CLEMSON, S.C. — Current Clemson golfers Colin Salema and Hampton Roberts, and former Clemson All-American Stephen Behr Jr. all had rounds of two-under-par 68 and were tied for 15th place when play was halted at 8:02 p.m. in the first round of the US Amateur stroke play qualifier on Monday. There was a 54-minute rain delay earlier in the day that forced stoppage of the round before it was finished.
Thirty-nine of the 312 golfers in the field did not finish their first round. They will finish their first round on Tuesday morning beginning at 7 a.m., then the field will return to the two courses immediately. The 36-hole stroke play qualifier is being played at host course Merion Country Club East Course and the Spring/Mill Course at Philadelphia Country Club. Both are par 70 layouts. Merion was playing over 300 yards longer, but it had the higher first round scoring average at 73.22. Philadelphia CC had a 73.16 average. It is interesting to note, however that Merion had far more birdies (436-338).
The top 64 players after the 36 holes of stroke play will advance to the match play championship that will determine the overall champion on Sunday.
Salema, a rising junior at Clemson, had six birdies and four bogeys in carding his nine-hole scores of 34-34 on the Merion East Course. He was one of the first players to start the event and he made birdie on his first two holes. He had it to four-under-par at one point.
The native of Matthews, N.C. finished his sophomore season strong, as he was Clemson’s best golfer at the NCAA Tournament in Arizona when he had a 12 birdies on the way to a 207 score. He finished in 13th place at that regional.
Roberts also shot a 68 on the Merion East Course thanks to nine-hole scores of 37-31. His back nine included five birdies and like Salema he finished his round with six birdies and four bogeys. Roberts will be in his first year at Clemson this fall after transferring from North Carolina.
Behr Jr. had his round of 68 at Philadelphia Country Club thanks to nine-hole scores of 35-33, he had four birdies and just two bogeys. Behr was an All-American on the course and in the classroom for Clemson in 2015-16 when he led the Tigers to the ACC Championship.
Rich Wills was one of the 39 golfers who did not finish his round on Monday. The rising Clemson junior from Cramerton, N.C. qualified for the U.S. Amateur by winning the North Carolina Amateur in June, the first Clemson golfer to win that tournament since Clarence Rose in 1978. Wills is at even par through 16 holes on the Philadelphia Country Club Course and was tied for 50th place when play was halted Monday evening.
Former Clemson All-American Austin Langdale had a round of four over par 74 at Philadelphia Country Club on Monday and was in 181st place when play was halted. Langdale was a teammate of Behr Jr. on Clemson’s 2016 ACC Championship team. He had two birdies and six bogeys on Monday.
Live scoring is available at USGA.org