Fifty-six two-man teams will be competing on Tuesday, with the top three finishers in the better-ball qualifier advancing to the 2019 U.S. Four-Ball, set for May 25-29 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon (pictured at left in a USGA photo). The event at the The Broadlands will mark the final Colorado-based USGA qualifier of 2018.
Intact teams that have competed in previous U.S. Four-Balls and are in Tuesday’s qualifiying field include Tommy Hart and Jonathan Marsico (2016 and ’18), Nicholas Engen and John Jarmul (2018), Wilson Belk and Greg Carlin (2017), Kyle Danford and David Johnson (2016), Alex Kephart and Kurtis Lucas (2017; Kephart also played in 2015 with a different partner), and Robert Polk and Bill Fowler (2015).
In addition, others who have played in the national Four-Ball who now have different partners include Jeff Chapman (2015, now competing with Michael Harrington) and Alex Buecking (2017, now competing with two-time Colorado Open champion Brian Guetz). Buecking went to the quarterfinals of the 2017 U.S. Four-Ball with Jason Enloe.
Also in Tuesday’s field are 2016 CGA Four-Ball champions Steve Irwin and Barry Erwin, along with Jon Lindstrom and Brooks Ferring, and Brian Dorfman and Richard Bradsby.
For Tuesday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.
]]>Hart and Marsico (pictured, with Hart at left) were aiming for their second trip to match play at the national four-ball, as they went to the round of 32 in 2016. But even a big-time rally on the final nine holes on Sunday at Jupiter Hills wasn’t quite enough for them to advance.
Hart, who won the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball championship with John Elway at Cherry Hills Country Club in 2009, and Marsico, the 2008 CGA Amateur champion, shot a better-ball 4-under-par 31 on their final nine holes on Sunday, with birdies on 10, 13, 16 and 18. But that left them in 34th place out of 128 teams in stroke play, and only the top 32 make match play.
The Coloradans backed up their first-round 72 with a 3-under-par 67, giving them a 1-under 139 total. The players at 138 played off for the final spots in match play.
Also failing to advance to match play on Sunday was the second Colorado team, Nick Engen of Denver and John Jarmul of Greenwood Village, who shot a second-round 74 to finish at 150, good for 113th place.
Here are the scores for all the teams with strong Colorado ties who competed at Jupiter Hills:
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
34. Tommy Hart of Denver/Jonathan Marsico of Cherry Hills Village 72-67–139
103. Former CSU golfer Jeff Fujimoto of Phoenix/Patrick Moore of Phoenix 74-74–148
113. Nick Engen of Denver/John Jarmul of Greenwood Village 76-74–150
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
It was that kind of day weather-wise at the Jupiter Hills Club, which has received more than 13 inches of rain in less than a week.
On Saturday, that precipitation led to three delays totaling 4 hours and 5 minutes.
When the Coloradans walked off the course after the long, soggy day, they were left with some work to do if they hope to make match play in the fourth annual event.
Tommy Hart of Denver and Jonathan Marsico of Cherry Hills Village, who made match play in their 2016 appearance in the national championship, sit in 73rd place out of 128 teams. And Nick Engen of Denver and John Jarmul of Greenwood Village are in 112th place.
Teams will need to be in the top 32 after 36 holes of stroke play in order to advance to match play. Although not all teams completed round 1 when play was suspended at 5:45 p.m. MT on Saturday, 1-under-par 69 was in an 11-way tie for 29th place.
Hart, who won the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball championship with John Elway at Cherry Hills Country Club in 2009, and Marsico, the 2008 CGA Amateur champion, opened with a 2-over-par 72, while Engen and Jarmul posted a 76.
Two teams were 6 under par at the end of Saturday: Hayes Brown of Charlotte, N.C., and Jack Larkin of Atlanta completed a 64 in the better-ball event, while Scott Harvey of Greensboro, N.C., and Todd Mitchell of Bloomington, Ill., were 6 under through 13 holes.
Here are the scores for all the teams with strong Colorado ties competing at Jupiter Hills:
73. Tommy Hart of Denver/Jonathan Marsico of Cherry Hills Village 72
99. Former CSU golfer Jeff Fujimoto of Phoenix/Patrick Moore of Phoenix 74
112. Nick Engen of Denver/John Jarmul of Greenwood Village 76
For complete results, CLICK HERE.