Brault, Donner, Nealon, and Sivabalasingham Qualify for U.S. Mid-Am
EAST AURORA, N.Y. – Mike Donner dominates and advances to the U.S. Mid-Amateur on Tuesday at Crag Burn Golf Club. Gajan Sivabalasingham, Etienne Brault, and Patrick Nealon also secured their spot in qualifying conducted by the NYSGA.
Donner put up the best round of the day shooting seven-under, 65. The host club member bogeyed the par-5 second hole but didn’t look back. Donner found birdies on 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, and 17 en route to the low round of the qualifier.
Related: Results / U.S. Mid-Amateur Home
Sivabalasingham, from Canada, had an up-and-down front-nine with three birdies and two bogeys. He sat at even par through 11 but birdied the 12th hole, a par-3. Sivabalasingham followed that up with back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to move to three-under. He’d par the rest of the holes to solidify his plans for late September.
Canada’s Eric Flockhart, like Donner, bogeyed the second hole but jumped on the birdie train on hole 6. He then birdied the eighth and ninth holes, as well as 12 (a par-3) and 14 to put himself in a good position. Flockhart bogeyed 15 and 18 for a round of two-under, which bumped him down to the playoff.
Orchard Park’s Nealon finished with a round of two-under after birdieing holes 3, 7, 11, and 16. Brault also shot two-under with five birdies and three bogeys. His birdie on the 18th hole helped him clinch a playoff for the final two qualifying spots with Flockhart and Brault.
In the 3-for-2 playoff, the players all tied the first hole. Brault was the first to separate himself with a birdie on the second playoff hole to officially qualify. Nealon outlasted Flockhart to claim the final spot. Flockhart was named first alternate. Jaret Chipman was named second alternate. He shot one-under and birdied the final two holes.
The 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be held at Sand Valley Resort in Wisconsin. The tournament will take place September 26th through October 1st.
