Seven advance from U.S. Amateur Local Qualifier at Glen Oaks CC
Glen Oaks Country Club, in West Des Moines, was the host of this year’s U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying and it proved to be a challenge. As the day went on the wind picked up and firmed up the course that much more. Luke Honner (right), this year’s medalist, shooting a well deserved 67 (-4) and one of seven qualifiers into Final Qualifying on the day, demonstrated having patience and hitting fairways was key to success in today’s round.
“Off the tee was really well, again no bogeys, and just stayed patient,” Honner said following his round. “I putted solid, but again just making minimal mistakes.”
Charlie Zielinski, who shot a very respectable 68 (-3), proved finding the fairways as often as possible was the key to success on the day.
“Hitting the fairway does help a lot, I hit seven fairways today,” Zielinski said. “I was looking through my stats at the end of the round. Even if I was in the rough, I was never really out of position. But, as the day went on and the wind picked up, being in the fairway was definitely a premium.”
Also qualifying, with never giving up even after a slow start, was Christopher Atkinson shooting 69 (-2).
“Got off to a slow start, I hit it right off 10 and made a good bogey after getting up and down,” Atkinson said. “I collected myself after the first few holes and started playing solid. Hitting fairways is key out here, I do not need a driver out here a lot. I started hitting a lot of two irons down the middle, I was able to hit it on the green and make some putts which lead to birdies.”
Also qualifying in at 70 (-1) was Connor McCall, Radley Mauney, Reed Malleck and Dennis Bull.
In a thrilling five hole playoff Grant Greazel secured the first alternate spot and Wade Pettitt was awarded the second alternate spot.
On the other hand, this was not Dennis Bull’s (right) first rodeo. Having qualified for the U.S. Amateur the previous two years, his experience showed when the second qualifying spot came down to a four person playoff. Ottumwa’s Cale Leonard, West Des Moines’ Braeden Nelson, and Clive’s Ryan Horner joined Bull in the four-for-one playoff, as if 36 holes wasn’t enough for the day. After Nelson and Horner were eliminated on the first playoff hole, Bull and Leonard tied on the second playoff hole, but Bull won decisively with a birdie on the third hole.
The U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier on June 12, at Ames Golf and Country Club ended in a three-way shootout for the two entries into the U.S. Junior Amateur. Noah Kent (right), of Naples, FL, and Ethan Blomme, of Bettendorf, qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, to be contested July 24-29 at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, SC.
Kent and Blomme (left), who both started the day on hole 10, capitalized on calmer first nine conditions. Kent scored birdies on 16, 17, and 18 and Blomme birdied 15, 16, 17, 18. After an unsatisfactory start, Blomme got his putter rolling.
Schaake (right), an Omaha, Nebraska native, had a prolific amateur and collegiate career. In high school Schaake was a two-time Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion, continuing in college to win four-straight Nebraska Amateur titles, and holds the second-most wins in Nebraska Golf Association tournaments ever. He was the only Hawkeye to be voted Big Ten Player of the Year twice, only Hawkeye to be all-conference all four years, holds the lowest season scoring average yet, and holds three of the top four lowest 54-hole totals in university history.