Smith, Seese snag #USFourBall Qual. medalist honors
Two local teams are moving on to the championship proper.
EXTON, Pa. - An influx of warm, fall weather led to an influx of birdies and red numbers in a U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship Qualifier Monday at Whitford Country Club (par 72, 6,736 yards).
Huntingdon Valley Country Club’s Benjamin Smith and Sean Seese were the biggest benefactors, firing an 8-under-round of 64. They topped a field of 23 duos hoping to gain entrance into the championship proper, which will be played May 27-31 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Grabbing the other spot available was David West and Chris Yard, both of the home club , who did so in a sudden-death playoff. They beat out Christopher Ault and Philip Bartholomew, who earned the first alternate spot.
Birdie highlights were aplenty for the medalist winners. None may have been greater than a crucial holed chip on No. 7 (par 4, 383 yards) by Smith, who got one to fall, from the greenside rough, from about 20 feet.
The clubmates warmed up even more so on the back, jarring five birdies overall.
But naturally, the biggest birdie bomb of the day came on the finish hole thanks to Seese. After a perfectly struck wedge shot from a fairway bunker on No. 18 (par 4, 393 yards) landed within 10 feet, rolled in that look to punched the duo’s tickets at 8-under. They bettered the rest of the field by two shots.”
Last year, it was quite the opposite for Seese and Smith, who carded 18 straight pars in a Qualifier at Spring Brook Country Club (Morristown, N.J.). This time around, it was Smith’s consistency and Seese’s aggressiveness that earned them a berth.
“Sean is one of the better athletes at the club. I think he’s won like five different club championships in different sports, and we said we were going to give it one more go. It turned out to be a pretty good decision,” said Smith, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa.
“Ben is just super consistent. I actually texted him, asking he wanted to play with each other again because I’m sure he probably gets calls from everyone. I got like one call, so I didn’t want to keep him from a good partner,” said Seese, 33, of Rydal, Pa. “He told me he wanted to do it again, and I’m glad we pulled it out today.”
Today’s qualifying medalist honors means a berth into a second USGA championship for Seese, while Smith grabbed a spot to play in his first.
“To play a USGA event, especially at Pinehurst, that’ll be pretty historic,” said Smith.
“I’d say its safe to say we’re going to be spending some money down there in the pro shop,” joked Seese.
David West and Chris Yard grinded out a sudden-death playoff win, thanks to a Yard birdie on the fourth playoff hole against Christopher Ault and Philip Bartholomew, to earn the second and final spot.
“I’ve been a member here for 20 years, and Chris has been a member here for around 40. There isn’t a putt out here that we don’t know. We really played as a team today,” said West, 56, of Exton, Pa.
Yard was the man ultimately responsible for sealing the deal against Ault and Bartholomew. He rolled in a 15 footer on the 4th green (par 5, 575 yards) to do so.
“My only concern was hitting it hard enough, to be honest,” said Yard, 45 of Downington, Pa . “I love Pinehurst. I’m already so excited.”