Josh Eure parlayed two sub-par rounds over his home course, Crofton Country Club, into a 6-under 138 and claimed the medal in qualifying for the 110th U.S. Amateur championship, July 28. A recent devestating storm had forced two postponements while maintenance staff and outside agencies did a Herculean job in getting the course ready for play, July 28.
Eure, 19, who is a rising sophomore at the University of Arkansas, shot 70-68 over a par 72 course that was played at 7,084 yards to edge fast-closing Chris Baloga (73-66) by a stroke. Denny McCarthy, the No. 1-ranked Junior in the country by at least one rating service, took the final available place with 71-72. With two playing partners having withdrawn, the 17-year-old standout from Burtonsville, played the last round with a marker, making it a much more difficult task, especially in concentration.
Eure's morning round included four birdies, two bogeys, while in the afternoon, he started at No. 10, turned in 3-under 33 after bogeying his first hole, then had one two-putt birdie on the front for fo 35. "I burned a lot of edges out there," he reported, although of the other four birds, three were from inside 10 feet and there was a 20-footer.
Backed by an outstanding junior career, Eure played in most of his Arkansas' tournaments, had one top-10 finish, but admitted that, overall, the year was nothing special. However, his summer has been special, as he reached the North & South quarterfinals, top 10 in the Eastern, and top 15 in the Maryland Open where he opened 69-71, then slipped back with a 75.
Baloga, from Hillendale Country Club, also has had a strong summer with three two-man better-ball event titles and a solo fourth in the Maryland Open. His afternoon 36-30 was a superb ball-striking round with some exceptional putting, particularly on the back nine -- his final nine of the day. The 27-year-old's 30 included a chip-in eagle-3 from in front of the green at the 554-yard 16th, six birdies ranging up to 15 feet, and a total of 11 putts. He started birdie-birdie, but offset them with two bogeys to turn in even par.
Where this will be the first U.S. Amateur for Eure and Baloga (he went to the USGA's State Team championship last year), McCarthy, 17, who reached the semifinals of the U.S. Junior championship last week, will be making his second Amateur appearance. He was believed to be Maryland's youngest Amateur qualifier when he went to the championship site, Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okl;a., last year.
This summer, although there has been a string of victories for the Georgetown Prep senior who plays from Argyle Country Club, the most impressive was the 89th Maryland Open, where he shot 68-64-70 to win by two shots. At Crofton, he followed his 1-under 71 with a par-matching 72 where he bogeyed two of the first three holes on the front, then ran off 13 pars in the last 15 holes. He offset those two bogeys with birdies at the 13th (eight feet) and 18th (15 feet). That closing birdie enabled him to advance without a playoff.
One more stroke would have dropped him into a six-way tie (for one place) at 144. As it was, Stephen Bosdosh (74-70) birdied the first hole to be first alternate, and Steven Delmar, Jr. (75-69) parred it to be second alternate. The others were Brendan Kelly (74-70) and Zach Lese (74-70). First-round leader Will Collins, a University of Virginia senior from Salisbury, N.C., last year's Baltimore section medalist, opened with 69, then included four bogeys and a double-bogey in his second round of 75. He had the first starting time and did not stay for a possible playoff.
The championship will be played August 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
- Reported by John Stewart from Crofton
