Metropolitan Amateur Qualifying Preview
St. Louis, MO - The 34th Metropolitan Amateur Championship is right around the corner and the players have responded. A record breaking number of entries were received this year with 241 players signed up at the close of registration on July 3. 53 of those players are exempt straight into the championship, leaving 188 to fight for the remaining spots. The maximum field size for the championship is 156, so there are 103 spots up for grabs at the qualifier.
The qualifier for the Metropolitan Amateur will be held on July 11 at Crescent Farms Golf Club in Eureka. There is a wide range of players ready to tee it up on Thursday. The youngest player in the field is 15 while the oldest is 66 years old. The average age across the field: 30. With a maximum handicap index limit of 5.4, all players have an index of 5.4 or less. The lowest handicap index held in the field is a +6.2 and the average index is a 0.82. We have quite a few relatives competing against each other in the field including multiple sets of brothers and even some father-son competition. There are many familiar faces from championships past and a few new ones as well. Fifty different Metropolitan Member Clubs are represented in this field. From high school to college golfers to avid golfers from across the area, there is a strong showing for talent the area has to offer.
As for the 53 exempt players automatically in the field for the championship, there are 6 past champions participating. Not to mention the players that have cut it close, broken championship round records, and have been runner-ups. The 2023 Metropolitan Junior Amateur Champion is taking a swing at it at his home course, and the 2024 Old Warson Cup Champions are ready to roll as well. In the exempt players alone, the average handicap index is a +2.31 with an average age of 33. Amongst these players, they represent 23 Member Clubs. Though these guys have earned it and can sit with the comfort of knowing they are in the field, they have to look out for those that will make it through the qualifier and are hungry to take them down. With this strong field, the qualifier and championship are sure to be a good one.
Those that qualify will join the exempt players at Bellerive Country Club on August 1-3.
Bellerive is calling, who is going to answer?