Trio earns medallist honors at U.S Mid-Am Qualifier

  TURNERSVILLE, N.J.–Michael Paduano of Shrewsbury, N.J., Jamie Slonis of Sewell, N.J. and Thomas Timby, Jr. of Doylestown, Pa., shared medallist honors in a U.S. Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier administered by the Golf Association of Philadelphia at Wedgwood CC (par 72, 6,890 yards) on Monday. All three players carded 1-under par rounds of 71.

  The U.S. Middle-Amateur Championship is set for Sept. 10-15 at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tenn. A field of 94 players with a handicap index of 3.4 or better attempted to qualify for the 25th U.S. Mid-Am at Wedgwood CC. Players who will reach their 25th birthday by Sept. 10 were eligible.

  The remaining three qualifying positions went to Chris Lange of Bryn, Mawr, Pa., David Liotta of Lansdale, Pa., and Michael Tash of Glassboro, N.J. The trio survived a five man for three qualifying spots playoff. All five players finished at even-par 72.

  This U.S. Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier is one of 69 national qualifying sites to determine the remainder of the 264-player field (that number includes exempt players). Competitors will compete over 36 holes of stroke play to determine the 64 qualifiers for match play.

  Timby, 34, of Talamore at Oak Terrace CC, carded nine-hole totals of 35-36, while Paduano, 36, of Old Orchard CC, and Slonis, 36, of Tavistock CC needed fantastic back nine finishes to punch their tickets.

  Timby recorded one birdie and eight pars on his front side, before a bogey on No. 10 (par 4, 381 yards) dropped him back to even. A birdie on No. 11 (par 5, 560 yards) with a 9-iron to two feet preceded another bogey on No. 12 (par 3, 211 yards). However, Timby assured himself of a trip to his first U.S. Mid-Am with a chip-in birdie from 25 feet on No. 16 (par 3, 181 yards) and a tap-in for four on No. 17 (par 5, 502 yards). A wayward 7-iron approach shot on No. 18 (par 4, 435 yards) costs him a stroke, but not a chance at going to Tennessee.

  “This has been a huge goal of mine,” said Timby. “To do this feels good. I can’t wait to go to the next level and experience that.”

  Paduano opened with a 1-over-par 37 but finished in 2-under-par 34. His birdie-birdie finish assured him a trip to his first Mid-Am.

  “You think about these in April when you are practicing,” said Paduano, who has qualified for two U.S. Publinks Championships. “This is very important to me because you can’t compete with those 21-year-old college kids in the

  [Publinks]. This will be a little more fun. I’ve never played well in one of these. It’s been a little bit of a block to me. It’s satisfying to finally play well.”

  Slonis, who started on the back nine, made the turn in 3-over-par 39. He opened his final nine with four straight birdies and added another on No. 8 (par 3, 196 yards) to assure himself of his second U.S. Mid-Am trip.

  “It’s a thrill,” said Slonis, who just returned from competing in the British Mid-Am at Muirfeld GC in Scotland. “For guys 35 and over the Mid-Am is one of our Major tournaments if not the Major.”

  Paduano opened with one birdie and two bogeys on his front side. An embedded ball, that he didn’t know was embedded, lead to another bogey on No. 10 before he dropped a 2-iron to two feet on No. 12 and knocked a sand wedge to 12 feet on No. 14 (par 4, 376 yards) to get back to even par. A bogey hiccup on No. 16 resulted from a fanned 6-iron before a tap-in birdie on No. 17 and a nice three from eight feet on No. 18 sealed his ticket.

  Slonis carded three bogeys on his front side, the back nine, but caught fire immediately with four straight birdies to open his final nine holes. He rolled in a 15 footer on No. 1 (par ,4, 424 yards), chipped up to a foot on No. 2 (par 5, 522 yards), knocked a sand wedge to three feet on the third hole (par 4, 387 yards) and drained a 20 footer on No. 4 (par 3, 160 yards).

  Another under-par score on No. 7 (par 4, 398 yards), he put a gap wedge to 13 feet, preceded a bogey on No. 8 (par 3, 196 yards). Slonis finished with a fantastic two putt from 60 feet on the ninth (par 4, 397 yards).

  For Lange, 50, of Overbrook GC, the reigning Golf Association of Philadelphia Player of the Year, this is his fourth trip to the Mid-Am. Liotta, 35, of Whitemarsh Valley CC is making his third straight appearance and Tash, 43, of Tavistock CC heads to his first USGA event.

  “This means a lot,” said Tash, who has found himself in a USGA playoff a handful of times but has failed to qualify. “I was 2-over par with three holes to play and made a 15-foot birdie on No. 16 and a slippery seven footer on 17. I had a 12 footer on No. 18 to avoid the playoff. With the year I’ve been having and the swing changes I’ve been going through, this is really important to me.”