Headline: Four More Bay State Golfers Punch Tickets to the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship Following Sectional Qualifying
For Immediate Release: August 10, 2010
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Evan Harmeling was one of four Bay State golfers to advance to the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship this past week. |
Norton, MA — In what has been a busy week of qualifying, four more Bay State golfers have punched their tickets for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held on August 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place in Washington.
Those four golfers - Evan Harmeling (North Reading, MA), Frank Vana, Jr. (Shrewsbury, MA), Brandon Parker (Auburn, MA) and Richard Werenski (South Hadley, MA) – all advanced following 36-hole sectional qualifying rounds which were held across New England this past week.
They will join Brian Higgins (Franklin CC), Antonio Grillo (Vineyard Haven, MA) and Scott Congdon (Foxboro, MA), who qualified on July 27.
Earlier this week, Parker carded a pair of 3-under par 68s to finish as medalist at New Haven Country Club and earn one of the two available qualifying spots available at that Connecticut site.
On Tuesday, the final two qualifiers were held here in Massachusetts. Leading the charge and finishing with a share of medalist honors at Andover Country Club was Harmeling, who made birdie on his final two holes of the day to finish with a day-low score of 5-under par 139. This marks the second time that the 22-year-old rising senior at Princeton University has qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship. His last trip to Championship Proper came in 2007.
Also qualifying in Andover in dramatic fashion was Vana, the nine-time Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year. After finishing as first alternate last year, Vana captured the fourth and final spot this year following a two-hole playoff with Dylan Newman (New Rochelle, NY).
"It was a long day and I was happy to make it through this year," said Vana, who posted a 4-under par 140 today. "I had an eight-foot putt on my final hole that could have helped me avoid the playoff, but overall I was happy with how I played throughout the day."
Over the course of his career, Vana has now qualified for and competing in 29 USGA Championship events. He also – just last week – captured a record fifth Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament.
In the western part of the state, Werenski continued his red-hot summer by carding a 5-under par 67 during the afternoon round to finish with a two-round total of 2-under par 142. Earlier this summer, Werenski – a freshman at Georgia Tech – claimed a share of low amateur honors at the Massachusetts Open Championship and then advanced to the Round of 16 at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
For more information about the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship, click here.
2010 Massachusetts Amateur Sectional Qualifying
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Andover Country Club (Andover, MA)
Par 144 (72-72)
Qualifiers
T1) Terence Daniels (Flatts) 72-67—139
T1) Evan Harmeling (North Reading, MA) 70-69—139
T1) Joe Leavitt (Atkinson, NH) 69-70—139
T4) Frank Vana, Jr. (Shrewsbury, MA) 69-71—140
Alternates
1st) Dylan Newman (New Rochelle, NY) 67-73—140
2nd) Matthew Campbell (Rome, NY) 72-70—142
2010 Massachusetts Amateur Sectional Qualifying
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Crestview Country Club (Agawam, MA)
Par 144 (72-72)
Qualifiers
1) Thomas McCarthy (Tolland, CT) 69-71—140
2) Nick Macdonald (Lebanon, NH) 69-72—141
3) Richard Werenski (South Hadley, MA) 75-67—142
Alternates
1st) John Vaccaro (Albany, NY) 73-71—144
2nd) Robert Burrow (Charlotte, NC) 70-74—144
