Tournament Results
Kevin Grady Interview
Photos
Catonsville, Md. – Rolling Road Golf Club hosted the 39th Maryland Mid-Amateur Championship July 28 and 29. The tournament showcased Maryland and D.C.’s top mid-amateur golfers for the region, and they did not disappoint. Kevin Grady emerged victorious to capture his fifth Maryland Mid-Amateur title, delivering three impressive rounds to finish at ten-under-par 200
The tournament began on Monday, July 28, with 136 golfers seeking the Maryland Mid-Amateur title. By the end of the day, the field would be cut to the low 30 and ties. The day was highlighted by three former champions finishing round one in the top ten and a fourth also making the cut.
Competitive Start, Four Tied for First
2010 champion Chris Baloga of Country Club of Maryland finished at a solid 2-over-par 72, which was good enough to finish T20 and right above the cut line. Defending two-time champion Billy Peel of Columbia Country Club completed an up-and-down first round 1-under-par 69, which included five birdies to go along with four birdies. Peel finished round one in a tie for eighth and two strokes behind the lead. Two-time champion Billy Wingerd of Sparrows Point Country Club fired three birdies on his way to a round one T5 finish and a score of 2-under-par 68.
Sitting in a tie for first place after round one with a score of 3-under-par 67 was four-time champion Kevin Grady of Rolling Road Golf Club. Grady carded four birdies en route to his round one T1 finish. He was joined at the top by fellow Rolling Road Golf Club member John Marshall, as well as Ray Hyre of Crofton Country Club and Brad Whitaker of Columbia Country Club. Marshall fired three birdies, including an eagle on hole seven, on his way to the T1 finish. Hyre carded an impressive eight birdies, six of which came on the back nine, but five bogeys countered to bring Hyre to his T1 finish. Whitaker, who won the 100th Maryland Amateur at Rolling Road in 2021, started his round with a bogey on hole one, but would go on to card five birdies and a second bogey to finish with his 3-under-par 67.
Other notable players in round one finishing their first round at even-par or below par include Rolling Road Golf Club members Sean Boyle and Jay Mulieri, who each finished at 2-under-par 68, and Chris Conklin of MSGA eClub with a score of 1-under-par 69. Three players concluded their first rounds at even-par 70, which included Benjamin Warnquist of Manor Country Club, David Long of Rolling Road Golf Club, and Kyle Gebhart of Manor Country Club. Ultimately, 32 players made the cut with a score of 2-over par 72 or better.
Grady Dominates Round Two to Build Strong Lead
On Tuesday morning, players arrived with high expectations, but as the temperatures rose, so did the level of competition. Grady started the round tied for first place, but by the end, he had established a five-stroke lead over his closest competitor. The Rolling Road member carded an impressive 6-under-par 64, which included five birdies and one eagle.
Fellow Rolling Road members Marshall and Mulieri completed the top three, each delivering solid rounds of 1-under-par 69. Marshall’s round featured four birdies, while Mulieri carded five birdies. Defending champion Peel continued to work his way up the leaderboard, finishing his second round with an even-par 70 that included two birdies. Tied with Peel was Kyle Gebhart of Manor Country Club, who carded a 1-under-par 69. While Gebhart struggled some on the front nine, he was able to find his footing on the back nine, carding three birdies.
Other notable finishes for the second round include 1-under-par 69 scores by Rij Patel of Hayfields Country Club and Keegan Boone of Bethesda Country Club. Patel’s second round included five birdies countered by four bogeys. Boone was streaky in his second round, carding two bogeys on holes two and three and following that with four birdies, including three in a row on holes seven through nine. Boone concluded his round with two birdies on holes 15 and 16, followed by two bogeys on 17 and 18. Warnquist and Long each finished with their second straight round of even-par 70.
Grady Claims Fifth Mid-Amateur Title
Rolling Road members peppered the top seven on the leaderboard by the end of the tournament, with five members finishing seventh or better. With a final round score of 1-under-par 69, which included three birdies, Boyle was able to jump four spots for a top-five finish. Gebhart, a member of Manor Country Club, posted a second consecutive round of 1-under-par 69 that included two birdies and an eagle, boosting him into the third-place position. On his way to a second-place finish, Mulieri had his best round of the event with a 4-under-par 66. His round featured seven birdies, including three in a row to conclude his final round.
Grady continued his solid play into the final round despite describing the afternoon as “a little bit of a struggle.” He put together a final round score of 1-under-par 69, and despite Mulieri’s final round low of 66, was able to secure the 39th Maryland Mid-Am title by three strokes. Grady described the victory on his home course as “probably the most pressure I have put on myself, especially for an MSGA event.” He added, “If there is a place I should play well, it is here.”
His victory now gives Grady his fifth Maryland Mid-Amateur title, the most of any player in the tournament’s 39-year history. The next closest is Terry Burke with three titles. “That’s pretty special,” said Grady when asked about what it meant to win his fifth Maryland Mid-Amateur. “It’s kind of the event that got me kick-started a couple of years ago, so it means a lot to me.”
The Maryland State Golf Association would like to extend its gratitude to the staff and members at Rolling Road Golf Club for their hospitality this week.
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