Men’s Amateur Golf

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June 18, 2013 | 7:55 p.m.

Meronk, Hinton finish atop British Am stroke-play leaderboard

England's Craig Hinton.
Golfweek Staff

Stroke-play results

Adrian Meronk and Craig Hinton led all players Tuesday after the final round of stroke-play qualifying for the British Amateur. Both players finished 36 holes at Royal Cinque Ports and Prince’s in Deal, England with a 3-under 140 total.

Meronk, of Poland, just completed his freshman year at East Tennessee State. He shot a second-round 68 at the Prince’s course.

“I played a lot of irons off the tee today to stay on the fairways,” Meronk said. “My aim was to qualify and get into the match-play stage and I’m really pleased to get this far. It means a lot to progress in this Championship and to win this week would be a massive achievement.”

Hinton, a 24-year-old from Oxfordshire, rolled in a 60-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Ports course to finish with a 67.

“I played solid today. I was better yesterday tee to green but holed more putts today which made a difference,” he said. “I have great memories of this course; I scored 7-under par to qualify for the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s. It seems to suit me, though in match play, anyone can ...

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June 16, 2013 | 11:51 p.m.

Hocknull wins Ariz. Open on course he once worked

Craig Hocknull after winning the 2013 Arizona Open.

Craig Hocknull shot rounds of 67-65-68 for a 16 under-par total of 200 to win the 68th Arizona Open by three strokes at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club.

Second place went to local professional Austyn Karle, who carded a 13-under 203 after posting rounds of 68-70-65. Karle, who started the final day in 10th place, shot the low round of the day (65) to move up the leaderboard. His card included six birdies and one eagle to go with his lone bogey on the par-3 17th.

Hocknull, who resides in Gilbert, Ariz. and has a limited exemption onto the Canadian and Web.com tours, is the first Southwest Section PGA member to win the Arizona Open since 2000. When not on the mini-tour circuit, Hocknull operates and teaches at Outback Golf Academy at Western Skies Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.

“I was extremely pleased with the way I played today,” Hocknull said. “Coming off of a wrist injury, it feels good to play solid golf again.”

Hocknull's victory came in front of his mother and father, who flew 20 hours from Australia to see him play for only the second time as a professional.

“It was fun having a ...

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June 16, 2013 | 3:54 p.m.

Ihm hangs on to win Sunnehanna by two shots

Steven Ihm leads the Sunnehanna Amateur by one shot.
Golfweek Staff

Final scores

Steven Ihm held on to win the Sunnehanna Amateur on Sunday as the leaderboard shifted all around him. Ihm, a senior at the University of Iowa, shot a final-round 67 at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa., to win the prestigious amateur event.

Ihm, of Peosta, Iowa, had a one-shot lead on Rodolfo Cazaubon, a recent North Texas grad, at the beginning of the day. Cazaubon had charged up the leaderboard in Round 3 with a 6-under 63. He posted 73 on Sunday to finish T-6.

Ihm turned in 4-under 31 on Sunday, then made three bogeys and two birdies on the back for his 67. He finished at 8-under 272.

Alabama senior Cory Whitsett was the next closest player. Whitsett also shot a final-round 67 to climb from T-3 to solo second. Rick Lamb, a recent Tennessee grad, and Mike Miller shared third at 3 under.

The round of the day on Sunday belonged to South Carolina sophomore Matthew NeSmith, who shot 5-under 65 to climb from T-20 to T-6.


June 15, 2013 | 6:17 p.m.

Ihm leads Sunnehanna by one after Cazaubon charge

Steven Ihm leads the Sunnehanna Amateur by one shot.
Golfweek Staff

Final scores

Steven Ihm held off a hard charge from Rodolfo Cazaubon on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Sunnehanna Amateur. Ihm, an Iowa senior, posted a third-round 2-under 68 and is at 5-under 205.

Ihm, of Peosta, Iowa, interspersed three birdies with two bogeys on the front nine at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa. He birdied No. 10 then parred out.

Cazaubon, who recently capped his career at North Texas, began the day in a tie for 24th place but made seven birdies and no bogeys on his way to a final-round 63, the lowest 18-hole round of the tournament. Cazaubon, of Mexico, is one shot back at 4-under 206.

Stewart Jolly, an LSU junior who hails from Birmingham, Ala., is joint third with Alabama senior Cory Whitsett. Both players are at 3-under 207 for 54 holes.


June 15, 2013 | 4:49 p.m.

Palladino becomes first D-3 player to win Monroe Invitational

Nick Palladino stands over a putt at the Monroe Invitational.
Cassie Stein

Final scores

PITTSFIELD, N.Y. – History was made Saturday at the 73rd Monroe Invitational.

Nick Palladino, a senior at nearby University of Rochester, became the first Division III collegiate golfer to win the Monroe Invitational. He did so by winning in a one-hole playoff over Motin Yeung, who just finished his freshman year at Duke. Both players shot 4-under 206.

Hunter Stewart of Lexington, Ky., had the 36-hole lead at the rain-shortened tournament, which was reduced to 54-holes on Thursday after rain washed out the second round. Monroe Golf Club saw more than 2 inches of rain that day.

Stewart and Yeung battled for most of the morning on Saturday. The turning point of the tournament for all three players – Palladino included – was No. 7, a 385-yard par 4 that was either rewarding or treacherous.

Stewart was leading by three shots until an errant tee shot at No. 7 derailed his round. He made a double-bogey.

Yeung saved par by two-putting, but Palladino was really getting his round going just ahead. He birdied No. 7 from the rough with an 8-iron and made a solid bogey save on No. 8 after flying the green on the 149-yard par 3. He ...

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June 15, 2013 | 4:25 p.m.

Reeves claims 2nd Southeastern title of amateur career

Seth Reeves during the 2013 NCAA Championship.
Golfweek Staff

Final scores

A final-round 67 allowed Seth Reeves to overtake third-round leader Jimmy Beck on Saturday and win the Southeastern Amateur at the Country Club of Columbus in Columbus, Ga. Reeves, who recently completed his senior season at Georgia Tech, also won this event in 2011.

Reeves, who finished T-13 at the Palmetto Amateur a week ago, played the final 36 holes in 9 under (66-67). He trailed Beck, a Kennesaw State sophomore, by a single shot entering the final round, but Beck closed with an even-par 71.

Reeves turned in even-par 36 on Saturday, but had four birdies over the final nine holes for a 4-under 31. He finished the tournament at 11-under 273 while Beck remained at 8-under 276.

Sean Stone, a sophomore at Indiana, and Ross Thomson, who recently completed his senior season at Charleston Southern, tied for third at 7-under 27.


June 15, 2013 | 12:47 p.m.

A player-by-player guide to amateurs who made U.S. Open cut

Michael Weaver, Michael Kim, Kevin Phelan and Cheng-Tsung Pan.
Nick Masuda

ARDMORE, Pa. -- In a week that saw a golf course eat some of the world's best golfers alive, it might be surprising to see that four amateurs are among those who will play the final 36 holes at Merion Golf Club.

Until you read their impressive amateur resumes.

Here is a closer look at the four amateurs that will tee it up on the weekend at the U.S. Open:

• • •

Michael Kim, rising junior, Cal


Position at the U.S. Open: T-13; rounds of 73-70

Third-round tee time, group: 1:34 p.m. (No. 1); playing with Bo Van Pelt and Geoff Ogilvy

How he made the U.S. Open: Was co-medalist at Hawks Ridge sectional just outside Atlanta

Final Golfweek/Sagarin Ranking: No. 1

Amateur accolades: Winner of 2013 Haskins Award; winner of 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award; 2013 first-team All-American; top-ranked golfer in Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings at end of 2012-13 season; 2013 Golfstat Cup winner; Pac-12 Player of the Year; 2013 Palmer Cup (U.S. team).

The skinny: Kim came into the U.S. Open on a roller-coaster ride, having gone winless during match play at the NCAA Championship, but then turning around and winning his sectional at ...

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June 14, 2013 | 6:55 p.m.

Ihm, Lovelady share 36-hole Sunnehanna lead

Mike Miller
Golfweek Staff

Second-round scores

Steven Ihm and Tom Lovelady share the second-round lead at the Sunnehanna Amateur. Both players are 3 under through 36 holes at the par-70 Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa.

Ihm, an Iowa Hawkeyes senior from Peosta, Iowa, had the first-round lead after a 4-under 66 in the rain-delayed opening round. Ihm came back with a second-round 71 that included five birdies but also a double-bogey at the par-4 sixth.

Lovelady, a redshirt freshman at Alabama from Birmingham, Ala., made up ground with a second-round 67. Fellow Birmingham resident Stewart Jolly, a sophomore on the LSU roster, shot a second-round 70 for solo third. Jolly is at 2-under 138 for the tournament.

Walker Cup hopeful Mike Miller is part of a five-way tie for fourth that includes South Carolina sophomore Matthew NeSmith, Patrick Newcomb, Alabama senior Cory Whitsett and Stanford senior Cameron Wilson. Those players are at 1 under.

Bobby Wyatt, an Alabama senior and the 2012 Sunnehanna champion, is T-61 after rounds of 79-70. Nathan Smith, a mid-amateur from Pittsburgh who won the Sunnehanna in 2011, is T-42 at 6-over 146.

Third-round play begins Saturday at 8 a.m.


June 14, 2013 | 6:23 p.m.

Stewart builds one-shot lead at Monroe Invitational

Golfweek Staff

36-hole scores

The Monroe Invitational resumed on Friday after heavy rains and casual water wiped out Thursday’s second round. Vanderbilt’s Hunter Stewart leads after 36 holes at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y.

Stewart followed his first-round 2-under 68 with a 1-under 69 on Friday. That included two birdies in the final three holes. He is one shot ahead of Duke’s Motin Yeung, who is at 2 under for the tournament.

Jack Maguire, a Florida State commit, is tied for third with Lamar’s Stephane Dubois. Both players are at 1 under through 36 holes.

First-round leader Cory Conners, a senior at Kent State, is among six players tied for fifth at even par. Conners posted a first-round 66, but fell to 74 on Friday.


June 13, 2013 | 11:31 p.m.

Amateur Werkmeister holds on for Michigan Open victory

Tom Werkmeister during the final round of his win in the 2013 Michigan Open.

WASHINGTON, Mich. – Tom Werkmeister, a 45-year-old internet salesman from Kentwood, is just the fifth amateur to win the Michigan Open Championship in the 96-year history of the tournament, and the first since 1975.

“It’s my biggest moment,” he said after a closing even-par round of 72 Thursday at The Orchards Golf Club left him at 13-under-par 275, two shots ahead of defending champion Barrett Kelpin, a 23-year-old mini-tour professional from Kalamazoo.

“At this point nothing has been better than this,” said Werkmeister, who was the 2009 Michigan Amateur champion and has won every significant amateur title in the state in his career.

“Yes, the Michigan Amateur (in 2009) is 1A probably, but to win this, in this type of field with a bunch of mini-tour players out there, that makes me feel pretty good. It is definitely the highlight.”

Kelpin, who won the 2012 Michigan Open by eight shots with a record-tying 23-under-par total, shot 73 to close for an 11-under-par 277. He suffered bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 by missing short three-foot par putts, and admitted his disappointment.

“It was very disappointing that I couldn’t make those putts and keep the pressure on Tom and stay ...

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June 13, 2013 | 11:12 p.m.

After winning Mass. Open in playoff, pro to donate check

Evan Harmeling during the 2013 Massachusetts Open.

Auburndale, Mass. – It might have taken three more holes than originally planned, but it didn’t take away from the joy that Evan Harmeling felt when he was declared the winner of the 2013 Massachusetts Open.

Under rainy conditions at Woodland Golf Club, Harmeling defeated Chris Fitzpatrick in a three-hole playoff.

As a result of his victory Wednesday, Harmeling will not only have his name placed on the Clarence G. Cochrane Memorial Trophy but he also receives a winner’s check of $15,000. It marked his first professional victory since turning pro last May.

Afterward, Harmeling also made the announcement that he will be donating his winner’s check to The One Fund Boston to support the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“I decided last night that if I won I was going to give it to The One Fund,” said Harmeling, who said that his sister lives in the Back Bay. “I heard that James Driscoll was doing the Birdies for Boston through the PGA Tour and I wanted to do something as well. I haven’t really known what to do, but then it dawned on me that this is my chance to give back.”

Harmeling ...

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June 13, 2013 | 5:06 p.m.

Monroe Invitational shortened; second round washed out

Golfweek Staff

Heavy rains and casual water on the course canceled Thursday's play at the Monroe Invitational. Tournament officials said the tournament would be shortened to a 54-hole event, with Thursday's scheduled pairings being carried over to Friday at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y.

"We had some adverse weather conditions. The course was unplayable," tournament director John Kirchner told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

"We didn't want to (shorten it), but in the interest of the members and everyone involved, that's what we decided to do."

After waiting six hours for the rain to subside, tournament officials canceled round two of the Monroe Invitational Championship on Thursday afternoon.

“We had some adverse weather conditions; the course was unplayable,” tournament director John Kircher said.

Since only a few groups managed to get any golf in Thursday morning, officials announced the round was a washout, shortening the tournament to a 54-hole competition.

“We had some casual water so we decided to make it a 54-hole event,” Kircher said. “We didn’t want to do that, but in the interest of the members and everyone involved, that’s what we decided to do.”

Pairings and tee times from Thursday ...


June 12, 2013 | 10 p.m.

Werkmeister carries lead into Michigan Open final round

Tom Werkmeister during the 2013 Michigan Open.

WASHINGTON, Mich. - Defending champion Barrett Kelpin charged, and veteran amateur Tom Werkmeister stayed steady and on top through three rounds of the Michigan Open Championship presented by DTE Energy.

Werkmeister, a Kentwood resident, shot a 5-under-par 67 for a leading 13-under-par 203, while Kelpin, a Kalamazoo resident, shot 66 to close within one Wednesday at The Orchards Golf Club.

Werkmeister is seeking history. He could be the first amateur winner since 1975 (Bob Ackerman) in the Open.

"It would mean everything to me to win the Michigan Open," the 45-year-old Werkmeister, an internet salesman, said.

Kelpin, 23, was making his professional debut when he won a year ago, and he said he is looking forward to playing with Werkmeister for the first time in an event.

"Everybody knows about Tom Werkmeister if you're from Michigan," he said. "I just finally met him out (in the clubhouse). He introduced himself. He's a great player. I've heard great things about his game. It should be fun."

Muskegon's Andy Ruthkoski, the 2007 Michigan Open champion and a co-leader after two rounds with Werkmeister, shot 73 for a 209 total, six shots off the lead. He was tied through three ...

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June 12, 2013 | 5:08 p.m.

Ruthkoski leads Michigan Open amid state-title dream chasers

Andy Ruthkoski during the 2013 Michigan Open.

WASHINGTON, Mich. – Andy Ruthkoski of Muskegon started the second round of the Michigan Open Championship wanting to catch first-round leader Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood by the end of the day.

He was successful.

The Muskegon mini-tour player and 2007 Michigan Open champion fired a 5-under-par 67 Tuesday to check in at 8-under-par 136 at The Orchards Golf Club. It left him tied with Werkmeister, who stumbled late in his round with a double bogey and bogey in his last three holes for a 70 and 136.

“My goal was to get to minus-10 because when I teed off I saw Werkmeister was at 10 under,” Ruthkoski said. “I didn’t get to 10, but I’m tied for the lead and I’m good with that.”

Ruthkoski and Werkmeister earned just a one-shot lead on Eric Wohlfield, a Royal Oak resident from Brighton who shot 67 for 137. Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, the defending champion who shot a second consecutive 69, was lurking just two shots off the lead at 138.

Six-time Michigan Open champion Scott Hebert, who shot 71, Matt Thompson of Battle Creek, who shot 70, and Josh Fryer of Franklin Hills, who shot 71, made up the ...

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June 12, 2013 | 4:27 p.m.

Kent State's Conners grabs early lead at Monroe Invitational

Kent State's Corey Conners
Golfweek Staff

Full scores

• • •

Corey Conners, who just completed his junior season at Kent State, shot 4-under 66 Wednesday to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the Monroe Invitational.

Conners bogeyed the par-4 first hole at the Donald Ross-designed Monroe Golf Club, but came back with a birdie on No. 2, then added five more birdies against one bogey the rest of the way, including a strong finish with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18. Conners, of Listowel, Ontario, finished this season at No. 31 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings and tied for 20th at last year's Monroe, which was won by Illinois' Thomas Pieters.

Three golfers shared second place at 2-under 68: Kentucky's Cody Martin, Duke's Yaroslav Merkulov and Jack Maguire, an incoming freshman at Florida State.


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