Lutherville, Md. — The Maryland State Golf Association will host the 103rd Maryland State Open at Talbot CC in Talbot County from Monday July 8 through Wednesday July 10. The only other time that the club hosted the championship was in 1975 when Martin West III of Columbia CC won the title. Talbot CC’s Head Golf Professional, Marc Kimminau, is playing in this year’s championship.
The Maryland State Open is open to all male amateur members of MSGA Member Clubs with an updated USGA handicap index of 7.1 or less. The Maryland State Open is also open to professionals who are: Middle Atlantic PGA members or registered associates, employed by MSGA Member Clubs, or residents of Maryland. The MSGA hosted four qualifying rounds at the Country Club at Woodmore, the Golf Club at South River, Mount Pleasant Golf Course, and Queenstown Harbor Golf Links – River Course.
On Thursday, April 25 at the CC at Woodmore, competitors only ended up playing 17 holes because No. 15 was closed due to a watershed restoration project. The course was adjusted to a par 68 for the qualifier. Tommy Sharps of Baltimore Country Club earned medalist honors by shooting the only red figure round of the day with a 2-under-par round of 66. On Monday, April 29 at the Golf Club at South River, Zachary Barbin of Chesapeake Bay Golf Club led the way with a 3-under-par round of 68 for the day. On Monday, May 6 at Mount Pleasant Golf Course, six players finished in red figures, but Ben Shields from Hunt Valley Country Club was the lowest man. He turned in a 3-under-par round of 68. On Tuesday, May 21 at the Queenstown Harbor GL’s River Course, Jake Roth out of Lakewood Country Club shot the lowest round of the day with a blistering and bogey-free round of 66. In total, 70 players qualified for the State Open through the local qualifiers. 52 were amateurs and 18 were professionals.
This year’s field is made up of 126 players. 40 of them are in the professional ranks, and 86 of them are amateurs. One of the most notable names in the field is Austin Barbin, the 103rd Maryland Amateur Champion. Barbin defeated one of the other players in the State Open field, Jake Roth, 7&6 in the final match. A week after Barbin’s breakthrough at Manor CC, he traveled up to Philadelphia where he won the 124th Philadelphia Amateur in commanding fashion. Austin is not the only Barbin to worry about in this year’s State Open, however. There is Zachary Barbin, who (listed above) won the State Open qualifier at the Golf Club at South River. There is also Evan Barbin, who recently won the 73rd Delaware Amateur at Clay Creek Country Club by shooting a 72-hole total of 13-under-par. Keep an eye on these three Barbin brothers.
There must be something in the water at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club as there is another notable name in the field from the club that is playing in this year’s State Open. His name is Noah Wallace, the 100th Maryland Junior Amateur Champion. Wallace is coming off an impressive 2-under-par performance in hot and windy conditions at the United States Naval Academy Golf Club. He was the only player in red figures for the week as he won by seven shots.
The past State Open Champions should not be forgotten. There are seven of them in this year’s field with four of them being professionals and three of them being amateurs. On the professionals’ side of things, Ryan Siegler of Baltimore CC will look to defend his title at Talbot CC after he earned his first State Open title at Hillendale CC last year. Josh Speight (The Club at Viniterra), the 2020 State Open Champion, and David Hutsell (Baltimore CC), the 2011 State Open Champion, will also look to add a second State Open title to their collection. Sean Bosdosh, the 2012 and 2016 State Open Champion, will look to win his third State Open title. Bosdosh is coming off of a win an 11-under-par victory at the Maine Open. On the amateurs’ side of things, Jake Griffin (Argyle CC), the 2021 State Open Champion, Matt Bassler (MSGA eClub), the 2009 State Open Champion, and Bill Wingerd (Sparrows Point CC), the 2007 State Open Champion, are all looking for their second State Open title.
Two of the players in our field are coming in with major experience. Josh Speight (2020) and Larkin Gross of Westwood CC earned their way into the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Speight and Gross both missed the cut, but the experience they gained was second-to-none.
Who will emerge as the 103rd Maryland State Open Champion next week at Talbot CC?
