Facing some of the same shots he's made for years, on a course he’s played hundreds of times, Jonathan Keppler said he was still nervous.
More nervous than when he was the Class AAAAA state individual medalist as a Kennesaw Mountain High freshman last week?
“Here, for sure,” he said.
Keppler harnessed his nerves to shoot 2-under 68 on Monday in local qualifying for the U.S. Open at the Marietta Country Club, a course Keppler knows well. His father, Stephen, is the club's director of golf and Jonathan estimates he’s played hundreds of rounds there since his father took over 12 years ago. His score was good enough to make a six-man playoff for the last of the nine spots in the next round of qualifying, but Keppler, just 15, was eliminated on the first extra hole when he three-putted, which was a recurring problem during the day.
Though he came close, Keppler wasn't disappointed.
"Not a single [regret]", Keppler said. "I wouldn't change one swing, one thought, one anything."
Georgia Tech’s Anders Albertson shot a 5-under-par 65 on the 6,793-yard course and is one of nine who advance to the sectional qualifier. Albertson, who just finished his freshman year, birdied Nos. 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13 and 15 with bogeys on No. 2 and 11. It's the second consecutive year he has advanced out of the local qualifier.
“I feel more mature both mentally and my game feels better. I’m hitting the ball longer,” Albertson said.
Joining Albertson were medalist Mitchell Krywulycz (6-under 64), a former standout at Augusta State, followed by a pair of Kennesaw State golfers, Matt Nagy (66) and Benjamin Greene (67). Atlanta's Curt Sanders, Richard Spangler, Richard Swift and Erik Flores each shot 3-under and Forsyth's Jay McLuen, the playoff winner, rounded out the qualifiers.
This year's sectional play will be at the River Club in Suwanee on June 4. The U.S. Open will be held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco staring June 14.
While Jonathan Keppler was competing in his first regional, his father was in Newnan competing in the first round of the Georgia Senior Open. He shot even-par and booked it home in time to watch his son finish his last regulation hole, the 446-yard par 4 No. 9. His daughter kept him up to date on what Jonathan was doing with text messages.
Keppler thought he needed one more birdie to ensure a spot. After a long drive, he hit his approach from 156 yards to within 20 feet of the flag. However, his birdie try skirted the edge of the cup, giving him a par.
His putter had been hot and cold all day. He hit 11 fairways and all 18 greens in regulation, giving him lots of birdie chances. He birdied the 10th, his first hole of the day, followed by a short birdie putt on No. 16 and a 25-foot birdie on No. 17. He three-putted 18 for a bogey from par range, but followed that with another long birdie putt on No. 1. He gave one back when he three-putted No. 4.
He slammed a drive on No. 8, a 558-yard par-5 and then used a bit of course knowledge to give himself a chance on the next-to-last hole. The pin was on the left, guarded in the front by a deep bunker. Keppler said he’s been in that bunker enough to know that if he put his second shot into it, he could easily walk off with a 6 or 7. He opted to lay up inside 50 yards and popped a wedge over the bunker to within 15 feet. The birdie try skimmed the edge of the hole, continuing his flatstick theme for the day.
“I putted pretty well today. It’s just nothing seemed to fall,” he said.
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