Round 2
The 15th and 18th holes were pivotal, as Kevin Grady came from behind to edge Billy Peel by a single stroke after Peel was three shots ahead with four holes left in the final round of the Maryland State Golf Association’s 33rd annual Mid-Am championship at Eagle’s Nest Country Club, August 6.
Two birdies (Grady) and two bogeys (Peel) was all it took to turn this one around.
Peel, a first-round co-leader, was one shot ahead at the turn — despite an eagle-3 at the 480-yard uphill ninth from Grady, who hit a bad drive, a 2-iron shot up the slope and a 25-yard pitch — and seemingly in a solid position after birdies at 11-12. “Three down, four to go,” Grady said later of his thoughts going to the 511-yard, par-5 15th. “I’d better make something happen.” And he did, with some help from his playing companion.
Grady struck a 6-iron shot to 12 feet, knocked his ball by the hole and made it coming back for birdie. Peel was long in two, went back and forth, was inside of Grady, but his bid for par lipped out and left him with a bogey six.
At the 385-yard, par-4, 18th, Grady wedged to 10 feet and holed it for birdie. Peel, on in two, left his first putt five feet short and missed it. Bogey.
When Grady, 31, hoisted the championship trophy. he joined Jeff Castle (2013-2014) as the event’s only successful defenders, although Dave Rasley (1990, 1996) and Terry Burke (2000, 2007) also each won twice.
Asked if there were any differences in his two victories, Grady said they were completely different. Last year, he had the lead and this time he came from behind. “I think it’s easier coming from behind, because it helps you focus, ” he said. “Last year, ahead, I was just kind of steering it [trusting he didn’t make any mistakes].”
From the top two, it was back to a three-way tie at 142 among Charlie Winegardner, last year’s runner-up from The Cannon Club, 74-68; Ben Lukehart, Piney Branch GC, 72-70, and Rye Stinson, Hobbit’s Glen GC, 74-68, followed by Billy Wingerd at 73-70. Stinson aided his cause with an eagle-3 at the ninth.
The tournament also included a one-day net division event, won by Dean Daniels, who registered from the MSGA E-Club, 74-4-70, trailed by Mark Joyner, Ocean City GC, 80-8-72, and Scott Murdick, E-Club, 79-6-73, among the nine who recorded a score.
Aside from Grady and Wingerd, other former champions in the field were Ray Sheedy (2012) and Larry Storck (1998)…David Nocar made the biggest improvement between rounds going from 79 (the last number for 40 players) to 69, with four birdies and a bogey…For a change, the weather was good, sunny and warm, but not oppressive.
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Kevin Grady
Championship Winner with MSGA OIC Ted Florenz
Dean Daniels
Net Division Winner with MSGA OIC Ted Florenz
Round 1
Keegan Boone scored early, Billy Peel late, and at the end of the opening round their 4-under-par 68’s led the 33rd Mid-Am Championship of the Maryland State Golf Association by three strokes at Eagle’s Nest Country Club in Towson, August 5.
Boone, from Bethesda and Bethesda CC, off No. 1. in the first group, returned with a 35-33, fashioned by five birdies and a second-hole bogey. In the next to last group on the course in late afternoon, Peel, from Columbia CC, also having started at No. 1, checked in with 34-34, made up of four birdies and two bogeys on each nine. Both players birdied three of the four par 5’s that ranged from 480 yards to 523 yards.
Defending champion Kevin Grady, from Rolling Road GC, and Tracy Vallandingham, from Breton Bay G&CC, followed with 1-under 71’s. Grady got to 3-under on the back nine, but bogeys at 14-15 dropped him back. Vallandingham, who tied for fourth a year ago after opening with a 69 at Woodmont CC, birdied all the par 5’s, two with two putts each and two with a chip and a putt. Two of them — at the 7th and 9th — were part of a three-birdies-in-a-row finish to get to 35-36.
Three more trailed at 72 — Ben Shields, from Hunt Valley CC; Ben Lukehart, from Piney Branch GC, and Don Phattiyakul, from the University of Maryland GC.
A total 73 cards were returned with the field cut to the low 40 and ties for the second round. It was tight at the end, as there were 35 players at 79 or better and five players left on the course. Peel, Josh Notes, from Hobbit’s Glen GC, and Tim Dilli, from Baltimore CC, all came in under 80, leaving just Beaver Creek CC’s Chuck Thatcher and Patrick Veihmeyer, TPC Potomac.
When Thatcher posted 72 and Veihmeyer, 79, it left the cut at 79 with 40 players. Veihmeyer made it interesting, as he shot 38 on the front and managed to get back in with a 41 on the back, despite closing bogeys at 17-18. In the process, he lopped off nine players at 80.
Reported by John Stewart
