Hole-in-onehelpsTsawwassengolferqualifyforUSAmateur

MARK BOOTH

mbooth@delta-optimist com

A sizzling final round 66, highlighted by a holein-one and an eagle, has Jace Minni headed to the 2023 U.S Amateur in Colorado, later this month.

The former Beach Grove Golf Club stand- out, who is heading into his senior year at Gonzaga University, finished third at a qualifying event recently in Dupont, WA.

After firing an opening round -2 under 70 in the morning, Minni came through with an ace on the par-3 6th hole at the Home Course He would go on to birdie the 10th and 14th holes before coming through with a clutch eagle on the par-5 16th to complete his bogey-free round.

That lifted him into the third and final qualifying spot with an 8-under total, one shot better than Bellevue’s Max Herendeen who is headed to the University of Illinois this fall.

The field also included two of Minni’s longtime friends and former South Delta Secondary teammates, John Morrow and Russell Howlett They finished with 1-under and 4-over totals respectively.

The U S Amateur

Championship will feature a starting field of 312 players playing 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 14-15 The field will be cut to 64 followed by six rounds of single knockout match play, including the 36-hole final on Aug. 20. The winner and runner-up are exempt into the following year ’ s

U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club’s Course No. 2.

Minni’s junior year at Gonzaga was highlighted by his first-ever NCAA tournament win at the Red Hawk Invitational at Chambers Bay. He is also the reigning Washington State Amateur champion