Ken Starkweather captured his third Rochester District Golf Association (RDGA) Mid Amateur Championship title on Saturday, August 15, during the second and final round of the 2020 RDGA Mid Am, hosted by Clifton Springs Country Club.
Starkweather, from Ridgemont Country Club, who won the 2008 and 2016 RDGA Mid Amateur titles, held off a strong field to win the 14th annual District Championship open only to the area’s top male golfers, ages 25 and above.
Starkweather finished with a 2-over-par 73 in Saturday’s second and final round – added to the tournament-low round of 1-under-par 70 he posted in Friday’s first round – to finish at 1-over-par 143 for the 36-hole championship.
“The first two of these that I won were when Jim Scorse wasn’t in the field,” said Starkweather, referring to the eight-time RDGA Mid Am champion. “It was great to win when he was also in the field.”
Scorse was definitely in the field for this year’s RDGA Mid Amateur – he got as high as a tie for second place at times during Saturday’s second and final round before finishing in a tie for eighth place at 7-over-par 149 – but so were other top contenders.
James Johnson of Canandaigua was the closest contender for this year’s Mid Am crown, posting scores of 73-72–145 to finish alone in second place, at 3-over par, two shots behind Starkweather. Five golfers, including Ridgemont’s Kevin Peters, Locust Hill’s Kyle Downey, Nick Sortino of Ridgemont, Josh Rathbun of the RDGA eClub, and Ben Caruso of Brook-Lea, all finished in a tie for third place at 6-over-par 148.
Each of the top five finishers (including ties) also earned exemptions into the 2021 RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial at Oak Hill Country Club.
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