22nd of 85 at USGA Amateur Qualifier (Click for leaderboard)

Gary shot one over par 73 and finished 22nd of 85 players at the US Amateur qualifier at Avila Country Club in Tampa. Today's fellow competitors were: former University of Florida Star (just graduated) Toby Ragland and University of Tulsa Star Ville Vaisanen (from Finland) each of whom shot 71. Gary, a rising junior at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, held his own in this adult competition. Toby has elected to not turn professional at this time and has signed as the new Assistant Golf Coach at the University of Central Florida (The Knights).

Gary's statistics for today's round were: 11 fairways, 11 greens, 30 putts, no penalty strokes (no water!), no bunkers, 3 up and downs (of 7), 2 birdies, and 3 bogeys. Gary's shot of the day was a 116 yard second shot off hard dirt under low hanging branches over water to an elevated green to 20 feet from the hole (against his caddy's advice!).

Warm-up at Avila

This was a great competition to test 16 year old Gary's golf progress. The "Amateur" has no age limits. A player must be a certified amateur of any age. Most all college stars and many former pros compete with many graduating college stars holding off professional competition to give the US Amateur one more try. A former "Amateur" winner gets many endorsements when turning professional.

This was the first event Gary played that allowed a caddy. I (the Grandpa) caddied with a cart for both days. It was a wonderful experience. How else could a doting grandpa get to spend time with a highly skilled grandson at a game we both love. It was too bad his father couldn't have had the job (working as Edwin Watts Golf Shop District Manager). He would have done a much better job. Jim Ragland caddied for his son, but it was a different story. Jim, in every way the gentleman, is a former professional player and as much as we study the game, some of their esoteric language wasn't even understood by me. Jim was able to read putts and advise Toby where the ball should enter the hole ("It should roll in at 4:30!) when I didn't know a right breaker from a left. But I did know the following (Thanks to Dave Pelz): 1) The line from ball to hole is not necessarily the target line, 2) make a decision for the target line, 3) line up with and putt on that target line, 4) keep the blade square to the target line, 5) hit the ball in the sweet spot. Gary did all day, and played like the champion he is.