Peterson, Lehman Both Win Twice, But Lose in the Round of 16 at the U.S. Senior Amateur

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GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. -- Tim Peterson, an alternate from Forest Lake who got into the U.S. Senior Amateur and then made it through the stroke-play qualifying at the Country Club of Detroit over the weekend, pulled off his second major upset Tuesday morning, when he subdued Roger Newsom. Not only was Newsom the No. 5 seed, but he was also the runner-up in this tournament two years ago.

But Peterson, the No. 37 seed, fell behind early in his Round of 16 match Tuesday afternoon against No. 44 Billy Mitchell, and he ended up succumbing 4&3. 

The other Minnesotan who made it through stroke play and the first two rounds of match play, Jim Lehman, also lost in the Round of 16. The four-time Minnesota State Senior Amateur champion couldn't hold off Rusty Strawn, and eventually lost to Strawn's birdie on the third extra hole. 

Strawn was the guy who beat the guy who knocked off the medalist and top seed, Tim Hogarth, in the first round of matches. Kory Frost, the No. 64 seed, bounced Hogarth with a birdie on the 21st hole. Frost, in turn, was beaten 3&1 by Strawn, the No. 33 seed. On Tuesday afternoon, it appeared that Lehman (No. 48) was going end Strawn's run. Lehman had been 2 down on the front nine, but the 63-year-old former MGA Senior Player of the Year won the 415-yard, par-4 seventh and the 478-yard, par-5 ninth to pull even. 

Lehman and Strawn halved the next five holes, and then Strawn made a mess of two holes in a row. He tripled the par-4 15th and doubled the par-3 16th (207 yards). So Lehman was 2 up with two holes to go, but Strawn recovered with a birdie at the 517-yard, par-5 17th and won the 420-yard, par-4 18th with a par. 

So they went to extra holes. They parred the first two, and then Strawn ended the match with his birdie on the third, a 509-yard par 5.

Earlier in the day, Lehman had come back from an early 3-down deficit to beat the 2020 North Carolina Senior Am champ, Steve Harwel (No. 16). After losing the second, fourth and fifth holes, Lehman got back to 2 down by winning the par-3 eighth (149 yards). He was still 2 down after 13 holes, but he won the 14th, 16th and 18th, all with pars, and claimed a 1-up victory.

Peterson, 57, grabbed an early lead against Newsom, but Newsom squared things by winning the fourth hole (399 yards) with a par. A par by Peterson at the fifth put him 1 up. That was how the match went, basically, as the players traded holes all morning. Newsom, 58, tied the match with a birdie to win the eighth, and the next hole they halved was the 18th, which left them tied.

Both players parred the first extra hole, but Peterson settled the matter by winning the 449-yard, par-4 second with a par. 

Then along came Mitchell, a 58-year-old performance health coach (trainer) who has worked with several PGA Tour players, including Stewart Cink. At first, they traded holes, Peterson winning the first, Mitchell the second, both with pars, and Peterson the par-5 third with a birdie. Then Mitchell, the No. 44 seed, took control, winning the fourth and fifth holes with pars and the 387-yard, par-4 sixth with a birdie, and taking a 2-up lead. He made it 3 up with a birdie at the 600-yard, par-5 10th.

Peterson won the 11th (400 yards, par 4) with a par, but Mitchell got the lost hole back with a par at the par-3 13th and closed Peterson out with a birdie at the 357-yard, par-4 15th.

Most of the high seeds, like Newsom, are gone. In the upper half, No. 9 Jerry Gunthorpe is left, and he will play Strawn on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. 

Mitchell will play, Dave Bunker, the No. 20 seed. Bunker, like Gunthorpe, won comfortably Tuesday afternoon, Bunker beating No. 29 Daniel Russo 5&3, and Gunthorpe dispatching No. 25 Jim Scorse 4&3. 

In the lower half, the No. 2 seed, Chip Lutz, is still alive. He defeated No. 50 Eddie Hargett 3&2 Tuesday afternoon and will face No. 58 Craig Davis, a 3&2 winner over No. 55 Lewis Stephenson, in the quarters.

The last of the four quarterfinals will pit No. 46 Tom Gieselman against No. 38 Gene Elliott Elliot bounced No. 11 Doug Hanzel 1 up. Henzel had been the only other remaining top-15 seed besides Lutz and Gunthorpe. Gieselman beat No. 30 Joe Jaspers 1 up.   


U.S. Senior Amateur

At the Country Club of Detroit
       
Par 72

Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. 

Stroke play (the top 64 players advance to match play)

1. Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif.            69-65--134

2. Chip Lutz, Redding, Pa.                       68-70--138

T3. Sherrill Britt, West End, N.C.             71-68--139

T3. Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa.              73-66--139

5. Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va.   69-71--140

T6. Scott Almquist, Wallace, Idaho          68-73--141

T6. Jeff Knox, Augusta, Ga.                     68-73--141

T6. Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga.           71-70--141

T6. Michael McCoy, Des Moines, Iowa   69-72--141

T6. Jerry Gunthorpe, Ovid, Mich.            71-70--141

T6. Chris Fieger, Dnver, Pa.                    69-72--141

T28. Tim Peterson, Forest Lake            74-71--145

T48. Jim Lehman, Minnetonia               74-73--147

Missed cut  --  148

Bob Ralston, Hopkins                            78-74--152/Rou

Lee Kolquist, Geneva, Ill.                       81-80--161


Match play

Round of 64

Lehman (48) def. Pat Thompson (17) 1 up

Peterson (37) def. Tim Jackson (28) 21 holes 


Round of 32

Lehman def. Steve Harwell (16) 1 up

Peterson def. Roger Newsom (5) 20 holes


Round of 16

Rusty Strawn (33) def. Lehman 21 holes

Jerry Gunthorpe (9) def. Jim Scorse (25) 4&3 

Dave Bunker (20) def. Daniel Russo (29) 5&3

Billy Mitchell (44) def. Peterson 4&3

Chip Lutz (2) def. Eddie Hargett (50) 3&2

Craig Davis (58) def. Lewis Stephenson 3&2

Tom Gieselman (46) def. Joe Jaspers (30) 1 up

Gene Elliott (38) def. Doug Hanzel (11) 1 up