Brad Hastings, from Easton, showed flashes of the game that earned him a MSGA Amateur Championship in 1999, as he showed up on the golfing scene and celebrated with a home-town 2-under-par 35-35–70 at Hog Neck Golf Course to grab the medal in qualifying for the MSGA Amateur, due next month at Manor CC in Rockville. His golf had been limited in recent years but he is hopeful of playing more this season.
Hastings, now 38, and the athletic director at nearby St. Peter & Paul School, registered four birdies, two bogeys in his tour of the 6,738-yard course that played to a par of 36-36–72. On a warm breezy day with the thermometer in the 80’s, the leader said, “The wind was a factor, but more importantly was the fact I knew where to miss it out there, and the greens were firm — the way I like them.”
He birdied Nos. 4-6-14-15, and bogeyed No. 8 where he hit it in the water, and 10. More importantly, he used local knowledge to the cut dogleg at the sixth — which has a lateral water hazard on each side –to set up his birdie. Others found scoring problems with the 404-yard test.
Benton Weinberg, from TPC Potomac, and in the event for the first time, placed second with 36-37–73. The 17-year-old junior at Sidwell Friends School, offset four birdies with three bogeys and a “double,” to slide back to 1 over par.
With 30 players seeking 10 available places, Connor Tendall, Congressional CC, and Kevin Ferris, Breton Bay CC, shared third at 74. With one-tie-all-tie, 11 players advanced to on-site qualifying.
With 18 seeking six Open places, Tendall, 21, from North Potomac, led with his 74. Among the six moving on was Andy Halverson, Hog Neck’s head professional, who squeezed in with a 38-40–78.
This was the first of four qualifiers, with others to follow at Hillendale CC and P.B. Dye GC next week and Andrews AFB in two weeks.
-Reported by John Stewart