Two Teams Punch Tickets to 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
St. Albans, MO – Two teams punched their tickets to the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Tuesday at St. Albans.
48 teams played for two qualifying spots and two alternate positions. Monday’s first round was completed and three teams finished at 10-under par. A three-hour weather delay pushed the final starting times to finish just before dark, and the playoff was forced to happen first thing Tuesday morning.
Sean Niles and Max O’Rourke earned the first qualifying spot after Niles birdied the second playoff hole, the par 4 9th. Niles had a little over 120 yards in and stuck it within a foot for an easy birdie.
“For myself, it’s my second USGA event of the year after the US Am so I’m really excited to be back at that level event,” Niles said. “The USGA always does a phenomenal job so I’m really excited to be back at that. This is where my Junior PGA was (at St. Albans), so was kind of a coming home party.”
The team from the Detroit area was in the first group off on Monday morning and were the first ones in at 10-under par. They made the turn at 3-under, including back-to-back birdies to start, and were in at 29. The 7-under on the back was highlighted by an eagle on the par 5 11th.
“It’s pretty exhilarating for me, I’ve never qualified for a USGA event, haven’t even qualified for the Michigan Am, so doing this is a huge step,” O’Rourke said. “I can’t even describe what I’m feeling it’s crazy and really cool.”
Two playoff holes later, Josh Rhodes and Davis Boland punched their ticket with a birdie on No. 18. Rhodes sunk a 30-footer to end it. The team was in the second group off on Monday morning.
Rhodes, from Paducah, Kentucky, made five 2s during the round on Monday. He birdied every par 3 and had an eagle on the drivable par 4 5th.
Bryan Bohme and Steve Shuert are first alternate after the playoff. Skip Berkmeyer and Brad Nurksi are second alternate after shooting 9-under on Monday.
The seventh playing of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship will take place May 14-18, 2022, at the Country Club of Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama.
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