BETHESDA -- Amateur Earl Hartman, from Alexandria, Va., registered a par-matching 35-3570 and won the medal in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open championship yesterday at Bethesda Country Club.
With a field of 91 vying for three available places, the others went to pros Chuck Thorpe of Washington, 71, and Billy King of Roanoke, Va., 73.
King birdied the first extra hole when he struck a sand wedge shot to eight feet and made the putt to earn the spot over David Hyduke of Sterling, Va., who made par and was relegated to first alternate.
The 18th championship will be played June 26-29 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois.
Hartman, 51, who missed in an attempt to qualify last year, finished with two birdies and two bogeys on each nine. His birdie putts were from seven to 18 feet, and he made "four or five saves for pars." A member at Mount Vernon CC, he is retired after having worked for the Defense Department.
"I was really solid tee to green," said Thorpe, 54, whose area play as an amateur and pro goes back some 30 years. "When you have this many players for just three places, and you make it -- this is what you work for. It really feels good."
Thorpe, who plays most of his golf at the University of Maryland, played the front nine 1-under par, then three-putted the 10th for the first of what became three back-nine bogeys. He ended 34-3771.
King, 51, qualified for the third time by posting 34-3973.
The veteran Virginia club pro was 3-under par through eight holes, before giving back two of them when he bunkered his tee shot at the par-3 ninth, then hit his sand shot over the green, chipped back and two-putted for double-bogey. He bogeyed four holes on the back nine, including the 16th and 18th.
The qualifiers: a-Earl Hartman, Alexandria, Va., 35-3570; Chuck Thorpe, Washington, 34-3771; x-Billy King, Roanoke, Va., 34-3973. Alternates: z-a-David Hyduke, Sterling, Va., 39-3473; Gary Benoit, Centreville, Va., 35-3974; Mike Swisher, Lebanon, Pa., 36-3874.
Other selected scorers: a-Robert Bramson, Old South CC, 75; Bob Bilbo, 75; a-Terry Mayer, Chestnut Ridge CC, 75; Dick Canney, Chantilly National, 76; Mike McGinnis, Holly Hills CC, 76; Gary Metzger, BWI GC, 76; Gordon Chavis, Randallstown, 76; a-Ned Pugh, Bethesda, 77; a-Jack Vardaman, 77; a-Bill Stout, Washington Golf, 78; a-Mike Sanger, Green Spring, 78; a-Dave King, Bethesda, 78.
a-denotes amateur
x-denotes won playoff
z-denotes lost playoff
Pub Date: 6/17/97
