Medalists Smith, Hogarth, Harvey Earn Victories During Weather-Delayed Round

From United States Golf Association
Bridgehampton, N.Y. – Tri-medalists Nathan Smith, Tim Hogarth and Scott Harvey were among the winners who advanced to the third round of match play Tuesday at the weather-delayed 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Atlantic Golf Club.
Smith, 32, of Pittsburgh, Pa., who won in 2003 and 2009, defeated John Engler, 31, of Augusta, Ga. Hogarth, 44, of Northridge, Calif., beat Nathan Colson of Milwaukee, Wis., 4 and 2, and Harvey, 32, of Greensboro, N.C., eliminated Tyler Sharpe of Greensburg, Ky., 4 and 3.
The second round was suspended because of dangerous weather conditions at 12:06 p.m. EST with five of 16 second-round matches complete. Play resumed at 4:37 p.m. after 1.25 inches of rain fell throughout the afternoon. Five third-round matches began before play was called for the day at 6:22 p.m. One second-round match had yet to conclude and will continue Wednesday morning, along with the third-round matches.
Playing in the day’s first starting time, Smith built a 2-up lead through nine holes that grew to 3 up when he birdied the par-5 13th.
The left-handed Engler, a reinstated amateur who recovered from injuries suffered in a major car accident, won three consecutive holes to square the match after 16 holes. Smith then birdied the driveable par-4 17th from the left greenside bunker to regain his advantage. The pair halved the par-5 18th with bogeys.
“He just hung in there,” Smith said of Engler. “I made some putts early. It seemed like there were four or five holes in a row where he made a putt for birdie or par from 5 or 10 feet. He just kept hanging around, hanging around.”
Smith, who represented the USA at the 2009 Walker Cup Match, maintained the importance of putting, which is a strong part of his game.
“I think anybody that you’ve seen win this tournament, they have to make putts and make timely putts,” Smith said. “I’ve been able to do that through stroke play. I don’t know if I can keep going but usually when I have won it, I’ve been able to make some key putts at some key times.”
Hogarth, the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, is the only remaining player who is carrying his own golf bag.
“The putter has woken up a little bit and I feel comfortable,” said Hogarth, a health food distributor. “I like the high wind. I think that helps me out with trajectory control and precision with the yardage. I was eyeing this tournament. I did some things to try to be ready for this.”
Harvey, a driving range operator whose father is a member of the North Carolina Golf Hall of Fame, enjoyed the weather delay.
“It wasn’t so bad, I had a nice lunch,” Harvey said. “I was 3 up so that’s why it wasn’t so bad. I made a few pars, some good up and downs. But I don’t want to stop there. I have high expectations of myself, sometimes too high. I don’t want to stop. I want to be here as long as I can.”
Two-time Tim Jackson, 51, of Germantown, Tenn., also moved into the third round with a 2-and-1 victory over Joe Jaspers, 44, of Huntersville, N.C.
Jackson, who has been the low amateur at the last two U.S. Senior Opens, finished his second-round match just as the siren sounded to suspend play.
“It was pretty solid,” said Jackson. “I didn’t hit too many balls out of play and made a couple of timely putts. He’s a solid player. He wasn’t scraping it around. It was a couple of key swings here and there.”
With his 29th career Mid-Amateur match-play win, Jackson advanced to face Todd Burgan, 41, of Knoxville, Tenn., who was his teammate in the recent USGA Men’s State Team Championship.
“I’ve got to play one of my home boys,” said Jackson, the president of the Tennessee Golf Association. “That really happens a lot. Todd and I have become friends over the last four or five years. His game has gotten much, much better. He won our state match play last year. He’s very, very capable. It will come down to who makes the least mistakes in these conditions. It’s not a matter of who makes the most birdies. It’s who makes the least mistakes.”
The resumption of the third round is set for Wednesday at 7 a.m. If possible, the quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be played Wednesday. The 36-hole championship final is scheduled for Thursday.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur, which is open to golfers age 25 and older, is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Bridgehampton, N.Y. – Results following Tuesday’s second round of match play at the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, being played at the 7,044-yard, par-72 Atlantic Golf Club.
Round of 32
Upper Bracket
Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. (144) def. John Engler, Augusta, Ga. (150), 1 up
Kevin Pomarleau, E. Wenatchee, Wash. (152) def. Todd Mitchell, Bloomington, Ill. (148), 19 holes
Steve Harwell, Mooresville, N.C. (152) def. Tom Krystyn, Denver, Colo. (151), 1 up
Anthony Barrera, San Jose, Calif. (147) def. Brent Landry, Charlotte, N.C. (151), 6 and 5
Todd Burgan, Knoxville, Tenn. (145) def. Stephen Anderson, Hobe Sound, Fla. (151), 5 and 4
Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. (152) def. Joe Jaspers, Huntersville, N.C. (152), 2 and 1
Tim Mickelson, San Diego, Calif. (153) def. Keith Humerickhouse, New Castle, Colo. (150), 19 holes
Joseph Saladino, Huntington, N.Y. (149) def. R.J. Nakashian, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (148), 5 and 4
Lower Bracket
Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif. (144) def. Nathan Colson, Milwaukee, Wis. (151), 4 and 2
Patrick Duffy, Omaha, Neb. (152) def. Lance Goodson, Birmingham, Ala. (149), 1 up
Robby McWilliams, Bossier City, La. (149) def. Kevin Marsh, Henderson, Nev. (145), 19 holes
Joey Gullion, Humble, Texas (152) def. Bill Jeremiah, West Grove, Pa. (149), 5 and 4
Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C. (144) def. Tyler Sharpe, Greensburg, Ky. (151), 4 and 3
Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. (149) def. Brian Atkinson, Chicago, Ill. (148), 1 up
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (145) def. David Ujihara, Brea, Calif. (149), 5 and 4
Mike Calef, West Bridgewater, Mass. (152) vs. Ben Hayes, Scottsdale, Ariz. (152) (Hayes 1 up through 17 holes)
Bridgehampton, N.Y. – Pairings for the third round of match play, which will continue Wednesday morning at the 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, being played at the 7,044-yard, par-72 Atlantic Golf Club.
Round of 16
Upper Bracket
Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. (144) vs. Kevin Pomarleau, E. Wenatchee, Wash. (152)
Steve Harwell, Mooresville, N.C. (152) vs. Anthony Barrera, San Jose, Calif. (147)
Todd Burgan, Knoxville, Tenn. (145) vs. Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. (152)
Tim Mickelson, San Diego, Calif. (153) vs. Joseph Saladino, Huntington, N.Y. (149)
Lower Bracket
Tim Hogarth, Northridge, Calif. (144) vs. Patrick Duffy, Omaha, Neb. (152)
Robby McWilliams, Bossier City, La. (149) vs. Joey Gullion, Humble, Texas (152)
Scott Harvey, Greensboro, N.C. (144) vs. Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. (149)
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (145) vs. winner of Mike Calef, West Bridgewater, Mass. (152) vs. Ben Hayes, Scottsdale, Ariz. (152)