Back-to-Back Under-Par Rounds Seal Victory for Todd Williams at 97th Maryland Senior Amateur

Tournament Results
Photos
Todd Williams Interview

Bel Air, Md. – The 97th Maryland Senior Amateur took place at Maryland Golf and Country Club from September 8 to 9. The tournament drew 122 golfers to participate in the Championship, Mid-Master, and Super-Senior divisions. After two rounds of competition, Todd Williams from Montgomery Country Club claimed the Maryland Senior Amateur title, Jim Winner from Maryland Golf and Country Club won the Super-Senior division, and Matt Hollerbach from Crofton Country Club secured the win in the Mid-Master division.

Championship Division

Former champions highlighted round one of the tournament, with four of the five advancing to round two. 2024 champion Michael Garner from Manor Country Club played well enough to finish top-20 with a score of 6-over-par 79, securing a spot in round two of the tournament. Two-time champion Tom Winegardner from The Cannon Club put together a score of 4-over-par 77, which would give him a top ten finish at eighth place for round one.2017 champion David Nocar of Chartwell Golf & Country Club put together a solid round of 3-over-par 76, giving him a top-five finish in round one.

Three players tied finished round one tied for second place with a score of 1-over-par 74: Jeff Knight of MSGA eClub, Russell Porter from Chevy Chase Club, and 2020 champion Vance Welch from Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club. Knight got off to a strong start, carding three birdies in his first four holes and finishing with four total. Porter started his round with several highs and several lows, scoring in order, par, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, double bogey, birdie through the first seven holes. He would settle in for the remainder of the round, which included another birdie and bogey on the back nine. Former champion Welch also tallied four birdies in his first round, with two on the front nine and two on the back nine.

Leading the pack after round one was Todd Williams from Montgomery Country Club, tallying a score of 2-under-par 71. Williams played a clean first nine, adding a birdie. He continued his strong round into the back nine, where he carded three straight birdies on holes 12 to 14. Williams would stumble on holes 16 and 18, bogeying each hole. Despite the two bogeys to finish his first round, Williams still held a strong grip on the lead with a three-stroke difference.

After round one, the field was reduced to the top 24 scores and ties, resulting in 27 players advancing to the second round. 2024 champion Michael Garner improved on his first round with a score of 4-over-par 77 in round two. Wayne Carter of Maryland Golf and Country Club made the most significant jump of the round of 16 spots, improving on his first round by six strokes and finishing his second round at even-par 73.

By way of the USGA-recommended tie-breaking method, 2017 champion David Nocar finished fifth after tallying a score of 1-over-par 74 in round two and finishing with an overall score of 150. 2024 Mid-master division champion Patrick Herwig from Hayfields Country Club finished in fourth place, tallying a score of even-par 73 in the second round and an overall score of 149. Carter Steuart from Chevy Chase Club put together a stellar second round, carding 1-under-par 72 for a total score of 149 that was capped off with an eagle on his final hole. Steuart held the scorecard tiebreaker over Herwig to finish in third place.

2020 champion Vance Welch made a strong push for the title in his second round, carding a 2-under-par 71 and finishing with a total score of 145. While he started round two with two bogeys over the first three holes, Welch found his composure, adding four birdies and playing clean golf the remainder of his round.

Ultimately, Welch’s efforts fell short as Todd Williams put together a second consecutive round of under par, making him the only player in the tournament to do so, securing the 97th Maryland Senior Amateur title as a result. Williams started strong with an eagle on the first hole of his second round, and he would go on to add three birdies to tally a second-round score of 1-under-par 72 and a total score of 143. Williams would secure the victory with his second-round performance, winning the Maryland Senior Amateur title by two strokes.

Putting is the area where Williams felt he played his best during the tournament. “For me, I think it was putting that was my best strength this week,” Williams said. “I was making putts I probably shouldn’t have made, and it was great.”

Williams described how his tournament played out, saying, “The week was fantastic. The golf course is so cool.” Williams added, “It’s such an interesting layout…I loved it. It was really perfect for my game.”

Super-Senior Division

In the Super-Senior division, Jim Winner from the Maryland Golf and Country Club showcased his skills by winning the division by three strokes. He started strong in the first round, carding five birdies and finishing with a score of 2-under-par 71. This gave him a three-stroke lead over his competitors heading into the second round.

During the second day of play, Winner maintained his performance by recording two birdies and finishing with a score of 1-over-par 74. His total score for the tournament was 145, securing his victory by a margin of three strokes.

Mid-Master Division

The Mid-Master division is currently in its second year as part of the Maryland Senior Amateur, having debuted in last year’s tournament. Matt Hollerbach from Crofton Country Club dominated, winning the division by a total of six strokes.

Hollerbach began his first round with a birdie followed by a double bogey on the first two holes. However, he quickly found his rhythm towards the end of the front nine, adding five more birdies. He finished the first round with an impressive score of 3-under-par 70.

In the second round, Hollerbach started strong again with a birdie on his first hole, but a bogey on the second. He would add two more birdies, ending with a second round score of even-par 73 and an overall score of 143.

The Maryland State Golf Association would like to thank the staff and members at Maryland Golf and Country Club for their help in hosting a stellar tournament.

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