BALTIMORE, Md. – The 104th playing of the Maryland Amateur took place at the Elkridge Club June 5-8, and it was Bennett Espenshade, at his home club, who came out on top over Jackson Roman of the MSGA eClub 2&1 in the championship match. With his victory, Espenshade etched his name into the Maryland Amateur history books. The Maryland Amateur is an official USGA Exemption Event, leading Espenshade to earn a spot in the 125th U.S. Amateur to be played at The Olympic Club in San Francisco this August.
Espenshade Interview | Final Hole
Championship Match:
With rain on and off throughout the day, the 36-hole Championship Match between Espenshade and Roman was a back-and-forth battle. Through the first nine holes, Espenshade was 2 up, carding a 32 on the side. Roman was able to cut Espenshade’s lead to 1 up through 10, but with a par on No. 11 and a birdie on No. 12, Espenshade extended his lead to 3 up. Espenshade then birdied No. 15 to go 4 up. After Roman birdied No. 16, Espenshade’s lead was reduced to 3 up through 16. Espenshade finished the morning 18 holes 3 up.
After about a 45-minute lunch break, the players teed off at 11:45 a.m. to begin the final 18 holes. Between holes 19 and 27, Espenshade and Roman each won three holes, and Espenshade remained 3 up with nine to play. They made matching birdies on No. 28, and then traded pars on Nos. 29, 30, and 31.
On the 32nd hole (No. 15), Espenshade hit his tee shot out of bounds, and Roman capitalized with a birdie to cut the lead to 2 up with four to play. With matching pars on Nos. 33 and 34, Espenshade needed only to tie the 35th hole to win the match.
On the 35th hole (No. 17), Roman, with honors, missed the green left, while Espenshade found the middle of the green. Roman’s second shot hit the slope on the right side of the green, ran past the hole, and settled about 18 feet away. Still away, Roman drained the par putt. Espenshade, with about 15 feet for birdie, needed only two putts to secure the victory. He left his birdie putt short, and Roman conceded the par, allowing Espenshade to win the 104th Maryland Amateur.
Clark MacKenzie Relives 1966 Maryland Amateur Victory at Elkridge Club
Quarterfinals & Semifinals (June 7): In the Quarterfinals, all four matches went to at least the 17th hole. In the first match, Bennett Espenshade and Brandon Wilson were tied after 14 holes. On the 15th hole, Espenshade made a birdie to go 1 up with three to play. After matching pars on 16, Espenshade saved par on the 17th to win the match 2 & 1. In the second match, Zack Miller and Jon McClements were tied after the front nine. McClements saved par on the 10th to go 1 up. After that, Miller won Nos. 11–13 to go 2 up with five to play. Both players made birdie on 14, par on 15, and par on 16. With matching bogeys on 17, Miller won the match 2 & 1. In the third match, Jackson Roman and Jake Griffin were tied after 14 holes. On the 15th hole, Roman carded a birdie to go 1 up with three to play. Both players made matching scores on holes 16–18, allowing Roman to secure the victory over 2022 Maryland Amateur Champion Jake Griffin. In the fourth quarterfinal match, Dustin Stocksdale and Daniel Suter needed extra holes to determine a winner. On the 19th hole (Hole No. 1), Suter made a birdie to advance to the semifinals.
In the first Semifinal match between Bennentt Espenshade and Zack Miller, Espenshade would never trail in the match. On the first hole in made a birdie to go 1 up. Miller was able to tie the match on the third on hole, but Espenshade would go on to win the 4th and 5th hole to go 2 up. Espenshade cared a birdie on the 8th to go 3 up. Espenshade would eventually go 4 up through 13 and Miller made a birdie on the 14th to cut Espenshade lead back to 3 up. With matching pars on holes 15 and 16, Espenshade won 3&2 and would advance to the 36-hole final at his home club. In the second semifinal match, Jackson Roman and Daniel Suter were back and forth all day and the match headed to the 17th hole tied. Roman was able to card a birdie to go 1 up with one to play. On the 18th Suter was unable to match Roman’s birdie and Roman would win 2up advacning the championship match.
Round 32 & Round of 16 (June 6): It was a day of upsets in the Round of 32, with half of the first round matches finishing with the higher seed coming out on top. Brandon Wilson (Hayfields Country Club) took down the number one overall seed, Blair Kennedy, 1 up. Julian Gonzalez (Pine Ridge Golf Club) was able to outduel the number two overall seed, Ryan McGarry, 3 and 2. Of the three past champions that made it to the Round of 32, only one was successful in getting past the first round. 2022 champion Jake Griffin (Argyle Country Club) powered past his Round of 32 opponent, Henry Tracy (Congressional Country Club), 6 and 5. 2002 Champion David Nocar (Chartwell Golf & Country Club) was defeated by Jon McClements (MSGA eClub), 4 and 3, while 2019 & 2020 champion William Peel IV (Columbia Country Club) fell to Dustin Stocksdale (Argyle Country Club), 1 up. Only one match went to extra holes in the Round of 32, which saw Daniel Suter (Lakewood Country Club) top Michael Crowley (Hayfields Country Club) in 20 holes.
The Round of 16 was a different story. Half the matches needed extra holes to determine the victor. Brandon Wilson continued his run, taking down Sam Pancoast (Baltimore Country Club), 3 and 2. Elkridge Club member Bennett Espenshade remained hot with a 5 and 4 victory over Will Koras (Hayfields Country Club).
Stroke Play Qualifier (June 5): It was a thrilling first day of the 104th Maryland Amateur at Elkridge Club. The day included 32 players shooting under par, which earned them their spots in the Round of 32 on Friday. The stroke play qualifying round also included two aces on the eighth hole. One by Tommy Sharps (Baltimore Country Club) during the morning wave and the other by the leader in the clubhouse, Blair Kennedy (Chartwell Golf & Country Club). Outside of the ace, Kennedy also carded six birdies and one bogey en route to a 7-under-par 63. Not far behind Kennedy, Ryan McGarry (MSGA eClub) shot a 6-under-par 64. McGarry carded five birdies, an eagle, and a bogey, going four-under through his last four holes. Eddie Coffren (The Cannon Club) and Jake Roth (Lakewood Country Club) both shot 5-under-par 65, with Rij Patel (Hayfields Country Club) and Eli Spaulding (MSGA eClub) each carding 4-under-par 66.
The Maryland State Golf Association would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the members and staff of the Elkridge Club for their incredible hospitality!
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