Lehman Medals, Returns to U.S. Senior Amateur While Anderson Cards 72 to Earn First Trip

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  WOODBURY, Minn. – Carding a 1-under par 71 Thursday at Prestwick Golf Club, Jim Lehman earned medalist honors and qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

The qualifier was held to determine the field at this year’s 60th championship, which will be played September 13-18 at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif. Just two spots were available to the field of 32 players Thursday.

Lehman, Plymouth, Minn., coming off a Top-25 finish at the British Senior Amateur Championship earlier in the month, advanced to the match play portion of the championship a year ago before being eliminated.

Lehman started his round on the tenth tee Thursday at Prestwick Golf Club and got off to a slow start with bogeys on the 11th and 12th to quickly fall to 2-over, but settled down with five consecutive pars to finish the opening nine holes.

After three more pars to begin the back, Lehman rolled in his first birdie of the day to get back to 1-over. Lehman finished his round extremely well as he carded back-to-back birdies on his final two holes to card a 1-under par 71, to earn a spot in the championship.

“It was a little bit of a struggle in the beginning and I knew it was going to take even par or better to make it today,” Lehman said. “Fortunately, I didn’t make any bogeys the rest of the way and shot 3-under the last nine holes. It was a grinding kind of day.”

Lehman played in the Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Four-Ball Championship earlier this week and after just two bogeys over his last two rounds, is very happy with his game as he will head to California next month

. “Last year I was really disappointed to get beat during the first round [of match play] and I was hoping I would get another chance to go back and do better,” he said. “I’ve really worked hard on my game and as I look around the country, it seems like the guys who invest in their game and play in a lot of tournaments, do pretty well—I’d like to be in that group.”

Joining Lehman in September will be John Anderson who carded an even par 72 to grab the final qualifying spot as he will make his very first appearance to a USGA event.

Anderson, Andover, Minn., played a very consistent round as he holed eight consecutive pars before rolling in a birdie on the ninth to make the turn at 1-under.

Over the final nine holes he made another eight pars with one bogey to card 72, finishing tied for second with Randall Garber and needed an extra hole to earn his spot in the championship.

On the first playoff hole, Garber made bogey and Anderson lagged his birdie putt to a few inches, tapping in for par the clinch the final spot.

“Today went well and I was really steady—16 pars, one birdie and one bogey,” Anderson said Thursday. “My lag putting was really good. I made one putt about 20 feet and had about two inches on almost every hole, even in the playoff.”

“This is my first time qualifying, so I’m really excited. It should be a lot of fun and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.



60TH U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
WOODBURY, MINN.
6,641 YARDS, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
1. James Lehman, Plymouth, Minn., 33-38—71 (Qualifier)
T2. John Anderson, Andover, Minn., 35-37—72 (Qualifier)
T2. Randall Garber, Roseville, Minn., 36-36—72 (First Alternate)
T4. Leif Carlson, Apple Valley, Minn., 36-37—73 (Second Alternate)
T4. Steven Gergen, West St. Paul, Minn., 37-36--73
T6. Jerry Rose, Sarasota, Fla., 37-38—75
T6. Richard Blooston, Edina, Minn., 39-36—75
T6. David Kokesh, Bloomington, Minn., 38-37—75
T6. Steve Conway, Woodbury, Minn., 35-40—75
T6. Mark Hayes, Vadnais Heights, Minn., 38-37—75