizon City, Texas (Horizon Golf Club)
Qualifier: Anton Solome (Soccoro, NM) 71
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Hawthorne, NJ (Hawthorne Country Club)
1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Ken Bakst and Bob Johnson shared medalist honors at Hawthorne Country Club. Johnson played the last five holes at 4-under par, finishing birdie-eagle-birdie-bogey-birdie while Bakst eagled the par-5 16th as both golfers finished at 4-under 68.
Qualifiers: Ken Bakst (Bailing Hollow, NY) 68; Bob Johnson (Hawthorne, NJ) 68; Kevin Vandenberg (Pulaski, NY) 71; Tore Carlson (Katohah, NY) 71.
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Salt Lake City, Ut. (The Country Club)
Qualifiers: Randy Hicken (American Park, Ut.) 73; Dana Nelson (Salt Lake City, Ut.) 74
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Olathe, Kan. (Shadow Glen Golf Club)
Tim McKinnis birdied the final hole for an even par round of 72 to claim medalist honors at Shadow Glen G.C. Bryan Norton defeated Matt Murray in a playoff to capture the second spot after both players finished at 1-over 73.
Qualifiers: Tim McKinnis (Lyons, Kan.) 72; Bryan Norton (Overland Park, Kan.) 73
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New Washoe City, Nev. (Tolyabe Golf Club)
Qualifier: Nick Raffaele (Austin, Tex.) 71
July 29
Willoughby, Ohio (Kirtland Country Club)
Two-time national long drive champion Art Sellinger claimed medalist honors at Kirtland Country Club with an even par round of 70. Terry Wamack moved inside the cutline with late birdies on 14, 17 and 18 to finish at 1-over 71, tying with James Sweeney for second place. Michael Kelly, who was 3-over on his round after a rough start on the back nine, salvaged a rollercoaster round with birdies on 15 and 16 to take the last spot at 2-over 72.
Qualifiers: Art Sellinger (Roanoke, Tex.) 70; Terry Wamak (Columbos, Ohio) 71; James Sweeney (Crescent Springs, Ky.) 71; Michael Kelly (Westerville, Ohio) 72.
July 28
Brandon, Miss. (Castlewoods Country Club)
Qualifier: Ken Peacock (Brandon, Miss.) 74
July 27
Broken Arrow, Okla. (The Club at Indian Springs - River Course)
Qualifier: Blake Gibson (Yukon, Okla.) 70
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Kailua, Haw. (Mid-Pacific Country Club)
Qualifier: Craig Steinberg
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Alpharetta, Ga. (The Manor Golf & Country Club)
Mel Mendenhall made six birdies on the front nine en route to a 7-under 65 to capture medalist honors at The Manor Golf & Country Club. There were plenty of fireworks to determine the third qualifier. Steve Golliher birdied his last hole while Phil Brand birdied his last two holes to join Doug Stiles at 2-under, with Golliher and Stiles advancing in a 3-for-2 playoff.
Qualifiers: Mel Mendenhall (Marietta, Ga.) 65; Doug Stiles (Athens, Ga.) 70; Steve Gollinher (Powell, Tenn.
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St. Charles, Ill. (The Hawk Country Club)
Former Illinois Amateur champion Mark Small and Scott Spielmann tied for medalist honors at The Hawk Country Club at 2-under 70. Small came out on fire with four birdies to start his round while Spielmann was aided by an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole. Lee Kolquist made a birdie on the 17th to get inside the number.
Qualifiers: Mark Small (Frankfort, Ill.) 70; Scott Spielmann (Mount Prospect, Ill.) 70; Lee Kolquist (Geneva, Ill.) 71; Terry Werner (Dyer, Ind.) 71
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Manchester, Vt. (Manchester Country Club
Qualifiers: Mike McKenna (Danvers, Mass.) 72; Danny Arvantis (Manchester, NH) 72
July 26
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Pine Valley Country Club)
Fort Wayne native Steve Vernasco felt right at home in carding a 2-under round of 69 to take medalist honors at Pine Valley Country Club. It was a battle of attrition for the second qualifier's spot between Patrick Mohan, Ian Harris and Martin Rifkin, who all ran into trouble on 18 and found themselves in a 3-for-1 playoff. Mohan eagled in the par-5 15th but dropped back to 1-over with bogeys on 16 and 18. Harris and Rifkin both made doubles on the final hole, giving Mohan new life. The Elkhart, Ind. native took advantage of the misfortunes of others and advanced to Oakmont via a playoff.
Qualifiers: Steve Vernasco (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 69; Patrick Mohan (Elkhart, Ind.) 72
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Alexander City, Ala. (Willow Point Golf & Country Club)
Robert Nelson made four birdies on the back nine en route to earning medalist honors at Willow Point Golf & Country Club with a 5-under round of 67. Chris Hall, John Fisher and David Hancock all birdied the 18th hole to get to 2-under 70, with Hall advancing in a 3-for-1 playoff.
Qualifiers: Robert Nelson (Fairhope, Ala.) 67; Chris Hall (Marietta, Ga.) 70
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El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Serrano Country Club)
Eddie Pimentel started his back nine with four straight birdies and then made a hole-in-one on hole No. 17 to tie for medalist honors at 3-under 69. After opening his round with three straight bogeys, Mark Morgan righted the ship and made six birdies coming home, including a pair on 17 and 18, to tie Pimentel at 3-under. Andrew Gableman and Rich Petit both finished at 1-under 71, with Gableman advancing via a playoff.
Qualifiers: Eddie Pimentel (Elk Grove, Calif.) 69; Mark Morgan (Shingle Springs, Calif.) 69; Tony Padilla (Sacramento, Calif.) 70; Andrew Gableman (Elmhusrt, Ill.) 71.
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Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (Palos Verdes Golf Club
Scott Cuppert made an eagle on the par-5 16th hole to move inside the cutline with a 1-over round of 72.
Qualifiers: Iain McDonald (Fullerton, Calif.) 68; Neil Moore (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 71; Scott Cuppert (Vista, Calif.) 72; Kerry Frost (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) 72
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Fort Collins, Colo. (Ptarmigan Country Club)
Qualifiers: Robin Bradbury (Berthoud, Colo.) 72; Bill Fowler (Lakewood, Calif.) 72; Jim Reynolds (Denver, Colo.) 74
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The Woodlands, Tex. (The Club at Carlton Woods)
David Ortega's steady play returned three birdies and just one bogey and landed the Spring, Tex. medalist honors at 2-under 70. John Pierce was 3-under on his round and then survived a bogey-bogey finish to tie for the final spot at 1-under 71 with Titus Harris, who birdied the last two holes to advance to the Country Club of Detroit.
Qualifiers: David Ortega (Spring, Tex.) 70; John Pierce (San Antonio, Tex.) 71; Titus Harris (Houston, Tex.) 71
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Maricopa, Ariz. (AK-Chin Southern Dunes)
Brad Wayment and Chip Nelson shot rounds of 71 (-1) to tie for medalist honors while Dan Reycraft defeated Dick Engel and Tom Teichert in a 3-for-1 playoff to secure the third qualifer's spot.
Qualifiers: Brad Waymart (Mesa, Ariz.) 71; Chip Nelson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 71; Don Reycraft (72)
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Rockville, Md. (Manor Country Club)
Matt Sughrue used birdies on holes 14 and 18 to take medalist honors at Manor Country Club, where there was high drama for the second qualifier's position. Vance Welch aced the 17th hole to get into a playoff with Richard Holland, who had his hands on the top spot until a bogey-bogey finish put him into a playoff in which he didn't survive.
Qualifiers: Matt Sughrue (Arlington, Va.) 69; Vance Welch (Scaggsville, Va.) 70
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Dallas, Tex. (Lakewood Country Club)
Qualifiers: Kenneth Coutant (Dallas) 69; Neal Barfield (Dallas) 69; Jonathan Kosier (Argyle, Tex.) 71; Bart Goodwin (Flower Mound, Tex.) 71
July 22
Putnam, Conn. (Connecticut National Golf Club)
Dean Godek fired a 3-under 33 on his final nine holes to claim medalist honors at Connecticut National at 2-under 69. He will be joined in Detroit by Michael Hooper who survived a playoff with Bill Hermanson after both golfers turned in rounds of 70.
Qualifiers: Dean Godek (Feeding Hills, Mass.) 69; Michael Hooper (Fairfield, Conn.) 70.
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Sioux Falls, SD (Prairie Green Country Club)
Qualifier: Tommy Reynolds (Sioux Falls, SD) 72
July 21
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Coral Ridge Country Club)
Qualifiers: Joe Shaktam (Coral Springs, Fla.) 73; Darryl Osler (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) 74
July 19
Maumelle, Ark. (Maumelle Country Club)
Qualifier: Gordy McKeown (Little Rock, Ark.) 70
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Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Oakland Hills Country Club - North Course)
Chris Chocola, Rich Herpich and Walter Gieselman tied for medalist honors on the North Course at Oakland Hills. Gieselman went from being outside the cutline to co-medalist after he made an eagle on the par-4 17th hole. Jerry Gunthrope grinded out six consecutive pars to keep his hold on the fourth qualifier's position with a round of 71.
Qualifiers: Chris Chocola (Harbor Springs, Mich.) 70; Rich Herpich (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 70; Walter Gieselman (Naples, Fla.) 70; Jerry Gunthrope (Ovid, Mich.) 71.
ABOUT THE
The U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier is open to all
competitors
with an index of 5.4 or lower who will be at least 55
years of age at the start of the championship. The
format is 18 holes of stroke play, with qualifying
sites
scattered across the country.
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