This past Tuesday, I competed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier at Boise Ranch Golf Course in Boise, Idaho, hosted by the Idaho Golf Association. 77 players played for just three places to land a chance to play in the national championship at The Lido in Wisconsin later in September. A valiant effort was made, but I scraped it around in 2 over par 73, which did not qualify.
Going out in the second group of the day at 7:40 am, perfect scoring conditions, no wind, calm feel to the air. I started the round with a birdie, with some off-target approach shots on 2 and 3 followed by a couple nice up-and-downs. Worth a “poley” dot in the junk game in Spokane as both putts were made outside the flagstick. A good start to the round in that sense! But in a 18-hole qualifier, it helps to keep things stress-free and pedal to the metal.
Boise Ranch Golf Course. Boise, Idaho.
I was 1 under par going into the 5th hole, a par 5. A drive in the right side side and an approach on the green to the front third. My putt actually had the collar of the green in the way of my line; I opted for a pitch off the green. Using the bounce, no green was harmed, but I ended up 15 feet away for birdie. I missed the birdie putt and tapped in for par. A tough hole location on 7, a three-putt bogey was had. Birdie on the par three 8th got me back to 1 under par for the day and in great shape. I was thwarted by a heeled drive on the reachable par-5 9th hole that rested just enough to be out of bounds — didn’t lose the ball, at least. Played my provisional and made an up-and-down greenside for bogey.
The wrong side of the fence on 9. My member’s bounce was not activated.
Turning in even par and second group out, knowing more birdies are needed on the inward nine, it is the balance of playing your game while knowing you need to make a move up the leaderboard. A birdie on the par 5 10th hole got me back to 1 under for the day again. A sloppy three-putt on 11 got me back to even par. Just a back-and-forth between under par and even par. I never could get the engine to turn over, so to speak.
I won’t bore you with the whole round, but I was unable to hit a few fairways where it wasn’t a huge deal at the course, but was enough to make distance control difficult with approach, and never really hit the ball close enough to say I “should” have made more birdies. A bogey on the par five 13th, resulting in one over par for the day. A par on 14 and on 15, looking at the leaderboard seeing the leaders at -4 through the midway point of their round, I had a 25-footer on 15 and gave it a go. With that, the ball rolled 8 feet by over the left edge, not making the comeback putt; another bogey was had. Attempts at birdie for the final three were had but to no avail. I finished the round at +2 for the day.
Seeing the scores on the course and a couple rounds posted, there were clearly three rounds better than mine. Medalists at 5 under were Josh Gliege at 5 under par and Icem Brewer of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Advancing at 4 under through a playoff was Trevor Elliot of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is always a razor’s edge in margin to qualify. Very fine playing at Boise Ranch by these gentlemen to punch their ticket to the United States Mid-Amateur Championship.
For me, up next is the Spokane City Championship at the end of August. Always a highlight in the home golf community. First weekend of September, I head to Goat Hill Park in Oceanside for the Grass League Summer Grind. Time for the Los Angeles Roses to make a move in the team standings!
Scoring link.
