Jonathan Bale Takes First-Round Lead at 101st Crump Memorial
By Staff Writer
1 min read
LoopGolf
Jonathan Bale shot a 1-over-par 71 to take the outright first-round lead in stroke-play qualifying at the 101st Crump Memorial at Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey.
The Jupiter, Florida golfer built his round with three birdies on the back nine. A group of seven players sits two strokes back at 73, including 2025 Walker Cup member Stewart Hagestad of Hermosa Beach, California, and Chad Wilfong of Charlotte, North Carolina. Defending champion Bobby Wyatt opened with a 77, leaving him work to do to reach match play.
How does the Senior Division stand?
Three past senior champions share the early lead in the Senior Division at 74: Michael McCoy of Norwalk, Iowa, Jamie Slonis of Sewell, New Jersey, and Tommy Brennan of Covington, Louisiana. Defending senior champion Bob Royak of Alpharetta, Georgia sits two strokes back at 76.
| Division | Player(s) | Round 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Jonathan Bale | 71 |
| Open | Seven-way tie (Hagestad, Wilfong, others) | 73 |
| Open | Bobby Wyatt (defending champion) | 77 |
| Senior | McCoy, Slonis, Brennan | 74 |
| Senior | Bob Royak (defending champion) | 76 |
Who advances to match play?
The Open field of 78 players will be cut to 48 for match play, while 21 Senior Division competitors are contending for 16 spots. Pine Valley, ranked No. 2 on Golfweek's Best Classic Courses list, hosts the Crump Cup, widely regarded as the top mid-amateur tournament in the country.
Unlike the pre-COVID format, Pine Valley will not open Sunday's final match to the public this year.
- pine valley golf club
- crump memorial
- jonathan bale
- mid-amateur golf
- stewart hagestad
- bobby wyatt
- stroke-play qualifying
