Third time’s a charm: Spring Mill CC’s Bea bests Patterson Qualifier

*Event Photos | *Scorecards

 IVYLAND, Pa. — Experience and history favored James Bea Thursday. In the last two years, the Spring Mill CC member has earned medalist honors in consecutive Joseph H. Patterson Cup Qualifiers at The Springhaven Club and Trenton CC, respectively. This time around, the event came to his home course, and as any sage may’ve foreseen, Bea again emerged as medalist.

“Good rounds don’t matter until you put them up at the tournament you qualified for,” the Churchville, Pa. resident said. “I’m lucky enough to get in the tournament. That was the number one goal of the day, but I’m sure ready to turn that corner and make a mark in a tournament. I hung in there today. It’s nice to hold my ground, play a good round of golf and finish in red figures.”

Bea carded a 2-under-par 70 at a sweltering Spring Mill CC (par 72, 6,906 yards) to lead a field of 140 players attempting to attain one of 36 available spots into the Championship proper, set for Aug. 11-12 at White Manor CC.

“I’m excited to put up a good number, but I need to re-adjust the goals and set myself up for playing better golf in the tournaments that I qualify for,” Bea, 21, said. “These numbers wash away as soon as you step onto the first tee at the Patterson Cup.”

  What hasn’t washed away is Bea’s penchant for the medalist platform. Starting on the back nine Thursday, he didn’t begin his qualifying bid in an optimal manner. He pulled a pitching wedge out of the fairway bunker to the left of the No. 10 (par 4, 395 yards) green. Bea’s chip chugged to five feet, but he couldn’t convert the par putt. He parred the next six holes, with a couple of scrambles sprinkled in. His second shot on the par 5, 573-yard 11th ran through the fairway and trickled onto the cart path. Bea took relief, knocked his third shot 50 yards short of the green and saved par with a wedge blast to four feet. Bea, a soon-to-be senior at Saint Joseph’s University, flew a 9-iron 145 yards to the back of the No. 13 (par 5, 535 yards) green. His chip stopped 12 feet from the jar, and he canned the par try.

  Bea, a looper at Lookaway GC, found his first red figure on No. 17 (par 4, 445 yards). He powered a pitching wedge 150 yards to 10 feet. Bea gave that stroke back on the par 4, 396-yard No. 1. He tugged his drive into a row of trees on the right and dumped a pitching wedge a 54-degree wedge 120 yards into the bunker. Bea exploded out to 10 feet and missed the par try. The sequence could’ve been worse, though.

  “Luckily, I had a backswing. I got a good enough club on it to put it in the greenside bunker,” Bea said of the approach. “I was pleased to see it didn’t clip any trees, and I got on the green where I gave myself a chance to make a par.”

  The five-time Spring Mill club champion knew that red figure opportunities lingered on the front. As the heat intensified, so did Bea’s putter. He birdied three of his final four holes to fashion a subpar score. On No. 6 (par 4, 395 yards), he flipped a wedge 50 yards to three feet below the flagstick. A sensible tee shot on No. 7 (par 4, 400 yards) led to a birdie.

  “It had been giving me problems from the back tees,” Bea said of No. 7. “I’d always step up and rip a driver there, and I’ve been pulling it left. I hit 3-iron and it came up short of the lake on the left.” He drilled a 9-iron 165 yards to five feet.

  Standing 180 yards from the No. 8 (par 5, 460 yards) flagstick, Bea pulverized a 7-iron to eight feet and watched his eagle effort stop inches from the jar. He salvaged a solid score by getting up-and-down for par on No. 9 (par 4, 446 yards) from the left rough. Bea has proven to be unstoppable in qualifiers, but still seeks success in the Championship proper.

  “I’m familiar with White Manor. I’m looking forward to putting up a couple of good rounds,” he said.

  Danny Costello, also of the host club, and Alexander Hicks of Wildwood G&CC both registered even-par 72s to finish second. At the end of the day, the cut line fell to 78.

  Thursday’s qualifier was the first of two events used to determine who will play in the Championship proper. The next will be held Thursday, July 28 at Coatesville CC.