Fresh from his recent victory in the 2022 RDGA Wilson Fitch Senior Championship at Greystone, Stafford’s Jim Scorse came into the RDGA Mid Amateur Championship at Morgan’s Crossing as, arguably, the prohibitive favorite to win the ages 25-and-above title for a record ninth time.
Oak Hill’s Tim Saur, on the other hand, came into the 2022 RDGA Mid Am literally overnight, having just returned from out of town late the night before Tuesday’s first round – not the optimal situation to attempt winning the title against a small but stout field, stacked with many top players in the required 25-and-older category.
Although Scorse – who last won the District Mid Am three years ago – stuck to the storyline by jumping out to a 2-shot lead with a 2-under-par 70 following the first round, Saur flipped the script in Round 2, posting a 3-under-par 69 to finish the 36-hole Championship at 2-under-par 142, two shots ahead of Scorse and earning his second career RDGA Mid Amateur Championship.
Round 1 opened on August 23 under threatening skies that looked to keep the field – and course – wet throughout the day. But, as if on cue, the rain let up as soon as play began and stayed away for the most of the round.
Scorse opened the Championship with a round that featured five birdies – including four in a row on the back nine – to take a 2-shot lead over Ridgemont’s Steve Paladino. Saur, meanwhile, opened with a 1-over 73 to head into the final round three shots behind Scorse.
Also in the hunt after Round 1 with rounds of 74 were Brook-Lea’s Taylor Rising and Michael Harris. Harris, playing on his home course, had also recently battled Scorse in the final pairing of the RDGA Senior Championship two weeks earlier.
The final round at Morgan’s Crossing on August 24 opened under optimal conditions that included plenty of sun, with temperatures in the mid-80s – and several players took advantage of the conditions to post low numbers.
Two players, Alex Arrigo of Mendon and Kennedy Cheruiyot of the Sunrisers club, finished the round at even-par 72 to move into the top-10 for the Championship.
Oak Hill’s Zach Fuller also made a move early in the round, carding four birdies through 11 holes. Despite back-to-back bogies on Holes 12 and 13, Fuller completed a 2-under-par 70 on the day and eventually finished in third place at 3-over-par 147.
Scorse, meanwhile, “grinded” his way through the first 17 holes of play with three bogies and 14 pars – scoring his first birdie of the round on No. 18 to finish at 74 for the day, even-par 144 for the Championship and second place overall.
It was Saur, though, who turned on the afterburners to propel him to his first RDGA Mid Amateur Championship since 2017. After barely treading water at 1-over through the first six holes, Saur went on a tear, posting five birdies through the next seven holes and adding one more, on the 16th, to finish with the low round of the Championship as well as the title.
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