Familiar faces top local USGA Amateur qualifier

By: Paul Schofield
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 | 10:10 PM

There is something about being familiar with a golf course.

You kind of know the ins and outs.

That’s true for some of the golfers who participated Tuesday during Day 1 of the United States Golf Association’s Amateur qualifier at Sunnehanna Country Club, Johnstown.

There are some familiar players at the top of the leaderboard trying to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in early August at Oakmont Country Club.

Erik Bertrand is atop the leaderboard, shooting a 5-under-par 65. Right behind him is Murrysville’s Palmer Jackson and Grant Martens at 4-under. Two shots back are Greensburg’s Mark Goetz, Charles Young and Jay Whitney.

The field of 144 was cut down to low 50s and ties. The top five finishers earn a spot at Oakmont.

Jackson, Goetz, Oakmont’s Sean Knapp (2-under) and Peters Township’s Connor Schmidt (1-under) played in the Sunnehanna Amateur, so they know a lot about the course.

Among the players to make the cut was Pittsburgh Penguins second-year forward Sam Lafferty, a Hollidaysburg native.

The cut was 5-over. The final round is Wednesday.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.