Pine Valley GC’s Raudenbush tops Amateur Championship Qualifier

 BETHLEHEM, Pa.–Matt Raudenbush of Pine Valley GC has never had trouble hitting a golf ball far. It’s accuracy that’s been the issue. In the 110th Amateur Championship Qualifier on Monday at Saucon Valley CC – and after a strong couple weeks of practice – Raudenbush’s ills are seemingly cured. Standing 6-foot-2 and a solid 200 pounds, the long-hitting Raudenbush registered 29 of 36 greens in regulation en route to a fantastic 2-under par 141 total (71 on Grace and 70 on Old) and medalist honors in the field of 127 players.

  Raudenbush will be the top seed of 36 as match play begins tomorrow and the quest for the J. Wood Platt Championship Trophy continues. First-round matches begin at 8 a.m. on the Old Course with second-round matches to immediately follow. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday. The 36-hole final begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

  Reigning Amateur champion Conrad Von Borsig of Concord CC turned professional in the winter and is not competing, however, the 2009 Amateur runner-up, James Kania, Jr. of Overbrook GC, qualified as the 28th seed at 151.

  Doug Marcincin of Northampton CC, who survived a seven-for-one playoff to earn the 32nd and final match play qualifying position a year ago at Stonewall, fell a shot short of medalist honors today, but will be the No. 2 seed.

  The cut line fell at 152 with five players competing for the final two match-play spots. David West of Whitford CC and Jeff Osberg of Llanerch CC were the final two qualifiers.

  “The last couple of weeks I kind of figured it out,” said Raudenbush, 21, of Pine Valley, N.J. “I’m hitting the ball the right distance. When I get wrong, I hit it over greens and that’s bad. The numbers with my irons have been really good. I’m missing a little left or right but pin high most of the time.”

  Raudenbush didn’t miss much in his 36 holes of qualifying. He totaled 10 birdies in all. And don’t overlook the shortness of his approach shots.

  In the morning round at the Grace Course (par 72, 7,038 yards), Raudenbush carded five birdies and four bogeys. He three-putted No. 5 (par 3, 162 yards) from 20 feet after opening with four straight pars, but hit GAP wedges from 128 and 126 yards, respectively, on Nos. 7 (par 4, 445 yards) and 8 (par 4, 395 yards), to three and six feet for birdies. Another bogey on No. 9 (par 4, 428 yards), when he missed his first green saw Raudenbush turn even. Not rattled the least, the University of North Carolina redshirt junior birdied his next three holes. On No. 10 (par 5, 536 yards), he knocked a 70-yard lob wedge on his third shot to six feet; on No. 11 (par 3, 195 yards) he clubbed a 7-iron to four feet and on No. 12 (par 4, 340 yards) he hit another lob wedge from 60 yards to a foot. A three-putt bogey on No. 13 (par 4, 337 yards) and a missed green on No. 17 (4, 437 yards) saw Raudenbush finish his initial 18 at 1 under.

  Marcincin, who also played in the morning at the Grace Course, held the first-round lead at 4 under.

  In the afternoon, Raudenbush’s strong and solid play continued on the Old Course (par 71, 6,944 yards).

  Starting on the back nine, he birdied two of his first four holes, including one bogey, before adding two more red figures on Nos. 1 (par 5, 554 yards) and 3 (par 4, 378 yards). He came up about 30 yards short of the green on the first hole before chipping up to eight feet and then drained a 15 footer on No. 3 after knocking a GAP wedge on from 120 yards. He missed the fourth (par 3, 161 yards) and fifth (par 4, 472 yards) greens and made bogeys accordingly, but birdied No. 6 (par 5, 556 yards) when he chipped his third shot up to a foot. A bogey on No. 8 (par 4, 429 yards) when his drive landed in the fairway bunker and a par on 9 (par 3, 215 yards) completed his round.

  Raudenbush has played in only two other Amateurs and has missed the cut in both. He did, however, win the 2006 Junior Boys’ Championship, splitting the run of Robert Galbreath, Jr.’s four titles in five years.

  “My mindset going into tomorrow is to put the ball in play and put the ball on the green,” said Raudenbush, whose father Charley caddied for him. Charley Raudenbush is the Pine Valley GC general manager. “In match play it’s tough to beat someone if they are putting the ball on the green. Mentally it kind of wears you down. I want to make guys have to make birdies to beat me.”

  Marcincin, a junior at Lehigh University, recorded six birdies and two bogeys in his a.m. round, for a Grace Course best 4-under 68.

  “I wanted to get off to a good start and just be able to enjoy the Old Course [in the afternoon]. It’s such a classy golf course,” said Marcincin, 20, of Bethlehem, Pa. “My game plan was to come out very strong. The first couple of holes on the Grace Course are tough and tight. I got off to a great start, I was 2 under after the first four holes and that kind of kick started my day.”

  The tough Old Course reared its difficult ways in Marcincin’s afternoon round. He carded three birdies and six bogeys, but still finished at 1-under par.

  “I wanted to finish under par in this qualifying, I’ve never done that before,” said Marcincin.

  Tying Marcincin in second was Justin Martinson of Hartefeld National. Martinson carded rounds of 69 (Old) and 73 (Grace) for a 142 total.