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Met Area to be well represented at USGA's Four-Ball championships

Luke Feehan fires out of a greenside bunker during Saturday's opening round. (Photo: USGA/Fred Vuich)

UPDATE: (May 21, 2016) - With one round of stroke play complete at both the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, held at Winged Foot Golf Club, and the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship, being contested at Streamsong Resort's Blue Course, several Met Area competitors are looking to advance to the match play portion of their respective events.

Here's how teams with Met Area competitors stand through one round of stroke play:

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (Scoring):

Cameron Young (Scarborough, N.Y.)/Paul McBride (Ireland) -2 / T31
Max Christiana (White Plains, N.Y.)/Luke Feehan (Carmel, N.Y) E / T57
Sam Bernstein (New York, N.Y.)/Greg Shuman (New York, N.Y.) +1 / T70
Matthew Finger (Woowich Township, N.J.)/Michael Korcuba (Sicklerville, N.J.) +2 / T84
Jason Bataille (Bridgewater, N.J.)/Brian Whitman (Tinton Falls, N.J.) +3 / T97
Zachary Plutzik (New York, N.Y.)/Ben Wescoe (New York, N.Y.) +4 / T107
William Handley (Hoboken, N.J.)/Jon Ross (Hershey, Pa.) +6 / T120

 

U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball (Scoring):

Hana Ku (Basking Ridge, N.J.)/Jordan Lippetz (Oakland, Calif.) E / T35
Alyssa Roland (New York, N.Y.)/Callie Kemmer (Washington, D.C.) +2 / T46

 

In both championships, the top 32 teams will advance to match play following 36 holes of stroke play competition.

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ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 19, 2016) – The USGA opens its slate of 2016 national championships this weekend and the Met Area is sure to be showcased in several ways. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will take place at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., featuring a host of local competitors, while more area players will compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Streamsong Resort’s Blue Course in Streamsong, Fla. Both championships are slated for May 21-25.

The championships debuted in 2015—being contested at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., respectively—and are the newest national championships conducted by the USGA. Four-ball is one of the most popular formats of play nationwide, as two-person sides play their own ball, then use the better score as the team’s score for the hole.

Historic Winged Foot will welcome 128 sides to battle for the second U.S. Amateur Four Ball Championship title. Stroke play will take place on the East Course and the West Course, May 21-22, with the low 32 sides advancing to match play. All matches will then be played on the East Course, May 23-25. This is the 12th USGA championship hosted by the club, but just the fourth in which a victor will be decided on the East Course—the last being the 1980 U.S. Senior Open.

Related: U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Homepage | Starting Times | Spectator Information

Sam Bernstein and Greg Shuman, both of New York, N.Y., are making their second appearance in the championship and aim to advance to the match play portion this year after narrowly missing the cut at The Olympic Club in 2015. The duo fired an 8-under 64 last October at Cedar Brook to grab the second qualifying position available. Zachary Plutzik and Ben Wescoe, also both from New York, N.Y., also qualified at Cedar Brook, taking medalist honors with a 9-under 63.

Luke Feehan of Carmel, N.Y., a member of the MGA’s 2015 Carey Cup team, qualified last September with Max Christiana of White Plains, N.Y., by carding a 6-under 65 at Hollow Brook and surviving a playoff to advance. Christiana has had past success with four-ball at Winged Foot, having won the famed Anderson Memorial in 2013. William Handley of Hoboken, N.J., and Jon Ross of Hershey, Pa., had the same path, also shooting 65 and coming through successfully in the 4-for-2 playoff.

Two more Met Area teams qualified at Spring Brook Country Club last August. 2004 MGA Public Links champion Jason Bataille of Bridgewater, N.J., and Brian Whitman of Tinton Falls, N.J., claimed the second qualifying position with a 6-under 64. Whitman competed in the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2015. Matthew Finger of Woolwich Township, N.J., a qualifier for the 2006 U.S. Amateur, and Michael Korcuba of Sicklerville, N.J., were victorious in a 4-for-1 playoff at Spring Brook after shooting 5-under 65.

Finally, Cameron Young of Scarborough, N.Y., was exempt into the field based on his top-400 World Amateur Golf Ranking. The 2015 MGA Player of the Year—who is no stranger to USGA events having advanced to the match play portion of the U.S. Amateur the last two years—will pair with his Wake Forest teammate Paul McBride of Ireland. Young performed well in last year’s 100th Met Open at Winged Foot’s East Course, finishing tied for fifth, and will now look to use his experience on the course to challenge for a national championship.  The now 19-year old made a smooth transition to the college ranks last fall and has won three individual titles. The Demon Deacons’ season will conclude at the NCAA Championship, May 27-June 1 in Eugene, Ore.

Spectators are welcome to attend the championship at Winged Foot (more details in the above link), but those not able to attend can follow televised coverage over the final two days, May 24-25, on FS1. Coverage will air from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days.

The MGA will also provide coverage of the action from Winged Foot as the tournament progresses.

Meanwhile, 64 sides will begin the quest for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Streamsong Resort. The top 32 sides advance to match play following two days of stroke play, with a champion being determined on May 25.

Related: U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship Homepage | Starting Times

Former Yale University teammates Alyssa Roland of New York, N.Y., and Callie Kemmer of Washington, D.C., are making their second appearance in the championship, having missed qualifying for match play by just two strokes last year at Bandon Dunes. The duo qualified for 2016’s event last October at Carlisle Country Club in Carlisle, Pa., where they shot 3-over 74 to take the final advancing position. Roland has a variety of national championship experience, having also competed in both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Hana Ku of Basking Ridge, N.J., and Princeton teammate Jordan Lippetz of Oakland, Calif., gained entry to the field as first alternates from qualifying at Greenacres Country Club in Lawrenceville, N.J, where they carded a 1-under 71. Ku was named first-team All-Ivy League in 2016, and won an individual title at the Lehigh Invitational.

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