August 20, 1997|By FROM STAFF REPORTS ROCKVILLE
LEMONT, ILL. — ROCKVILLE -- Bob Kaestner got some breathing room in the final three holes and won the 11th Mid-Amateur championship of the Maryland State Golf Association yesterday. In the process, he exorcised some old golf demons.
The Baltimore Country Club member from Glyndon, in his first year of eligibility for the age 35-over event, equaled the low round of the 36-hole tournament with a 70 and a two-day total of 3-under-par 141 at Lakewood Country Club. His most important shot was a 235-yard 3-iron to the green of the 532-yard 16th, setting up a two-putt birdie.
Moments later, Larry Storck, who followed up his recent City Amateur title with his eighth CC Maryland club championship, fell out of contention with a double-bogey at the 145-yard 17th hole and finished second, 72-72144.
"I prepared the last two weeks as though I would be playing in the U.S. Amateur [he was the area qualifier's first alternate after double-bogeying his 36th hole when par would have put him in], but I knew this was important, too," Kaestner said.
The demons he dispatched included a stomach-turning loss to Dave Rasley five years ago, and a tendency to let leads get away, such as that Amateur qualifier, and an 18th green three-putt that enabled eventual champion Marty West III to overtake him in the second round of the Maryland State Amateur in June.
The Rasley nightmare also featured a late collapse after being 5 up in their 1992 Amateur final.
Maryland Mid-Amateur
Scores
Lakewood Country Club
Par 72
141--Bob Kaestner 71-70;
144--Larry Storck 72-72;
145--Narvin Guerra 71-74;
146--Tom Lynn 74-72;
147--Joel Kaye 70-76; Tim Carr 76-71; George Mavrikes 72-75;
148--Skip Tendall 78-70; Rick Klein 77-71; Joe Records 75-73; Marty West III 73-75;
149--George Connolly 78-71; Dave Rasley 71-78;
150--Rick Cage 75-75; John Stroop 77-73; Stu Strang 74-76; Clyde Marriner 73-77; Kevin Wood 76-74;
151--Paul Dittner 76-75; David Lombardi 76-75;
152--Andy Pataki 74-78; Bryan Borda 74-78;
153--Mike McCarthy 74-79; Keith Wilson 78-75; Brooke Greer 74-79; Joel Sandler 75-78; Chuck Ingram 78-75; Mark Kammholz 76-77.
Others--Sheldon Kalish 77-77154; Wayne Wright 78-77155; Adrian Druzgala 76-79155; Peter Martin 76-79155; Doug Wilson 77-79156; Blair Laubach 76-80156; Mike Gillis 76-80156; Dan McDonnell 78-78156.
U.S. Amateur
LEMONT, Ill. -- Alan Zimmerman, of Walkersville, Md., part of a three-way tie for the lead after the first round, posted a second-round 76, and easily qualified for match play with 143 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. His initial effort marked the first time a Marylander from beyond the Washington suburbs had held a share of an Amateur qualifying lead.
The other Baltimore qualifiers were not so fortunate, as Ben Brundred III of Congressional CC had 76-76152; Dan DeRisio, Columbia CC, 78-75153; and Steve Thomas, Crofton CC, 83-75158.
The cut was 146, where 22 played off for 13 places in the draw. Medalist Roger Tambellini, of Templeton, Calif. (67-69136), led the way, and among those advancing were Walker Cup stars Jerry Courville Jr. (71-67138) and George "Buddy" Marucci (73-72145), a University of Maryland graduate.
Steve Scott, the runner-up to Tiger Woods in last year's final, failed to qualify for match play. He shot 72150 and missed the playoff by four strokes.
Pub Date: 8/20/97
