CIC course tough on U.S. Open hopefuls

CATAWBAIt may have been an United States Golf Association local qualifier for the 116th U.S.Open Golf Championships but it was the course that won out in the end Monday.Seventy-nine players were tested by the 6,800-yard Catawba Island Club layout and nobody was able to break par at 71 (36-35).There were two local amateurs in the field, in which the four low scorers advanced to the sectional Open qualifier June 6, either at Columbus or Springfield.Sandusky's Tim Belden, 32, a sectional qualifier a year ago with a round of 41-36—77, and Bellevue's Isaac Hartley, a sophomore-to-be at Wittenberg University, had their problems with the windy conditions.Belden carded 43-38—81 and Hartley 42-41—83, and it took a 74 to move on.Four players earned the berths in the sectional, one more than a year ago when Ryan Lenahan, of Charlotte, N.C. was medalist with 38-36—74.Lenahan tied for second Monday in the 18-hole test with 34-38—72, the same score turned in by Patrick Wilkes-Krier, another pro from Ypsilanti, Mich who fired 35-37—72.Professionals Mike Woodcock, of Canada, and Mike Stone, of Toledo, tied for fourth spot with 74s and a playoff was needed to fill the last qualifying berth. Woodcock won on the third extra hole.Chad Gehres, 23, an amateur from Brighton, Mich. was the medalist as he matched par with 35-36 and that included four birdies, two each on both nines (3, 5, 12, 15)."I really wanted to qualify this year after I was disqualified a year ago when I used my range-finder, which is illegal in professional tournaments. I birdied the first two holes before I was told what I did was not allowed. I'm really happy I made it out today," Gehres said.Gehres was also informed after talking about last year that the rule was changed and using the range-finder is now a two-stroke penalty for the first incident rather than disqualification, which was the case in 2015."Putting was my strength today," Gehres said. "I had just 11 putts on the front nine, and 25 for the day and made a lot of putts from the 5-to 8-foot range, Gehres said.The only hitch in his round was a double bogey on the 8th hole when he hit a ball into the water.Lenahan, 31,has qualified for his sixth Open sectional, and fifth in a row."I was 3-under at one point with birdies on Nos. 1, 7 and 8 but had a bad back nine," Lenahan said. "I played conservative golf the last few holes and bogies a couple of holes. I just wanted to finish the round and felt I was in good position to make it out."I shot 74 last year and the conditions were tougher than today. The rough was longer this time and made it tougher," added Lenahan who was the first alternate in he 2013 U.S.Open, but did not get a chance to get in."I practiced on that Wednesday like all the other players and I remember I was on the green putting an just one other player was doing the same. That was Tiger Woods," he continued.Belden was unable to overcome a terrible start."I was 5-over for the first five holes and that made me press in an effort to get some strokes back," Belden said. "I birdied the toughest hole on the course (No. 6) but that was it. I had a bogey, double bogey start and knew then I was in trouble because the weather today made it almost impossible to get those back."It was a disappointing day to say the least and to add to that, I had five three-putt greens and normally I'm good in that area. I became more aggressive on my putts and that cost me," Belden said.He has seven Catawba Island Club men's titles to his credit, including the last four. He also owns three Mills creek Open crowns, including the last two.Hartley, a 2015 Bellevue high School graduate, also had one birdie (No. 18) on his ninth hole played, but like Belden, also struggled from the start with a par, double bogey and bogey."The wind was tough and the pin placements were in the back of the green. That made it difficult get to. This is my first time at this and felt it was a good experience. I learned a lot today."I want to thank my caddy, Thomas Pressler, my teammate at Bellevue for years. I'll be 19 Thursday and he will be 20 Monday," Hartley said.Hartley had a good spring season at Wittenberg, highlighted by a 4-under-par round of 140 in the Wittenberg Invite where he shot 70 both days and was runner-up in the medalist department. He also had his first hole-in-one, in late March, on Wittenberg's home course, Springfield Country Club."That's where one of the sectional qualifiers is and I wanted to make it out today so I could play my home course in the local qualifier. But that was not to be," Hartley said.Pressler is also a sophmore-to-be at Malone University.Tim Belden of Sandusky tees off during the U.S. Open qualifier hosted by the Catawba Island Club on Monday.Isaac Hartley of Bellevue watches his shot during the U.S. Open qualifier Monday morning at the Catawba Island Club.Tim Belden of Sandusky, putts the ball during the U.S. Open qualifier at the Catawba Island Club on Monday.Isaac Hartley of Bellevue, left, waits for his turn to putt during Monday's U.S. Open qualifier at the Catawba Island Club.