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A day on the links

Web.com tour holds LECOM qualifier at Shorewood C.C.

OBSERVER Photos by Jeremy Izzio (Above) Matt Schall chips onto the 18th green during the LECOM Health Challenge Monday Qualifier held at Shorewood Country Club. (Below) Peter Wong tees off on hole No. 1 as part of the 2 p.m. group during the LECOM Health Challenge Monday Qualifier held at Shorewood Country Club.

The conditions set up perfectly for low scores as players from across the country attacked Shorewood Country Club Monday.

Shorewood was the scene for the Monday Qualifier, which feeds 12 players into the LECOM Health Challenge held at Peek’n Peak Thursday through Sunday. Crowds of local golf fans followed the golfers around the course beginning at 7 a.m. and were treated to golf at its highest level.

Last year, the event was held at Peek’n Peak’s lower course, but when the lower course was closed for this year, an opportunity arose for Dunkirk to host a web.com Tour event.

“Last year, after the first year of the LECOM Health Challenge, Peek’n Peak decided to shut the lower course down and there was a need for a qualifier location,” said Kevin Sanvidge, Tournament Director and Administrative Director/Chief Executive Officer of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency. “Chautauqua County has been a big supporter of the tournament and as the executive director of the tournament I said, ‘we are doing it in Chautauqua County,’ and I feel Shorewood is the best place to have it. The length of the course and the setup were right. So I contacted the PGA Tour and helped get the tournament at Shorewood.

“Shorewood is my country club and this is big for Dunkirk. It’s big for Shorewood Country Club to have this event here. The turnout has been wonderful. You have players from all over the world coming here the week leading up to the event. It’s exciting. The course is in wonderful shape and it’s nice to see this level of golf in Dunkirk. There should be no reason why we can’t have it here for the next several years.”

From the beginning it was evident it would take a very low score to move on to Thursday.

In the first group of the day, which teed off at 7 a.m., Brad Gehl carded a 63, good for nine under par.

Shortly after, in the 8:30 a.m. group, Brian Richey turned in a 63 to tie Gehl atop the leaderboard.

While no one was able to match the early 63s, seven players ended up playing off for the final two spots.

In the end, the top 12 advancing to Thursday were:

T1) Brad Gehl (Carmel, IN) 63

T1) Brian Richey (Lakeland, FL) 63

T1) David Lutterus (Wexford, PA) 63

T4) Zach Zaback (Cromwell, CT) 64

T4) Brandon Matthews (Dupont, PA) 64

T6) Carson Young (Pendleton, SC) 65

T6) Justin Hicks (Wellington, FL) 65

T6) Adam Hart (Columbia, SC) 65

T6) Michael Arnaud (Covington, LA) 65

T6) Case Cochron (Tequesta, FL) 65

T11) Matt Schall (Charlotte, NC) 66

T11) Charles Wang (Bradenton, FL) 66

Four local players got in on the action Monday. While no locals made it to Thursday, being eligible to play in the Monday Qualifier is a feat in and of itself. Only professionals and amateurs with a handicap index when applied to the qualifying course slope will generate a handicap of two or less are eligible.

Dunkirk’s Kevin Kaszuba led the local players with a 36 on the front 9 and a 36 on the back 9 for an even-par 72. Westfield’s Nolan Swanson shot a 37-40-77. Daniel Weimer of Irving carded a 37-41-78 and Cassadaga’s Steve Wintersteen shot a 44-38-82.

Shorewood was instructed to keep the course in typical manicure, but WNYPGA set the pin placement for the event.

“We were cautious to make it fair for the players,” said Steve Bartkowski, Executive Director of the Western New York Section, PGA of America. “We also want to make it a challenge. Shorewood’s greens are small so there’s not a lot of fair places to put them. So we looked at the weather and found some spots that were fair, yet difficult. When you have a field of 156 players and daylight problems, you also have to get them around the golf course.”

Overall, the event was a resounding success according to the players, spectators, volunteers and organizers.

“There were some really good scores. These guys are really the best of the best right below the PGA tour,” Bartkowski said. “The level of play on the Web.com Tour is very high. These guys are very good. Shorewood is usually blowing 30 mph winds and was (Sunday) during the practice rounds, but during the tournament it was ideal conditions and these guys went low.

“The event was wonderful. Shorewood Country Club, their membership and their PGA pro opened their doors to us. They had a ton of volunteers shuttling players, helping with the range and much, much more beginning at 5 a.m. (Monday) morning. They have made our WNYPGA staff’s jobs pretty easy.”

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