Davis Lamb, from Congressional Country Club, and Chuanjung Chen, from Blue Mash Golf Course, returned 2-under-par rounds of 70 to share first place in both divisions, as the Maryland State Golf Association held another in a series of qualifying programs for its Amateur and Open championships at Queenstown Harbor Golf Links, May 24.
These two and Zach Poffenberger, from Bever Creek CC, who shot 71, all played in the afternoon, while Kent Hagen, the low professional, topped the morning wave with par 72 over a 6,853-yard course.
With 27 places (and ties) available, the cutline for the Amateur fell at 76, and 35 players advanced to the championship, scheduled for June 7-10 at Baltimore CC, while 20 places were available for the Open, and the cutline fell at 75 with exactly 20 moving on to the championship, scheduled for July 9-11 at Fountain Head CC in Hagerstown.
Lamb, 20, a junior at Notre Dame, finished with four birdies, two bogeys in a 36-34 tour that saw him start at No . 10 and he dipped to 3-under when he chipped in for birdie at the par-3 second. A wayward tee shot led to dropping a stroke at the third and he would go on to birdie the seventh, then offset it with a three-putt bogey at the last.
Chen, 29, also started on the back, and after five straight pars, he birdied the sixth then stumbled through the last three on that side with bogey-bogey-bogey — a three-putt and two missed-greens. “Those last two were just bad shots, but I had a better focus after that,” the Rockville resident said, and he promptly birdied the second and third and later added the sixth and seventh to set up a 32-38.
Poffenberger, 22, who graduated from Shepherd College three weeks ago, said he had caddied for friends in previous tournaments at the site, but this marked the first time he had played the course. He opened birdie-birdie, the latter on a 25-foot putt, then parred through the ninth. Coming back, two missed-greens led to bogeys and he offset one of them with a birdie at the 11th, where he holed a bunker shot, and finished 34-37.
Hagen finished even with three birdies, three bogeys, two of them coming at Nos. 8-9, his last two holes.
Notes — The weather finally cooperated with the MSGA schedule, as the day was sunny and mild. . .Brandon Berry, from Laytonsville GC, and Kenny Lippman, from Bethesda CC, each included five birdies in respective rounds of 73. . .Amateur Ken Lampard, from Beaver Creek CC, claimed the 20th and last spot in the Open with a 75. . .The final Amateur/Open qualifying test will be held May 30, at Sparrows Point CC. Originally set for May 17, overnight rain and a forecast for more had forced a postponement.
Reported by John Stewart
