Wallach and Zychowski Qualify for Inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
NEW CITY, N.Y. (September 23, 2014) – Sam Wallach of Randolph, N.J., and Steven Zychowski of Mendham, N.J., earned a trip to The Olympic Club for the Inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at today’s Sectional Qualifying Round at Paramount Country Club in New City, N.Y. This was the first qualifying round that the MGA has conducted for this event.
Wallach and Zychowski, both 23, carded a 6-under par 64 to secure the single qualifying position available. Having played together since their junior golf days, both players will get to be a part of USGA history as they play in the first edition of this new event in May 2015.
The duo has teamed up before for the New Jersey State Four-Ball, where they finished as semifinalists in August. Zychowski, a Holy Cross grad, is no stranger to playing golf on the national level – he has played in four U.S. Amateurs in the past five years, and is headed to Indiana next week to represent New Jersey in the USGA State Team Championship. This season, he finished T2 at the New Jersey Amateur, was a quarterfinalist at the Met Amateur and placed in the top ten at the MGA Ike Championship.
Two teams needed a one-hole playoff to determine the alternate positions after they both finished with scores of 3-under 67. The team of Doug Kleeschulte and Jeffrey Schaller, both of Kingston, N.Y., earned the first alternate position. Reigning MGA Mid-Amateur champion Michael Karger of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., and Daniel Rifken of Tuxedo, N.Y., are the second alternate team.
The USGA announced the addition of the Four-Ball to the championship schedule in early 2013. The championship is open to amateurs who have a Handicap Index not exceeding 5.4, and there are 51 sectional qualifying sites to determine the final championship field. The starting championship field of 128 teams will play 36-holes of on-site stroke-play qualifying to determine the low 32 teams for match play. The inaugural edition will take place in San Francisco at The Olympic Club’s Lake Course on May 2-6, 2015.
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will be played in the Met Area when Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., hosts the event in 2016.
Paramount Country Club played to a par 70 at 6,422 yards in beautiful fall conditions for the field of 26 two-man teams today.
The MGA will conduct another Sectional Qualifying Round for the Inaugural U.S. Four-Ball Championship on October 16 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, N.Y.
