The 85th Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship at Lassing Pointe Golf Course teed off a second time Wednesday with a wild first round, featuring not one, but two holes-in-one.
With the rain cleared out and greens rolling truer after play was suspended partway through Tuesday’s original start, golfers felt unleashed, and they went pin-seeking in Union.
However, once play began for a two-round championship event instead of three, golfers saw what Mother Nature had wrought. Wednesday was still windy. Grass was still damp. While in great shape, all things considered, thanks to director of golf course maintenance Justin Pack and his crack crew, Lassing Pointe was playing a little slower.
“It was still wet in the fairways and the rough is no joke. You definitely want to stay out of it,” said first-round leader Ian Asch, a former Covington Catholic standout. “If anything, the rough keeps you focused on hitting it straight.”
So far, Asch has kept his ball in the short grass for the most part. And he’s kept his name atop the leaderboard. A day after rain washed out the opening round, players took full advantage of improved conditions, though the bracing wind and unrelenting rough made sure no one had it easy.
Asch, a 2022 CovCath grad now playing at Wright State University, took charge of the Championship Division on Wednesday. Representing Summit Hills Country Club, he carded five birdies and a steady 3-under-par 68. Just one shot back was Nolan Haynes (Westfield Country Club, Ohio), who fired a 2-under 69.
Only five players managed to stay under par in tricky conditions in the first round. Just behind Asch and Haynes were defending champ Luke Coyle, Cole Imig and Justin Sui, all at 1-under 70. Three more golfers sat even-par heading into Thursday: Timmy Hollenbeck, Gavin Clutts, and Michael Hake, all signing for a 71.
Hollenbeck, another golfer from Wright State, made a hole-in-one on No. 14, a 191-yard par-3. Transylvania University golfer Lachlan Tatterson came up with the first hole-in-one of the day. He aced par-3 No. 11, a 208-yard shot.
Aces are already flying and the leaderboard is stacked, so the championship is set for a thrilling finish on Thursday. With little margin for error in a compressed tournament, expect more top-flight shooting as golfers make their final charge for the title.
“Conditions should be even better Thursday and I definitely think I can piece together a good final round,” Asch said. “The course is in great shape despite all the rain. It’s kind of my second home along with Summit Hills. So I feel very comfortable out here even though it’s really wet. I just need to keep the big numbers off the board.”
RAMAGE DOING DAMAGE
Cooper High School golfer Reagan Ramage entered Thursday in a tie for first in the Women’s Division. The Western Kentucky signee shot 2-over 73 as did Eleonore Aernouts, a 20-year-old player from France who is tournament-eligible.
The top two fashioned a 6-shot lead over third-place Anika Okuda (79), a Ryle High School golfer.
“I missed some birdies that would have helped,” said Ramage, a six-time regional champion at Cooper. “Other than that, I was pretty solid. You do have to be careful after all the rain. If you’re not in the fairway, it’s a penalty itself.”
It turns out that Ramage and Asch have some things in common.
“We used to play PGA Junior League together in northern Kentucky,” said Ramage who will soon graduate from Cooper. “I’ve known him a while and he’s pretty good.”
Kendall Brissey, another Cooper golfer now playing collegiately at Indiana Wesleyan, was tied for fourth at 83 after the opening round.
Reese Anthony, a name to keep an eye on in the future, also shot 83. Anthony, from Hebron, is the youngest golfer in the field. She is 12 years old.
Allison Gonring, the 2022 GCGA women’s player of the year, entered Thursday tied for sixth with Natalie Lovell at 85. Lovell, a former Notre Dame Academy player, now golfs at Thomas More University.
BETZOLD, MINDEL TAKE SENIOR CROWNS
Pete Betzold and Carolyn Mindel won Northern Kentucky Amateur senior championships Wednesday at Lassing Pointe. Both golfers are from Ohio.
Betzold, representing Mason, Ohio’s Grizzly Course, beat the men’s field in a repeat. The three-time Miami Valley senior player of the year also won last year at Highland Country Club.
Betzold, age 57, carded a final score of 1-over 72 Wednesday. That was good for a one-shot margin over runner-up Craig Higgins (73) out of Cincinnati’s Vineyard Golf Course. The Senior Division events were whittled from two rounds to one due to the weather.
“It was great on the front nine and then on the back nine I was just hanging on,” Betzold said of his Wednesday round. “I hit all the fairways and seven of the greens on the front. On the back nine, I was into the rough, which was crazy deep. And I was only a few inches in. With the wind, it wasn’t easy.”
Betzold, the 2023 GCGA co-senior player of the year, shot 32 on the front nine Wednesday. He scored 40 on the back. Betzold was also the 2023 Miami Valley senior player of the year, giving him a rare double.
“It’s always nice to repeat at any tournament,” Betzold said. “This week, the plan was very simple, hit fairways and hit greens.”
Jim Muething from Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati placed third in the Senior Men’s Division with 74. Brian Sweeney and Tim Sorrows tied for fourth at 76. They were followed by six-time GCGA senior player of the year Ed Steiber who finished sixth at 78.
Women’s senior winner Mindel, 68, shot 84 for a five-shot margin over runner-up Deb Fritz. Young Romero placed third. Mindel represents Little Miami Golf Course in Cincinnati,
ACES WILD!
The two holes-in-one Wednesday are believed to be a first in their context at the Northern Kentucky Amateur. Longtime observers can’t remember a pair of aces being logged on the back nine on the same day.
Hollenbeck aced par-3 No. 14 with a 7-iron. It’s his fourth career hole-in-one. He also had aces in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“It’s been a few years but it’s always great,” said Hollenbeck, one of five Wright State golfers at the event. “I teed off last on 14 after taking a 6 on 13. I hit a 6-iron on 13 and flew the green. Figured I needed less club on 14. So, I grabbed the 7-iron and hit six feet beyond the hole, and it rolled back in. “
Hollenbeck, a 6-foot-7 golfer, said the challenge for him is keeping the ball low, despite his height.
“That’s why the hole-in-one is nice because you don’t always get them,” Hollenbeck said. “I had a 6 again on 15, so I went 6-1-6 on three straight holes. That’s how tough it is out there.”
