Crump Cup: Evan Beck is medalist as flights are set for match play
After two perfect days of weather, Evan Beck played his way to medalist honors with back-to-back 68s. He’ll be the top seed in the championship flight. It was an impressive display from the Wake Forest alum who just finished runner-up in the U.S. Mid-Am to Stewart Hagestad at Sleepy Hollow. Beck was the only player to shoot under-par rounds on Thursday and Friday.
Two shots behind Beck was NHL referee Garrett Rank, who shot an impressive 66 on Friday after a 72 on Thursday. Beck and Rank were the only two players to finish under par, and Rank’s 66 was the low round of stroke play this year. Rank will face off against last year’s runner-up Jimmy Ellis.
For some players, Friday was less forgiving than Thursday. First-round leader Mark Costanza shot an 81 and dropped into the second flight as the four seed after failing to make it through in a seven-for-three playoff. Andy Schonbaum and Dan Horner both played their way into the Championship Flight with solid rounds on Friday. Horner shot a 71 to earn the eighth seed. Schonbaum shaved four shots off his Thursday score with a 72 on Friday.
However, Schonbaum, like Maude, earned a spot in the Championship Flight in the playoff. Jimmy Ellis was the third and final player to survive the playoff. Matt Parziale, Bobby Wyatt, and Jeffrey W. Scohy were the other three players along with Costanza who slipped to the second flight in the playoff. Parziale is the top seed in that flight.
Stephen Behr, the champion in 2022, also played his way into the Championship Flight with rounds of 72-74. Last year he was the four seed, this year he’s the nine seed.
The Friday night dinner has a few great traditions. One is that players in the Championship Flight are given a flag with their seed number on it. Players are also seated next to their opponent.
In the senior division, Chip Lutz shot a 145 total to beat out Randy Haag for medalist honors. First-round leader Robert Gerwin had the same fate as Costanza, as he struggled in the second round; he shot an 83 but will play Mike McCoy on Saturday morning after holding on for the six seed. McCoy shot 74-76 for the three-seed.
The Round of 16 and the quarterfinals will be played in the Mid-Amateur flights on Saturday, weather permitting. The semi-final and finals will be played on Sunday. In the senior flight, they will play the quarterfinals on Saturday and the final two rounds on Sunday.
Championship Flight:
1. Evan Beck v. 16. Tug Maude
8. Dan Horner v. 9. Stephen Behr
4. Matthew McClean v. 13. Michael McDermott
5. Stewart Hagestad v. 12. Andrew Bailey
2. Garrett Rank v. 15. Jimmy Ellis
7. Hayes Brown v. 10. Chad Wilfong
3. Brad Nurski v. 14. Andy Schonbaum
6. Joseph Deraney v. 11. Kris K. Mikkelsen
The Crump Cup is named after George A. Crump, the hotelier and course architect best known for building Pine Valley. It is considered one of the premier mid-amateur events in the United States, featuring top players from around the country and the UK. The tournament format consists of two rounds of stroke play qualifying followed by four rounds of match play. Players are flighted based on their qualifying position, and there is a separate senior flight. Jay Sigel holds the record for the most victories in the event, with nine wins between 1975 and 1993.
Due to the current circumstances, the tradition of inviting the public to attend the Sunday final matches has been suspended.
For more information about the Crump Cup, visit the official tournament website.