While the champion of the 2013 Missouri Amateur Championship won’t be crowned until Sunday afternoon, we already know one winner of this year’s championship. Blue Hills Country Club, designed by Robert Dunning, has hosted numerous MGA and USGA competitions and is providing a stern test once again for the top amateurs in the state of Missouri.
As the competition moves into the Match Play portion of the championship, par will remain a good score on this 7,250 yard, par 72 layout. A ball missing the fairway will find thick fescue / bluegrass rough producing lies difficult to judge. But the real defense of Blue Hills Country Club are the 18 putting surfaces. Gigantic greens with multiple “zones” places a premium on controlling distance and spin. Once on the green players are forced to deal with subtle undulations making “make able” putts of 10 to 15 feet difficult to read.
No. 1 seed, Doug Albers of Leawood, KS has leveraged his home course knowledge to good use, advancing 3 & 1 over Tanner Fennewald. Albers’ parents are members of Blue Hills C.C. and with his knowledge of the greens this week, Albers will be a tough out. Joey Johnson of Ozark, MO will get the pleasure of meeting Albers tomorrow morning in the round of 32.
Buddy Allen has enjoyed some good rounds in 2013, being in contention in both the Normandie Amateur and East Side Amateur. Allen defeated Cy Moritz 1 up on Thursday.
It’s been a long spring golf season for Joe Atkisson of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His Tritons finished T5 in the Division II National Championship. Atkisson was joined by several of the Tritons at Blue Hills, but will fly the flag alone on Friday. Atkisson defeated Jason Traeder 3 & 2. Chase Smith lost 2 down to Carr Vernon and Colby Yates was defeated by Steve Groom, 5&4. Even head coach Troy Halterman was in the mix at Blue Hills but lost 6&5 to Ryan Zech on Thursday.
The most surprising outcome in the Round of 64 had to be Josh Weems of Lake Quivira, KS defeating Ben Crancer of Kirkwood, MO. Crancer fired a 66 to qualify for this year’s championship at Dalhousie Golf Club and then easily qualified for Match Play at Blue Hills with rounds of 74-70. Weems will play Derek Baade of St. Joseph, MO who defeated Adam Welch 2&1.
Both Migdal’s advanced to the round of 32 by virtue of 1 up victories. Sam Migdal defeated Tyler Shelton of Fairway, KS. Joe Migdal defeated JP Derksen of Lee’s Summit.
Michael McGee held a 3up lead after 8 holes over Wilson Sundvold. Sundvold survived a 7 for 6 playoff on Wednesday evening to make match play after being forced to the “Last Chance” qualifier to just get into this year’s Missouri Amateur Championship. Evidence once again that par is a good score, Sundvold won 9, 12 and 15 with pars to square the match to eventually lose 1 down to McGee.
Missouri Golf Association Senior Champion, Charles Schorgl defeated Zach Vandolah 3&2. Schorgl will face Michael McGee in the round of 32.
Michael Wooten of Weldon Springs defeated Aaron Uzelac 3&2. A heralded player out of high school, Wooten opted to take his game to Central Missouri State University. Just recently Wooten withdrew from Central Missouri State and it’s unclear where he will be attending school in the Fall. Wooten will face Austin Conroy of Lees Summit on Friday morning. Conroy defeated Harry Roberts of St. Joseph, MO 1up.
Michael Steelman defeated Metropolitan Match Play Champion, Garrett Sneed 4&2. Steelman will meet 3-time Missouri Amateur Champion, Skip Berkmeyer at 9:39 on Friday morning. Berkmeyer defeated Jackson Foth 5&4.
Two more St. Louis natives will meet in the round of 32 in the form of Mitch Rutledge and Kyle Weldon. Rutledge defeated Ryan Argotsinger 2&1. Weldon made easy work of The Back Nine’s very own, Dustin Ashby with a 6&5 victory.
Follow all the action from the 2013 Missouri Amateur Championship – HERE, including live scoring throughout the day on Friday as the winners tomorrow morning will back on the golf course in the afternoon for the Sweet 16.
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