Griffin Qualifies For His Second Consecutive US Amateur
HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Arthur Griffin has certainly been on top of his game these past few months. The twenty-one-year-old from Lake Placid has now qualified for both a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier and U.S. Amateur out of New York in 2017.
He carded a 3-under 69 (low round) during Monday’s sectional qualifier at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y to secure his spot in the U.S. Amateur field for the second consecutive year. He finished the 36-hole qualifier in second with a 1-under 143 (74-69), just one stroke shy of the medalist and Tennessee native, Brett Patterson. Both players will head to this year's championship at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, from August 14-20.
Griffin has proven himself worthy of attention over the past year with his impressive golf in USGA qualifiers. In May, he qualified locally for the U.S. Open as co-medalist at Shaker Ridge CC and advanced to the sectional qualifier before he was eventually knocked out amongst the crowd of top-level pros and amateurs in Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. At last year's US Amateur qualifier, Griffin finished as an alternate. Griffin eventually got a call from the USGA and ventured out to his first US Amateur, held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. There he missed the cut after 36 holes of stroke play and finished with a 11-over 151 (71-80).
Alec Bard, of New Hartford, will be an alternate for the amateur championship. He finished the qualifier tied for third at 1-over 145.
Griffin is a rising senior at Charleston Southern University and a member of the Men’s Golf team. Prior to attending Charleston Southern, Griffin was a member at Lafayette College for his freshman and sophomore years. He earned runner-up at the 2012 NYS Junior Amateur Championship at Mark Twain in 2012 and finished in the top twenty at last year’s NYS Men’s Amateur at Mohawk Golf Club which earned him an exemption for this year’s New York State Amateur at Bethpage Black. He is currently ranked among the top 1,000 amateur players on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
