GOLF:
Ault shares medalist honors at qualifier
MARLTON - Chris Ault, of Yardley Country Club, refers to Marlton's Links Golf Course as a fear factory. That's surprising, coming from a guy who just shot a 3-under-par to finish as a co-medalist at Monday’s Amateur Championship Qualifier at the par-70, 6,532-yard Links.
“It’s scary. Every hole is out-of-bounds right and left, hazard right and left,” he said.
The 67 carded by Ault placed him dead even with Matthew Gaffney, of Little Mill CC, and three strokes ahead of Justin Martinson, of Hartefeld National.
In doing so, Ault, 22, relied heavily on his iron play, hitting metal off the tee at Nos. 2, 6 and 9.
“I played pretty conservatively. I hit a lot of irons off the tees,” he said.
“I only hit about three drivers all day, but you don’t really need to out here. It’s pretty tight."
After bogeying on No. 1 (par 4, 355 yards), Ault, of Yardley, fired birdies on Nos. 2 (par 4, 334 yards), 3 (par 4, 377 yards), 6 (par 4, 440 yards), 9 (par 4, 405 yards) and 15 (par 4, 445 yards).
"I was just solid,” he added. “I hit a lot of fairways. I made a lot of putts.
Nevertheless, Ault feels that his day prepared him for Tuesday's USGA Open Qualifier at Laurel Creek CC.
“I was using today as a warm-up to the USGA Open Qualifier [Tuesday],” Ault said. “I’ve been working on my swing a lot. This was kind of confirmation that I’ve been working on the right things,” he said. “Things are coming around. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
***
Meanwhile, Gaffney is getting used to sharing medalist honors at GAP qualifying events. He also shot 3-under-par and finished as a co-medalist at Monday’s Amateur Championship Qualifier.
Gaffney, 28, also shared medalist honors with Jack Wallace of Burlington CC at the May 7 Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at Burlington CC.
“I’m really striking the ball well,” he said. “I hit the tee ball well and the irons really well today. It’s just a matter of putts falling in. I hit a couple of long ones.”
On No. 3 (par 4, 377 yards), Gaffney, of Sewell, N.J., hit 7-iron off the tee and fired a 25-foot putt for birdie. On No. 8 (par 3, 172 yards), he used an 8-iron off the tee, cleared casual water and landed about 20-feet from the hole. Gaffney then fired a birdie.
“I made putts today that I was surprised went in,” he said.
Gaffney began the day with a bogey on No. 10 (par 4, 415 yards).
“I got off to a slow start,” he said. “From there, I settled down. I just tried to hit in the fairways and lay back off the tees.”
Throughout the day, Gaffney also leaned heavily on his irons.
“I needed to make birdies hitting 8-iron and 7-iron onto the greens,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily important to use driver. It was just more of a scale back and let the irons do the work for you.”
For Gaffney, it’s on to next week’s Middle-Amateur Championship, which will be held at Tavistock CC May 20-21.
“I know those guys are going to be tough over there. I’m looking forward to that,” he said.
***
NOTES: Monday’s qualifier was the first of two qualifiers used to help determine the field for the 109th Amateur Championship, which will be held on June 15-17 & 20 at Stonewall. The second qualifier will be held on May 14 at Coatesville CC.
When the day came to an end, the cut line fell to 77.
“It’s scary. Every hole is out-of-bounds right and left, hazard right and left,” he said.
The 67 carded by Ault placed him dead even with Matthew Gaffney, of Little Mill CC, and three strokes ahead of Justin Martinson, of Hartefeld National.
In doing so, Ault, 22, relied heavily on his iron play, hitting metal off the tee at Nos. 2, 6 and 9.
“I played pretty conservatively. I hit a lot of irons off the tees,” he said.
“I only hit about three drivers all day, but you don’t really need to out here. It’s pretty tight."
After bogeying on No. 1 (par 4, 355 yards), Ault, of Yardley, fired birdies on Nos. 2 (par 4, 334 yards), 3 (par 4, 377 yards), 6 (par 4, 440 yards), 9 (par 4, 405 yards) and 15 (par 4, 445 yards).
"I was just solid,” he added. “I hit a lot of fairways. I made a lot of putts.
Nevertheless, Ault feels that his day prepared him for Tuesday's USGA Open Qualifier at Laurel Creek CC.
“I was using today as a warm-up to the USGA Open Qualifier [Tuesday],” Ault said. “I’ve been working on my swing a lot. This was kind of confirmation that I’ve been working on the right things,” he said. “Things are coming around. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
***
Meanwhile, Gaffney is getting used to sharing medalist honors at GAP qualifying events. He also shot 3-under-par and finished as a co-medalist at Monday’s Amateur Championship Qualifier.
Gaffney, 28, also shared medalist honors with Jack Wallace of Burlington CC at the May 7 Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at Burlington CC.
“I’m really striking the ball well,” he said. “I hit the tee ball well and the irons really well today. It’s just a matter of putts falling in. I hit a couple of long ones.”
On No. 3 (par 4, 377 yards), Gaffney, of Sewell, N.J., hit 7-iron off the tee and fired a 25-foot putt for birdie. On No. 8 (par 3, 172 yards), he used an 8-iron off the tee, cleared casual water and landed about 20-feet from the hole. Gaffney then fired a birdie.
“I made putts today that I was surprised went in,” he said.
Gaffney began the day with a bogey on No. 10 (par 4, 415 yards).
“I got off to a slow start,” he said. “From there, I settled down. I just tried to hit in the fairways and lay back off the tees.”
Throughout the day, Gaffney also leaned heavily on his irons.
“I needed to make birdies hitting 8-iron and 7-iron onto the greens,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily important to use driver. It was just more of a scale back and let the irons do the work for you.”
For Gaffney, it’s on to next week’s Middle-Amateur Championship, which will be held at Tavistock CC May 20-21.
“I know those guys are going to be tough over there. I’m looking forward to that,” he said.
***
NOTES: Monday’s qualifier was the first of two qualifiers used to help determine the field for the 109th Amateur Championship, which will be held on June 15-17 & 20 at Stonewall. The second qualifier will be held on May 14 at Coatesville CC.
When the day came to an end, the cut line fell to 77.
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