Much in the spirit of Oaklawn Park switching the Arkansas Derby from April to May, Hot Springs is helping Arkansas amateur golf during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Arkansas Amateur Championship, originally scheduled May 28-30 at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith, has been rescheduled at Hot Springs Country Club's Arlington Course June 26-28. The ASGA Executive Committee agreed that the late May date was too early in the current climate of the coronavirus pandemic and that Hardscrabble, now expected to host in 2022, was unable to move the championship to a later date.
"We are extremely grateful to Hot Springs Country Club, its board of directors and general manager/director of golf Barry Howard," ASGA Executive Director Jay Fox said in a release Wednesday. "The historic Arlington Course, which has hosted many of our championship, will be a great test of golf."
The state amateur consists of five divisions: amateurs 16 and older, mid-amateurs 36 and older, seniors 51 and older, super-seniors 61 and older, and masters 70 and older. In 2021, mid-amateur, senior and super-senior ages will each be reduced one additional year.
Contestants will play 18 holes on Friday, June 26, and 18 holes on Saturday, June 27, with the field cut approximately in half for Sunday's final round. Appropriate "social distance" protocols will be in effect.
The ASGA resumes its 2020 championship schedule June 16 and 17 with the Arkansas Women's Amateur at Little Rock's Chenal Country Club. Hot Springs Village DeSoto Golf Club then conducts the Arkansas Junior Amateur June 23 and 24.
Several spring championships have been postponed or canceled, the ASGA reported. "If anything changes with respect to local, state or federal guidelines and regulations relating to COVID-19, we may be looking to adjust again," Fox said. "Our staff and host clubs will place a priority on keeing players safe."
Hot Springs Country Club's annual designated tournament is scheduled two weeks prior to the state amateur, June 13 and 14. The HSCC men's four-ball tournament has been rescheduled Aug. 27-30.
Entry forms for the Arkansas State Amateur will be posted at http://www.asga.org by Monday. Participants must be active ASGA members and can enter online with a major credit card or print the entry and mail to the ASGA office.
Founded in 1898, HSCC was designed by legendary golf-course architect William H. "Bill" Diddel with renovations in the mid-1990s by two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw and partner Bill Coore of Coore & Crenshaw. The rolling terrain plays much longer than the 6,700 yards from the back tees. For more information about Hot Springs Country Club, go to http://www.hotspringscc.com.
Defending state amateur champion is Tyler Reynolds, of Rogers, whose final-round 69 for 211 edged Bismarck's Ryan Camras by two strokes last year at Paradise Valley Athletic Club in Fayetteville. Hot Springs' Charlie Angel (239), Farmington's Matthew Dura (223), Little Rock's Gordy McKeown (215) and Fayetteville's Marshall Carter (213) also won divisions.
Sports on 05/15/2020