A timely eagle-birdie run late in his second round has helped the 2022 NSW State team captain Harry Bolton into a tie for third at the 2024 US Mid-Amateur Championship overnight.
Bolton carded a second-round 67 at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, currently the low round of the rain-delayed day, to go with his opening even par round of 70 at Fenway Golf Club in Metropolitan New York.
The NSW GC represntative can consider himself fortunate to have completed two rounds, with only five groups able to complete the qualifying in the rain-soaked affair. Heavy rains also impacted last year’s Mid Amateur at Erin Hills, so he is undoubtedly feeling a sense of deja vu about the conditions.
“I had to play two holes at Fenway this morning, and I played two holes of lousy golf. I made a good 10-footer there to keep it all going.: Bolton said.
The second-round eagle was undoubtedly the highlight of a rather long day of golf for Bolton, who described the shot to USGA Media as a bit lucky after aiming in the wrong direction.
“I hit an unreal drive, and then I thought I hit an awesome second shot, like a perfect number. I got up there, and I was just aimed 15 feet in the wrong direction. But luckily, I made a nice putt.
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And to consolidate the eagle, Bolton added a vital birdie on the next to all but luck away his qualifying sport for the knockout phase, which (should) begin overnight ( EAST).
“I had gap wedge, playing 119 meters or 125 (yards). I wasn’t getting a whole lot of good numbers, I was kind of right in between all day. I had a perfect number and then I hit that to 4 or 5 feet.”
Despite his solid finish, Bolton admitted his swing wasn’t at its best. However, he acknowledged that his putting had kept him in the tournament over the last two days.
“It wasn’t great today, but I kept it in play well. My misses have gotten a lot better. So I kept it in play and hit a lot of greens. The greens are really big. This type of golf is my type of golf. I thrive off hitting a lot of greens and then being a good putter.
While Bolton was forced to wait almost three days to complete qualifying last year at Erin Hills, the weather gods seem to be smiling on him this year. The lengthy disruptions, however, are a continuous test.
“It wasn’t ideal. The most challenging part is all the things that people don’t see. You get off the golf course at 7:30 p.m. We had dinner with friends, and I got five hours of sleep.
“You are waking up at 5:00 a.m. You try and get ready.
A lot of people see the golf, especially after all the travel, all the practice rounds, and all the golf and the delays. It certainly adds up. But with that in mind, I was super happy how I played today.”
