Amateur Team Canada

Team Canada trio among six Canadians to qualify for U.S. Amateur

Blair Hamilton
Blair Hamilton (Graig Abel)

Through separate qualifying events, six Canadians have punched their tickets to the U.S. Men’s Amateur next month.

Amateur Squad member Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., was the latest Team Canada athlete to secure his spot—posting a 66-71 on Tuesday to finish as medalist at the Crestwood Country Club in Rehoboth, Mass. His effort was matched by Joey Savoie of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., who bested the field at the Milford, Conn., event hosted at the Great River Golf Club. The Saint Leo freshman carded a 72-68 to earn medalist honours with a one-stroke advantage.

Team Canada’s Amateur Squad duo of Blair Hamilton and Hugo Bernard shared medalist honours on Monday in Hamilton, N.Y., to lock up the two available spots at the Seven Oaks Golf Course qualifying event.

The pair kept up a steady pace throughout the 36-hole stroke-play event, both carding totals of 139 (-5) to win the qualifier by one stroke. Bernard, a Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product, made his push by going 3-under par on his final nine holes to secure his spot. Teammate and Burlington, Ont., native Hamilton’s final round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 5th hole, cancelling out a double-bogey just two holes prior.

Canada’s Josh Goheen of Greely, Ont., finished two-strokes off the pace at 3-under par to become the second alternate from the Seven Oaks GC event.

Also in New York, Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont. bested the field at the Mendon Golf Club on Monday with a 69-68 to close at 5-under par. The West Virginia Mountaineer sophomore birdied three of his first five holes to boost him towards the one-stroke victory.

Rounding out the quintet is Canadian Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers, B.C., won the Blaine, Wash., qualifying event last week.

All five Canucks will head to Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., from Aug. 15–21 to compete for the title, and one of two spots into The Masters in 2017. Canada’s Corey Conners (currently on the Young Pro Squad) finished as a finalist back in 2014, eventually going on to finish as top amateur at the 2015 Masters.

Click here for updated qualifier scoring.