Some well decorated golfers from northern Kentucky took on all comers at the 116th Tony Blom Metropolitan Amateur Championship in Cincinnati. Two of them clashed in match play. One made it to the round of 16. After all was said and done, a pair of area amateurs made gains in the most recent Greater Cincinnati Golf Association player of the year points standings. Here’s the latest on locals teeing it up across the river.
FORMER COUGAR THIRD AT MET QUALIFYING
One-time northern Kentucky prep all-star Evan Stewart had a solid pre-holiday week at the six-day Metropolitan. Stewart golfed at Conner High School and Northern Kentucky University. He placed third in the two-day stroke play qualifier at Coldstream Country Club and Elks Run Golf Course. He earned the No. 4 seed. Stewart, 22, later won a first-round match at Coldstream during a four-day stay.
Stewart shot 4-under-par 138 during qualifying. His score was four shots behind qualifying co-leaders Bill Williamson (134) and Brett Podobinski (134) both from Ohio. Stewart, playing out of Traditions Golf Club in Hebron, shot 69 each day and was the top northern Kentucky qualifier.
Stewart’s best half-round was on the first day back nine at Coldstream. He shot 31 with five birdies, giving him six birdies on the day. Stewart carded five more birdies day two at Elks Run. He bagged four birdies on the second day’s first 10 holes, giving him nine birdies across 19 holes.
Stewart went on to defeat Brady Gazarek, 2 & 1, in the first round of match play on Coldstream. Gazarek golfs at University of Findlay. Stewart was eliminated by 36th seed Mikey Schutte, 3 & 2, in the round of 32. Schutte, formerly of Elder (OH), golfs at Wittenberg.
Elsewhere around the links:
HIGHLANDS, RYLE GOLFERS COLLIDE
Former Highlands High School and NKU golfer Luke Muller (146) tied for 28th during Met qualifying. He earned the 32nd seed. Representing Highland Country Club, he won a first-round match, beating Howard Clendenin, 2 & 1, at Coldstream.
Muller was ousted by former Ryle and University of Cincinnati golfer Chris Harpum, 1-up in the round of 32. Harpum, the No. 1 seed by virtue of last year’s Met championship, was exempt from qualifying. He lost to 17th seed Mason Deal in the round of 16. Harpum is now golfing at Belmont where he led the men with a 74.3 18-hole scoring average.
Looking back five years ago can offer some interesting 20/20 hindsight. Case in point, the 2020 Golf House Kentucky rankings of the top high school golfers in the state. It included Stewart, Muller and Harpum, all on the same list.
MET GREETS COVCATH, ST. HENRY QUALIFIERS
Former Covington Catholic standout Alex Volpenhein (148) finished in a seven-way tie for 45th during Met qualifying. The one-time Kentucky Wildcat represented EClub Kentucky North. Former St. Henry golfer Kevin Tobergte (148) from Traditions Golf Club and one-time Conner golfer Sean Burke (148) from Boone Links/Lassing Pointe were also in the group. Tobergte is a Spring Hill College player.
Burke, like Muller, golfed at NKU. Former Norse golfer Zach Beard was also among the 64 Met qualifiers. Beard (149) tied for 52nd in qualifying but suffered a similar fate as Volpenhein, Tobergte and Burke in match play. All were gone by the end of the first round.
Not only was it tough going for local golfers at the Met, but it was also tough for top seeds. All of the top 10 were out by the final. Match-play finalists Charlie Mullin from The Camargo Club and Brock Rumpke from Maketewah Country Club weren’t in the top 12.
Mullin, the 26th seed from Cincinnati, defeated 13th seeded Rumpke, 3 & 2, to win it. Mullin, a 2024 Seven Hills (OH) grad, now plays at Trinity College in Connecticut. Rumpke, a 2020 grad from Moeller (OH), golfed at Wright State.
HARPUM, MULLER MOVE UP IN GCGA STANDINGS
Harpum, Muller and former CovCath golfer Ian Ashe are top 15 in the GCGA player of the year standings. As for Harpum, he moved up from sixth place to fifth with a total of 132.5 points in two events. He tied for fourth at the Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship and received 82.5 points for his effort. Harpum received 50 points at the Met.
Muller made a rise from a 21st-place tie to a tie for 15th in the standings. He has 90 points in two events. He got 50 with an 11th-place finish at the Northern Kentucky Amateur and 40 at the Met. Ashe, representing Summit Hills Country Club, is in a tie for sixth with 125 points. He was previously first after winning the Northern Kentucky Amateur, where he received all his points in his lone event.
The brand new GCGA points leader through weekend events is Nicolas Paxson (175) from Coldstream. He commands a 25-point lead over Met winner Mullin (150) and AJ Wilhelm (150). They are in a tie for second in the player of the year standings. Harpum, a three-time all-region player at Ryle, is just 17.5 points behind Mullin and Wilhelm. He’s 43.5 behind Paxson.