Peter Williamson is having quite a summer. In July, the Hanover, N.H., resident and recent Dartmouth graduate put his name on two amateur trophies, then qualified for his third straight US Amateur.
Most recently, Williamson booked his trip to Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver for next month’s US Amateur, shooting a 7-under-par 135 on Tuesday at Charter Oak Country Club to earn medalist honors and one of three spots.
Getting through at Charter Oak came three days after Williamson defeated Bobby Wyatt in a playoff to win the 106th Southern Amateur, in Little Rock, Ark. The Southern followed Williamson winning the 112th North & South Amateur earlier this month at Pinehurst’s famed No. 2 course.
“July’s been awesome to me, so I’m hoping August can be the same way,” Williamson said. “It’s been nice validation for my golf game.”
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At the North & South, Williamson beat Thomas Bradshaw, 4 and 3, in the championship match. He never made bogey, never lost the honor on the tee, and carded five birdies.
The victory in the Southern Amateur, though, leaves Williamson with a difficult decision. The winner receives a PGA Tour exemption into the following year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, assuming he’s still an amateur. Williamson, who was a three-time Ivy League player of the year and a third-team All-American this season, was planning on turning pro after the US Amateur and entering Qualifying School. Now he’s leaning toward entering Q-School as an amateur, leaving open the possibility of using the Bay Hill exemption if he doesn’t earn his card.
“That’s probably how I’ll do it, just to keep all the options open,” Williamson said. “It’s not a bad conundrum to be in.”
Reservations made
Ricky Stimets of Paxton and Ben Balter of Wellesley also earned spots in the US Amateur at the Charter Oak qualifier . . . At the US Amateur qualifier at Crestwood CC, Robert Leopold of Cranston, R.I., led the field with a 10-under-par 132, shooting 66-66. Ryan McCarthy of Australia and Brad Valois of Warwick, R.I., also qualified . . . The third and final local qualifier for the US Amateur was held at The Orchards in South Hadley, with local favorite Richy Werenski taking one of three spots with a 4-under-par 136 after rounds of 69-67. Matt Bianchini of West Boylston (68-67) was medalist, with Chelso Barrett (70-68) of Keene, N.H., also moving on . . . Doug Clapp of Old Sandwich Golf Club and Jack Whelan of Myopia Hunt Club shared the lead after the first round of the 45th Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament. Clapp and Whelan each shot 72 at Ipswich CC, one better than Joe Fitzsimmons (Marshfield) and John Gratton (Dedham). The second round is Thursday at the Golf Club at Turner Hill.
First family
John and Mary Mulcahy won the MGA’s Father & Daughter Championship for the third straight year, taking the senior division by shooting a 71 at Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester. The Mulcahys, who play out of Hatherly CC and won the junior division (daughters 17 and under) the past two years, edged Mark and Andie Savel (Nashawtuc) by one stroke. In the junior division, Tom and Cora Bernier (Norton CC) shot 76 to also win by one stroke, over Mark and Erin Bugbee (Holden Hills) . . . Erin and Kurt Bugbee shot an 83 at Bedrock Golf Club to win the WGAM/MGA Junior Mixed tournament by two strokes.
Aces all around
Looking for that elusive hole-in-one? Consider playing at Portland CC in Falmouth, Maine, because they might be handing them out with a paid greens fee. Just kidding, but what happened there last week sure is generating some attention. Paired together, Matt Parker and Travis Ferrante each made an ace on the par-3 fourth hole. Parker had the honors and knocked a wedge in. Ferrante followed: same shot, same result. Earlier in the day, Aaron Pratt made a hole-in-one on Portland’s par-3 seventh.