MGA: Massachusetts Golf Association Illustration Illustration

News Release

For Immediate Release: September 3, 2002

 Brian Coakley (Wellesley, MA) continued his impressive summer golf season today by capturing medalist honors at the second and final day of U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying held at Franklin Country Club in Franklin, Massachusetts. The amateur player out of Charles River CC shot 2-under par 69 to edge 2001 Massachusetts Amateur Runner-Up Brian Higgins (Bellingham, MA) by one stroke.

Earlier this year at the New England Amateur Championship held at Manchester Country Club, Coakley turned heads by making a hole-in-one on the 13th hole in both the second and third rounds of play. The following week, while playing in his club championship, he holed out his second shot on the 13th hole for an eagle 2.

Finishing at even par 71 behind Coakley and Higgins were Tim Mooradian (Maynard, MA), John Auclair (Cumberland, RI) and 2001 Massachusetts Amateur champion Brendan Hester (Sutton, MA). Mooradian turned in the best front nine score of the day - a 3-under par 32 - but struggled on the challenging back nine with a score of 3-over par 39.

These five qualifiers have now earned the right to compete at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be held at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, CT on September 21-26, 2002.

Day 2 U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying Notes:
• Qualifiers from the first day of qualifying - held on August 27 at Kernwood CC - were Stephen Kuhn (Brighton, MA), Kevin Quinn (Needham, MA), John Hogan (Beverly, MA), Jack Kearney (Peachtree City, GA) and Daniel Arvanitis (Manchester, NH).
• The U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship is open to amateur golfers who hold a handicap index of 3.4 or less and who are 25 years of age or older.
• Qualifying results from around the country as well as all sectional qualifying results will be available on the USGA's official web site at www.usga.org.

U.S Mid-Amateur Qualifying
Franklin Country Club
September 3, 2002
Par 71 (35-36)

Qualifiers
1) Brian Coakley (Wellesley, MA) 33-36--69
2) Brian Higgins (Bellingham, MA) 34-36--70
3) Tim Mooradian (Maynard, MA) 32-39--71
4) Brendan Hester (Sutton, MA) 35-36--71
5) John Auclair (Cumberland, RI) 34-37--71

Alternates:
1) Kevin Dyer (St Petersburg, FL) 37-35--72
2) Michael Prendergast (Hingham, MA) 37-36--73
3) Mark Shaffer (Natick, MA) 36-37--73
4) Jim Mahoney (Narragansett, RI) 36-37--73