CONGRATULATIONS NICK!
105th Annual Missouri Amateur Champion Nick Wilson, Columbia, MO
June 19-24, 2012
Dalhousie Golf Club
4700 Cords Way
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
www.dalhousiegolfclub.com
FINAL ROUND -STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
Winning the title of Missouri Amateur Champion was not an easy task for Nick Wilson of Columbia to try to achieve in a thirty six hole championship match against three time winner of this championship, Skip Berkmeyer. Berkmeyer got off to a great start taking an early lead over the Columbia native. With a stretch of three birdies in a row for Berkmeyer, Wilson fell to three down by the 14th hole. After winning the 17th and 18th hole Wilson gained a little momentum before the first eighteen were finished. Berkmeyer remained one up on Wilson after the conclusion of the first eighteen holes.
Following a brief break in play the championship continued with more excellent golf.
Berkmeyer got off to a great start after the break and came out strong going 2 up after the 20th hole. Wilson battled the 3 time Missouri Amateur Champion by getting it back to All Square by the 23rd hole of play. Following a tough break on hole 25, Skip Berkmeyer fell 1 down to Wilson heading into the last 10 holes. This was the first time the Missouri golf team member, Wilson, had taken the lead in the championship round. From that point it was a battle back and forth where Berkmeyer and Wilson fought to gain the lead with neither of them gaining any advantage. This was the case until Wilson took the lead with a birdie on the 33rd hole to go one up with three to play. On the tee of the 35 hole Wilson found himself dormie 2 up. With pars from both players on the 35th hole of play Wilson was able to clinch the title of 2012 Missouri Amateur Champion.
2012 MISSOURI AMATEUR PREVIEW by Jack Garvin, MGA Director and historian
June 19-24 marks the week of the Missouri Golf Association’s 105th Missouri Amateur at Dalhousie GC in Cape Girardeau. This year’s event is historic in several ways. It is the first time the Missouri Amateur has been held in the southeast quadrant of the state. It has been held in Springfield and Joplin sixteen times over the past century.St. Louis and Kansas City have dominated the sites selected for the rest of the 105 sites with St. Joseph, and central Missouri taking the others. It is also the first chance for Skip Berkmeyer to join four other Missourians as four-time winners of the Championship. Skip won his third championship at Boone Valley last year and hopes to join Jim Manion, Bob Cochran, Jim Jackson and Don Bliss as four time winners. Dalhousie is rated the best golf course in the state by Golf Digest magazine. Except for junior events, the MGA has conducted all of it’s championships at the site since the course opened in 2002. Now the flagship event comes to the beautiful golf course in southeast Missouri.
Pictured below is Brevin Giebler, Cape Girardeau Missouri Amateur Medalist with a two day total of 69/68 137 <view Brevin’s Score Card
Round 1 Tuesday, June 19 Review of Tournament
MGA selects another great venue for the Missouri Amateur Championship
As is tradition, the Missouri Golf Association has apparently selected another great location to test its finest amateur players. In a reprise of last year’s stroke play qualifying struggle at Boone Valley in St. Louis, the Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau seems to be getting the best of many of the top amateurs in our state. It would appear that the first days average score is going to be relatively high…. somewhere perhaps in the 80 range. This includes many prominent names above and below that number. Jace long of Dixon, Missouri, long time stand out in the University of Missouri golf program, recorded a one under par 71. Andrew Luo who seems to be making a habit of positioning himself into the latter stages of this event shot 72 along with Mizzou’s Nick Wilson. Brad Nurski, current MGA Mid-Amateur Champion and 2010 Missouri State Amateur Champion, came in at 77…. somewhat disappointing, at least according to Brad. Current Stroke Play Champion Brian Haskell returned a card showing 76 including a triple bogey on the par five 15th hole. On a more reasonably positive note, Joey Johnson of Ozark, Missouri, current MGA Junior Match Play Champion was able to piece together a solid 75 under very difficult conditions. Good news for the locals is that Brevin Giebler, a well respected journeyman state class player from Cape Girardeau returned what is thus far the low round for the tournament, 3 under par 69 and Brent Holmes also of Cape, a member of last year’s Missouri Cup Match east team posted a one under par 71. Of particular note, three time and current Missouri State Amateur Champion Skip Berkmeyer of St. Louis traveled perhaps disappointingly as well around Dalhousie at four over par 76.
Much of today’s official scoring history is yet to be posted. Scores yet to be brought to the board include those of B.J Curry, the current Missouri State Senior Amateur Champion and Ben Godwin, two time former Missouri State Amateur Champion. With that said, it is difficult at this time to predict a 36 hole cut line. The MGA staff believes that with the difficulty currently being encountered in navigating Dalhousie’s eighteen hole layout, we expect to see a relatively high cut line number as compared to most previous years.
The Championship match is scheduled for Sunday, June 24, 2012, 36 holes at match play. Intervening, of course, will be multiple challenges at match play (after the starting field of 144 has been cut to the low 64). Those interim matches will begin Thursday morning following the completion of the stroke play qualifying rounds tomorrow.
Hot, windswept, fast, and challenging aptly describes today’s conditions, if not Dalhousie itself, and we expect more of the same throughout the remainder of the Championship.
Round 2 Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Playoff required to set match play field of 64 at 2012 Missouri Amateur Championship
As might be expected, Brevin Giebler of Cape Girardeau knows his home course here at Dalhousie in every detail. Unfortunately, failing to attend to those details on his first nine today resulted in a very uncharacteristic nine hole total of four over par 40. However, his final nine holes were a different story. For it was on the inward nine upon which he recorded six birdies and an eagle (28) for an 18 hole round of 68. His total for the two days of stroke play qualifying (69, 68) earned him the very coveted stroke play honors and the accompanying medal play silver trophy. Most importantly, it earned him the number one seed in the match play field of 64. Brent Holmes, also of Cape Girardeau, an excellent player, also familiar with Dalhousie, brought a three under par 69 into the clubhouse on his second day of stroke play qualifying. His two day total of 140 (four under par) left him 3 shots behind medalist Giebler. At this point however, the only number of significance is 64. If you are within the top 64 you have found yourself positioned somewhere in the match play bracket and, for you, the championship continues. Thus Bob Hanneken of St Louis who birdied the first playoff hole (four players for one spot) earned his right to compete on equal footing with medalist Giebler. Of note is that multiple other current statewide champions such as defending Missouri Amateur Champion Skip Berkmeyer of St Louis, Brad Nurski, 2011 Mid Amateur Champion and Brian Haskell, present Missouri Stroke Play Champion also made it into the field of 64. Count among those securing a much sought after spot in match play BJ Curry, former Missouri State Senior Amateur Champion from Sedalia. We may now also include in that field past Mid Amateur Champion Steve Groom of Raytown. Throw into this mix any number of previous Missouri Cup Match Team Members (both East and West), and the match play portion of the championship appears, as always, to be extremely strong.
Again, match play and the round of 64 starts tomorrow, Thursday, June, 21 2012. Thirty two matches will be completed by tomorrow evening and the fun continues from there, culminating in the 36 hole final to be played Sunday, June 24 at Dalhousie. Over the past 48 hours there has been some excellent golf played at this prestigious Eastern Missouri layout… well known, by now, as one of our State’s finest golfing venues. The public in the Cape Girardeau/Jackson area is welcome to attend the play during the matches at any time without charge, and there seems to be considerable interest to that end, so we welcome you all.
Match Play – Round of 64 Thursday, June 21, 2012
MANY WINS DURING THE ROUND OF 64 AT 2012 MISSOURI STATE AMATEUR WERE EXPECTED… SOME PERHAPS NOT
Stroke play medal winner Brevin Giebler easily defeated Bob Hanneken 5 and 4. Skip Berkmeyer, now in search of his fourth Mo Am title bested Dustin Harris 6 and 5. Jace Long of Dixon and the University of Missouri was perhaps tested but overcame Ryan Argotsinger to win 3 and 1. Other current, or immediate past Missouri Champions also found themselves in the winners column after the first round of match play. Former Senior Amateur Champion, BJ Curry of Sedalia beat Michael Rutledge of Creve Coeur, Missouri 3 and 1. Current Mid Am champion, Brad Nurski beat out newcomer Parker Goldman 3 and 2, while current stroke play champion Brian Haskell of St Joseph beat Brian Steele 2 and 1. In what was expected to be a close match, and was for a while, Kevin Kring bested Andy Hogenmiller 3 and 2.
Now for a few surprises. Relative newcomer Hunter Parrish of Washington, Missouri beat Ted Mallony of Ballwin, Missouri. Ted, a very experienced match play competitor, could not overcome Hunter who won today’s match one up in 22 holes. Certainly another surprise of sorts would be that Carr Vernon of Poplar Bluff overcame Ryan Marks of Warrensburg, the University of Iowa golf program, and a previous Missouri Stroke Play winner 1 up in 19 holes. As always, the majority of the remaining matches were competitive and hopefully enjoyable for all of the players. Following a short rain delay, all 32 matches which were scheduled and played today were eventually completed. Please see detailed results from the bracket available in the link above.
Match Play – Round of 32 and Round of 16 Friday, June 22, 2012
EXTRA HOLES DOMINATE SWEET 16 AT 2012 AMATEUR
Following the round of 32 in the morning, the bracket automatically paired the winners into the face-offs for the sweet sixteen. Of those sweet 16 matches, half could not be completed during the stipulated 18 holes and were finished beyond regulation play. In brief summary, Brevin Giebler, of Cape Girardeau, this year’s stroke play qualifying medalist bested Wilson Sundvold of Columbia and the University of Missouri one up in 24 holes. The University of Missouri seemed to have been involved in a number of extra hole matches today. Jace Long, MU overcame Joe Migdal, UCM one up in 19 holes. Nick Wilson, MU overcame Brandon Cauldwell, SIU one up in 19 holes. Ryan Zech, MU and Kansas City played slightly better than local favorite Brent Holmes winning two up. Kris Casburn formerly of MU and now from Blue Springs, MO topped former Missouri State Mid-Amateur Champion Steve Groom of Raytown one up in 19 holes. Skip Berkmeyer, three-time winner of this event and current State Amateur Champion ended his match early, four and three, over Kyle Weldon of Des Peres and KSU. And if those extra hole matches weren’t enough, the former Missouri State Amateur Champion and current Mid-Amateur Champion Brad Nurski of St. Joseph lost out to Joe Atkisson of Springfield one down in 20 holes. Please see the bracket elsewhere on our website for the quarterfinal pairings which begin tomorrow morning at 8:30
Match Play – Quarterfinal and Semi-Final rounds, June 23, 2012
Skip Berkmeyer and Nick Wilson will battle in the final round of the Missouri Amateur Championship
So far in the match play portion of this event we have seen some incredible play and expect to see more of it continue tomorrow. The quarter final and semi-final matches today, all, had their moments of uncertainty. With ups and downs in all of the matches, we found more than one go into extra holes. Prevailing in these matches were Skip Berkmeyer over Ryan Zech and Nick Wilson over local Brevin Giebler.
Defending Champion, Skip Berkmeyer will be looking to take his fourth Missouri Amateur title tomorrow in a thirty six hole battle with Columbia’s Nick Wilson. With a win tomorrow, Skip will clinch his fourth title and be among the elite champions from this event’s history. Having four titles would place him in a category with Don Bliss, Jimmy Jackson, Bob Cochran, and PGA tour’s Tom Watson. Nick Wilson from the University of Missouri’s golf program will be looking to keep Berkmeyer from achieving this task. Nick Wilson, a veteran of the Missouri Golf Association tournaments, has won many of the MGA junior events which have led to an illustrious career at the University of Missouri. Go to mogolf.org to follow the final match scheduled for Sunday, June 24, 2012.