Smith takes medal at Amateur Championship qualifier

CONCORDVILLE, Pa.–Warren Smith, a scratch player from Fieldstone GC in Greenville, Del., fired an even-par 71 to lead a group of 50 players who qualified for the 104^th Amateur Championship of the Golf Association of Philadelphia Tuesday at Concord Country Club (par 71, 6,686 yards).

  Smith, 43, an investment banking technologist from Wilmington, Del., said he “played conservatively and putted really solid,” carding three birdies and three bogeys in a field 141 players in Amateur pre-qualifying competition, for players with a handicap index of 7.0 or lower.

  Playing in the last threesome of the day, he won the medal on the last three holes of his round after waiting through an hour’s delay for a thunderous lightning storm late in the afternoon.

  A “good three” on No. 7, a 455-yard par 4 that he played as his 16^th hole, “really got me going,” he said. A 300-yard plus drive and a 9-iron from 137 yards left him a curling, downhill, 20-footer, which he drained.

  A routine par on the par 4 eighth hole left him needing a par for the medal on no. 9, a 415-yard par 4. But after another long drive, Smith hit a “terrible” second shot, a 9-iron into the right bunker. A sand shot left him a 3 1/2-footer, which he rolled in for his 71.

  It was his second low qualifying round in a week. He qualified for the Mid-Amateur Championship last week at Burlington Country Club with a 2-over-par 74, one shot off the medal.

  Doug Schroer, of St. Davids GC, and Ernie VanMeter, of Wildwood G&CC, tied for second in the Amateur qualifying at Concord with 1-over-par 72s.

  Alan Borowsky, of White Manor CC, a sophomore at Lehigh University who qualified with a 73, provided the highlight of the day with a hole-in-one at the 188-yard, par-3 11^th hole. His 6-iron tee shot hit some 10 feet in front of the pin and rolled in for the ace.

  Another 33 players will qualify for the Amateur on Thursday, May 20, at Coatesville Country Club. They will join 49 exempt players and the Concord qualifiers in the 132-player field at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, June 14-19.

  The Amateur competition will begin with a 36-hole qualifying round on Monday, June 14. The low 31 players will advance to match play on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 15 and 16. The 36-hole final will be held on Saturday, June 19.

  The defending champion is Michael Tash, of Tavistock CC, who defeated Brian Gillespie, of St. Davids GC, 1-up, at Philmont Country Club (North course) last year.