White Is Medalist at U.S. Senior Am; Peterson Is No. 44 Seed

USGA

TRUCKEE, Calif. -- Todd White is having quite a year. He was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and if anyone doubted his credentials, he proceeded to win the South Carolina Amateur for the fourth time -- 32 years after the first. The day after that victory, on Aug. 7,  he was the medalist in the local qualifier for the U.S. Senior Amateur.

White remained undefeated for the month this weekend, by shooting a pair of even-par 72s at Martis Camp Club and claiming medalist honors in the Senior Am. His 144 was one stroke better than the 36-hole totals posted by a pair of  Virginians -- Matt Sughrue and Roger Newsom. They were two of the four players who tied for second at 145. Randy Haag of California and Steve Harwell of North Carolina were the other two. Sughrue and Newsom have both finished second in this tournament, Sughrue in 2016 and Newsom in 2019.

A former Senior Am champion, Bob Royak, tied Jon Brown and Joe Jaspers for sixth at 146.

White, a history teacher at Spartanburg High School, combined with his former Walker Cup teammate Nathan Smith, who lives in Pittsburgh, to win the inaugural U.S. Four-ball Championship in 2015. But even though he's played in 35 USGA events, White had never been a medalist in any of them before Sunday. 

"It's nice to have won the medal in stroke play," he said afterward. "But everyone knows this is two tournaments in one. Everyone starts with a clean slate tomorrow (in match play)." 

White, who is 55 and playing in his first Senior Am, was 2 over par in Sunday's round after making bogeys at the 412-yard, par-4 12th and 440-yard, par-4 13th holes. He got back to even par by hitting a wedge to 8 feet at the par-3 14th (145 yard) and making the birdie putt, and then hitting a 5-iron second shot onto the green at the par-5 15th (545) and two-putting. He parred out from there. 

At 7,251 yards, Martis Camp is the longest course this tournament has ever been played on. 

Tim Peterson, the 2021 MGA Senior Player of the Year, followed a Saturday 77 with a 75 on Sunday, and the resulting 152 got him into the match-play portion of the tournament with three strokes to spare. The 59-year-old from Minneapolis is the No. 44 seed and will play No. 21 Jeff Mallette of North Canton, Ohio, on Monday morning in the Round of 64. Mallette qualified with a 149 (76-73). 

There will be a 10-man playoff at 155 for the last six spots in match play early Monday morning, and White will play one of the survors from that playoff. 

Peterson finished second in the local Senior Amateur qualifying at Edina Country Club on July 31 with a 1-over 73. John Husband, a Canadian from Burlington, Ontario, was the medalist with a 70. But Husband struggled at Martis Camp, shooting 161 (80-81), and he missed the playoff by six shots.  


U.S. Senior Amateur

At Martis Camp Club

Par 72, 7,251 yards

Truckee, Calif. 

Stroke play

Final results

1. Todd White, Spartanburg, S.C.              72-72--144

T2. Randy Haag, Orinda, Calif.                 70-75--145

T2. Matt Sughrue, Arlington, Va.               71-74--145

T2. Steve Harwell, Mooresville, N.C.        72-73--145

T2. Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va.   73-72--145

T6. Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga.                 71-75--146

T6. Joe Jaspers, Huntersville, N.C.           74-72--146

T6. Jon Brown, Adel, Iowa                         72-74--146

T9. Craig Davis, Chula Vista, Calif.            74-73--147

T9. Jack Larkin, Atlanta                              75-72--147

T38. Tim Peterson, Minneapolis              77-75--152

Missed cut 

John Husband, Ontario, Canada               80-81--161