A&M-Commerce Golfers Qualify for US Amateur Four-Ball Championship
November 5, 2018
By Tyler McDonough | Senior Sports Reporter
Texas A&M University-Commerce golfers Blake Hartford and Lucas McCubbin recently qualified for the 2019 United States Amateur Four-Ball Championship on October 29 at Gentle Creek Golf Club in Prosper, TX after shooting a score of 65 (-7).
Hartford a junior from Spring, TX is the reigning Lone Star Conference individual champion and McCubbin a senior from Midland is the reigning Lone Star Conference Player of the Year. Both are in their second seasons competing for the Lions.
The tournament featured two more Lions as A&M-Commerce golfers Dallas Millin caddied for Hartford and Alex Welch caddied for McCubbin.
Four-Ball (also known as low-ball) format is not a conventional way of tournament golf. Two players team up, both playing their own ball, but the team takes the lower of the two scores on each hole to count toward their total score. The Championship is not NCAA/University related.
Starting on the back nine, Hartford got things started off for the duo as he chipped in for Birdie on the 12th hole from just in front of the green. After a couple more pars, Hartford nearly made an ace on the Par 3, 15th hole to get the duo another birdie and to two under.
While Hartford got the duo off to a hot start, McCubbin brought home the duo as he birdied the 474-yard Par 4, 17th hole to get the team to 3 under.
After a par on the 18th the team made the turn at 3 under with nine holes to play. McCubbin kept things going as he birdied four more holes (1, 4, 5, 7) to shoot 4 under on the second nine.
The 65 (-7) for McCubbin and Hartford was good enough for third place and a trip to the US Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The top three teams advance with two alternate spots.
The 2019 US Amateur Four-Ball Championship will be played May 25-29, 2019 just four hours south of Portland at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore.
The tournament will consist of 36 holes of stroke play before the field will be cut to 32 teams, concluding the remainder of the Championship in Match Play format.
