Spring Mill CC's Bea bests Patterson Qualifier at Trenton

  TRENTON, N.J. - James Bea of Spring Mill CC experienced déjà vu Monday.

  He carded a 3-under-par 68 to top a Joseph H. Patterson Cup Qualifier at Trenton CC (par 71, 6,338 yards). Last year, Bea earned medalist honors in the same event at The Springhaven Club.

JAMES BEA

  Bea, 20, bogeyed his second hole of the day, the par 4, 447-yard No. 2. He ran his birdie putt nine-feet past the cup and failed to convert the comebacker. Bea uncovered his first red figure three holes later. He drilled his 6-iron to 12-feet on No. 5 (par 3, 192 yards) and rolled in a left-to-right breaker. Bea, a soon-to-be junior at St. Joseph’s University, scrambled to save par on No. 6 (par 4, 315 yards). His approach 7-iron sailed underneath tree limbs and settled left of the putting surface. Bea’s chip stopped a few feet shy of the jar.

  Bea accelerated his play on the strenuous par 5, 452-yard No. 7. He pulverized his 4-iron 195 yards and intently watched his right-to-left 35-footer fall for eagle.

  “I picked a spot about two-feet outside the hole and let it ride the slope. It found the middle, so it was a good feeling to roll that in,” Bea said.

  Bea followed that eagle by drilling his wedge 68 yards and draining a 12-footer for birdie on No. 8 (par 4, 366 yards). He stayed aggressive and strived to attain another red figure on No. 9 (par 5, 473 yards). However, Bea sprayed his drive left, returned to the fairway and pierced his wedge 85 yards to the front of the green. His birdie try chugged to within three-feet, but Bea then missed his uphill par putt.

  “It was discouraging to end the front nine like that, but I didn’t want it to keep me from posting a good number on the back,” Bea said. “The goal out here is to just put up a good score and advance to the tournament. I wanted to keep my head steady.”

  A three-putt bogey on the par 5, 564-yard 12th hole tested Bea’s resolve. With a clear opening to the green from the left-side, he knocked his wedge 60-yards, but couldn’t find the cup from 10-feet. Bea saw his 20-footer for birdie on No. 15 (par 3, 108 yards) lip out of jar. On the next hole (par 4, 350 yards), he holed out for eagle by lacing his pitching wedge 130 yards.

  “I got a little tree off the tee ball. I had perfect little window where I had to keep it left of the flag and cut it,” Bea said. “I kind of got under it a little bit, but it managed to hit the top of the bunker and creep up. I didn’t see it when I went on the green, and sure enough, it was in the middle of the hole.”

  Bea ended his day with a critical par save on No. 18 (par 4, 392 yards). He recovered from an errant tee shot by sticking his wedge 80 yards to eight-feet.

  Bea, a caddie at Lookaway GC, has kept a lighter competitive golf schedule this summer. But his itinerary will be full next month as he will participate in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Open Championship and now the Patterson Cup, set for Aug. 12-13 at RiverCrest GC & Preserve.

  “I don’t try to put a lot of pressure on myself. I know I could hit the ball pretty good,” he said. “I’m just going to go out with the same mindset and try to make some good swings. I need to stay within myself and take it one shot at a time.”

  Monday’s qualifier was the second of two for the Joseph H. Patterson Cup. Last week, Peter Moran of Edgmont CC and Christopher Reedman of Makefield Highlands GC led a group of more than 40 players who advanced to the Championship proper.

  The cut line fell to 78 at Trenton.