2024 U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying: The Springhaven Club

Seelig, Newton co-medal

WALLINGFORD, Pa. – Alex Seelig of Reading, Pa. and James Newton of Ottawa, Canada share medalist honors in U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying Monday at The Springhaven Club (par 70, 6,516 yards) with rounds of 65.

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A total of 12 qualifying spots into Final Qualifying were available. The cutline stopped at 2-under-par 68. 

The 124th U.S. Amateur Championship will take place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Aug. 12-18.

New in 2024, U.S. Amateur Qualifying is now two 18-hole events, Local and Final Qualifying. In the past, there was only a Final qualifying stage of 36 holes.

Seelig, a recent Robert Morris University graduate, has been on a heater recently. He fired a final round of 6-under-par 66 to finish T4 in the 73rd Delaware Amateur at White Clay Creek Country Club last Wednesday. 

“My game has been better the last few weeks,” Seelig, 23, said. “I didn’t have a great finish to my final season at Robert Morris, so I was looking forward to being back home and doing my own thing. I haven’t been able to play or practice as much as I would like.”

Seelig went out in 1 under on Springhaven’s front nine.

He began his trifecta of red figures on Nos. 12 (par 5, 516 yards), 13 (par 3, 192 yards) and 14 (par 4, 342 yards). He judged a mud ball brilliantly and roped a 4-iron from 236 yards to 10 feet on No. 12. An easy two-putt birdie.

A saucy splash from the greenside bunker that confidently clanked the bottom of the cup for a two, ignited his scorecard. He completed the trifecta by canning a 35-footer on No. 14. He hit a smooth 54-degree wedge from 93 yards to four feet at the last (par 4, 384 yards) to card 65.

“I grew up playing at Reading Country Club, this golf course is just a bigger version of that,” Seelig, of LedgeRock Golf Club, said. “Reading has small greens and this course tests all aspects of your game even though it isn’t long in length. I really enjoyed playing out here, it is a fun golf course that reminds me of home.”

Blustery winds and softer conditions due to overnight rain made controlling trajectory and spin a priority.

“I feel like the strength of my game is my mental game,” Seelig said. “Being able to think my way around the golf course to me seems easy to me and I have a good handle on it. These windy conditions didn’t make me nervous at all because playing college golf in the spring in the northeast gets you a lot of days like this but much colder.” 

Seelig will have some more time off before teeing it up at Medford Village Country club in Final Qualifying administered by GAP on July 22. There’s no doubt that he’s on the right track to try to make his first USGA National Championship.

“Working hard for everything I have gotten and accomplished has motivated me a lot,” Seelig said. “When you have that attitude it makes things a little easier. As a result, you manage your time and life better. I believe in using hard work to help get you where you want to go. I’ve put a lot of effort into golf. I want to make sure that I take advantage of that.”

Newton made the trek across the border with one goal in mind. Go low.

“We only have one qualifier in Canada and that always fills up quick,” Newton, 20, and a rising junior at Kent State University, said. “So I always try to find one that is close by and is at a good golf course. From the looks of what I saw it was online, The Springhaven Club looked great. It really was.”

Newton took advantage of his length and savvy wedge play on multiple occasions but he wouldn’t have a share of medalist honors without to clutch eagles on the front nine, his final nine.

Ironically enough, the eagles were identical. Nos. 2 and No. 8 follow a dogleg left shape and require two strong shots to reach. The powerful Newton launched a 5-iron on each hole, from 225 and 231 yards, respectively to 9 feet apiece. He rolled in both of those to get to his magic number and a spot in Final Qualifying.

“The course is tree lined but it is more open than you think,” Newton, who won the Quebec Amateur in 2023 and the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship in 2021, said. “For me I felt comfortable ripping my driver a lot. Because of the rain last night the greens were receptive. My wedge game is a strength of mine so I felt good about my ability to control spin.

“I feel like the format change makes the odds of qualifying about the same. Getting out of this stage and making the next one gives me a bit of confidence. I like that aspect. Those 36-hole days were hard mentally out there trying to stay focused for that long of a day. I am happy with how things went today.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.