After a long weekend, Tropical Storm Hermine threatened postponement in the 3rd U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Sectional Qualifying at Green Valley Country Club in Portsmouth, RI. Fortunately, Executive Director Bob Ward made the call to play as normally scheduled which ended up being the right call. Though there were sporadic showers throughout the day, the RIGA was able to run another successful tournament without a delay. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will be played May 27-31, 2017 at Pinehurst Number 2 in North Carolina. With three birdies and an eagle, the Maine team of John Hayes and Joe Walp was five under par through nine. The duo finished seven under with a lone eagle and six birdies total to qualify for the championship. Hayes and Walp bested twenty-eight other teams at Green Valley CC. The first alternates are Daniel O’Rourke and Paul Pastore with Herbie Aikens and Matt Parziale one shot behind them to secure the second alternate spot. One highlight at the qualifier was Massachusetts’s John Kelly Jr. and his ace on the 12th hole. Kelly dialed in to the 144 yard pin with his 8-iron to card the hole in one.
There will be one (1) qualifying spot & two (2) alternate spots.
General Information:
Food & Beverage: Will be available in the restaurant on a cash basis.
Driving Range: Will be available and open at 7:00am.
Practice Rounds: The fee is $40 per player and includes cart fee. Please call the Green Valley CC Golf Shop to arrange a time. (401)847-9543. Only competitors are allowed for the practice rounds, no caddies or friends.
Withdrawals: Please call the USGA Championships Departments at (908)326-1950.
Distance Devices: In Sectional qualifying and in the Championship proper, a player may obtain distance information by use of a distance-measuring device. If, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g., elevation changes, wind speed, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 14-3.
Golf Ball: The One-Ball Rule will be in effect. Competition Tees/Yardage/: The competition will be played from the BLUE TEES (Approx. 6700 yards).
Grooves: In Sectional Qualifying as well as in the Championship Proper, the player's clubs must conform to the groove specifications in the Rules of Golf effective January 1, 2010. Visit the USGA Groove Resource Center for more information.
