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Bridgehampton, N.Y. – Defending champion Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh, Pa., Scott Harvey of Greensboro, N.C., and Tim Hogarth of Northridge, Calif., shared medalist honors Sunday at the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship with 36-hole stroke-play totals of even-par 144.
Smith, 32, who won the Mid-Amateur in 2003 and 2009, shot an even-par 72 at The Bridge after his first-round 72 at Atlantic Golf Club. Smith was also co-medalist in stroke play during his victory in South Carolina last year.
“I was really pleased,” Smith said. “That’s about as good as I could have played. I’m really happy with the results and I’m just excited. You’re just trying to get into match play and put one foot in front of the other and avoid big numbers and I was able to do that and play solidly. I’m really excited.”
Both courses, on the East End of Long Island, were windswept for the second consecutive day.
“The course is going to play difficult no matter what, because every hole is tough,” Smith said. “But I thought these were the toughest conditions since Bandon Dunes in 2007. That was really extreme out there – it sleeted and everything so that might have been the worst. But here the wind was as tough as I can ever remember. To play over here was just tough – it was just so windy.”
Past champion Kevin Marsh, of Henderson, Nev., who held the first-round lead with a 3-under-par 69 at The Bridge Saturday, shot a 4-over-par 76 at Atlantic Golf Club for a total of 145, one stroke off the lead. Also at 145 were Todd Burgan, 41, a
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| Tim Hogarth shot a 1-under-par 71 at Atlantic Golf Club on Sunday to share medalist honors at the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur. (USGA Museum) |
pharmacist from Knoxville, Tenn. and a quarterfinalist in 2009, Mike McCoy, 47, of West Des Moines, Iowa, the 2009 co-medalist, and 2008 semifinalist Sean Knapp, 48, of Oakmont, Pa.
“The wind was tough but it was the direction of the wind which made it really tough,” said the 37-year-old Marsh. “It seemed like every hole was into the wind. The last nine holes were really tough. The greens are getting firm and fast. I’m glad I played good yesterday. I wasn’t stressing about missing the cut but it would have been nice to shoot even par or have a chance to make medalist.”
Harvey, 32, a driving range operator, followed his first-round 71 at The Bridge Saturday with a 1-over-par 73 at Atlantic Golf Club Sunday.
“Even par at any USGA event, even the U.S. Open, is great,” said Harvey, who helped North Carolina to a second-place finish at the USGA Men’s State Team Championship in California two weeks ago. “It was just steady play. I hit it in the center of the greens and I didn’t try to get too aggressive in this wind.”
Harvey, who advanced to match play at the 2010 U.S. Amateur, is the son of Bill Harvey, a member of the North Carolina Golf Hall of Fame who competed in 18 U.S. Amateurs.
“To walk in his footsteps is not easy,” Harvey said, “But, it sure is fun.
“I set high goals this summer,” Harvey added. “One of my goals was to win a USGA medal. That is a huge honor.”
Hogarth, 44, who won the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links, shot 1-under-par 71 at Atlantic Golf Club, the best of the morning wave Sunday, after a 1-over 73 at The Bridge.
“I was co-medalist in 2007 at Bandon Dunes and it is always special,” Hogarth said. “I honestly was looking to get into match play and give myself a chance.”
The stroke-play cut came at 9-over-par 153 with 12 players involved in a playoff for the final five match-play berths. The playoff begins at 7 a.m. Monday at The Bridge.
Match play begins Monday at 8 a.m. at Atlantic Golf Club. The first round of match play is scheduled for Monday, the second and third rounds will be played Tuesday, the quarterfinal and semifinal matches are on Wednesday, and the 36-hole championship final will be played Thursday.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur, which is open to golfers age 25 and older, is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
ABOUT THE
U.S. Mid-Amateur
The U.S. Mid-Amateur originated in 1981 for the
amateur golfer of at least 25 years of age, the
purpose of which to provide a formal national
championship for the post-college player. 264
players
begin the championship with two rounds of sroke
play
qualifying held at two courses, after which the low
64
(with a playoff if necessary to get the exact number)
advance to single elimination match play.
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