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By Arthur Utley
NEWPORT NEWS – Mark Lawrence Jr. (Hermitage Country Club, Henrico) checked off another first-time box Tuesday when he earned a berth in this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship.
Lawrence posted 65-65—130, 10-under par, in the 36-hole qualifier at James River Country Club and earned medalist honors. Lawrence finished three strokes clear of Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley CC, Haymarket), who shot 7-under 133 (67-66) to earn the second of the qualifier’s three slots in the national tournament that will be held Aug. 14-20 at two clubs in California, Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades and Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
The third local berth went to University of North Carolina senior William Register (Burlington, N.C.), who defeated Patrick Stephenson of Four Oaks, N.C., with a birdie on the first playoff hole after each posted 6-under 134. Register turned in the low round of the hot day, a 6-under 64 in the morning 18, and followed it with an even-par 70 in the afternoon. Stephenson shot 67-67.
Stephenson is the first alternate. The second alternate is Parker Wingfield of Newport News, who toured his home course in 67-68 for a 5-under 135 aggregate.
Lawrence, a junior at Virginia Tech, won his first Virginia State Golf Association Men’s Amateur Championship 10 days ago. The U.S. Amateur is the first USGA event for which he has qualified.
Lawrence, sharp with his short game and putting, logged six birdies and a bogey in the morning round and had five birdies, an eagle and two bogeys in the afternoon.
“The course wasn’t set up to be a really low scoring day. The greens are so good that if you get the ball rolling on the right line, you’re going to make a lot of putts. And the fairways are just so perfect. The condition of the golf course was unbelievable,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence will take a short break before teeing it up in the Eastern Amateur in Portsmouth later this week, and he has the Delta Dental State Open in Roanoke next week.
“I’m not getting tired of golf. I love the game. It’s pretty much my life. I’m looking forward to what’s coming up. I’m a little tired and probably will take off tomorrow (Wednesday), then see what happens at the Eastern,” he said.
This will be Shingler’s ninth USGA event. He has competed in the U.S. Mid-Amateur, the U.S. Four-Ball and U.S. Team Matches, but this is the first time he has qualified for the U.S. Amateur.
“I’ve been trying for a number of years, and I swear I have been one of the alternates seven or eight times. I feel like I finally got the monkey off my back. It feels great,” he said.
Shingler logged six birdies, including four in a row (Nos. 14-17), against three bogeys in the morning then recorded eagles on two par-5s (Nos. 6 and 10), a birdie and a bogey on the second 18.
This is the second year in a row Register has qualified for the U.S. Amateur at a Virginia qualifier. He earned a bid to last year’s national tournament at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond.
He came back to Virginia this year because of last year and no other North Carolina dates worked for him this year.
“I hit it really well, didn’t miss many greens and made some putts. I felt relaxed on the first 18,” Register said of the 64 that included six birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.
He started the afternoon round at the 10th hole and made an eagle on the par 5 then made bogey on four of the next five holes. He played 2-under the rest of the way to get into the playoff that he won with a 12-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.
Retired Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer Arthur Utley is a frequent contributor to coverage of VSGA championships and events.