Spitalny Leads Senior TPC Qualifiers
Hufstetler Leads Regular Division Qualifiers
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Chris Dortch, Contributing Editor, www.ifyoulikegolf.com

While most of the field in Chattanooga TPC stroke play qualifying struggled with the rough and Bermuda greens at Council Fire on Thursday, Neil Spitalny continued what he says is his best ball-striking year since his college golf days.
Considering that Spitalny is 62 and he was an All-Big Ten player at Michigan, that’s saying something.
Spitalny, who has qualified for the last five U.S. Senior Amateurs, could have played in the TPC proper or the senior division, but he decided to play with his peers and wound up as qualifying medalist with a par 72. The seniors played from a different set of tees than the rest of the field, but that was the low score of the day.
Mitch Hufstetler, a staple in the TPC field, shot 73 to lead the other division. Taylor Lewis, a two-time winner of the Chattanooga Metro, shot 74.
Though no official records are kept, tournament director Mike Jenkins and the staff at Council Fire, which has been home to the TPC for its 21-year existence, couldn’t remember a higher stroke average among qualifiers. The average score among the 22 players was 78.6.
It took a couple of seasoned veterans to solve Council Fire’s rough and its quick greens. Hufstetler started strong with birdies on his first two holes and shot 1-under-35 on the front. He struggled a bit on the back, making bogeys at the par-4 10th, the par-4 16th and the par-5 18th, but his 73 was enough to claim the qualifying medal. He’ll square off on Friday against No. 16 seed Tim Crawford, who claimed his spot after a four-player-for-three-spots playoff.
Spitalny endured a slow start after hitting his tee shot at the par-5 second hole out of bounds. “Playing safe with a 3-wood,” he said. He bogeyed the hole but gained that stroke back with a birdie at No. 7, a par 3.
Most of Spitalny’s action on the back nine came in a three-hole stretch. He birdied the par-3 14th, bogeyed No. 15, a par-4, and came back with a birdie at No. 16.
Spitalny has had an impressive run. He’s earned his spot in the U.S. Senior Amateur the last five years by qualifying. “Usually [at a site] with 60-65 players for two or three spots,” he said. “You just have to be a bit lucky.”
It doesn’t hurt if you’re good. Since overcoming a mysterious slump with his driver, Spitalny’s tee ball has been a weapon.
“Five or six years ago, I really got the yips with my driver,” Spitalny said. “Literally, where I was afraid to take it back. I honestly thought the only way I could make contact was if I came into the ball with my clubface wide open. I was hitting it 180 yards and 180 yards right.”
Things got so bad Spitalny’s wife joked about sending him to a hypnotist. Tournament golf wasn’t any fun anymore. Then one day the problem disappeared.
“I’m not sure how I worked myself out of it,” Spitalny said.
He is sure how he shored up another key facet of his game. Even during his peak years, Spitalny could occasionally struggled with short putting. But after switching to a left-hand-low grip a couple of season ago, that problem went away, too.
“In tournaments the last couple of years, I have not missed that many putts inside five feet,” he said. “I used to alternate between a regular grip and left-hand low. But now it’s left-hand low exclusively. It’s better for me on short putts.”
Spitalny will face three-time TPC winner Pat Corey on Friday. No. 2 seed Jim Chapin, who won the Senior Metro in July, plays two-time TPC winner Richard Keene in the other senior match.
Chattanooga TPC
Thursday’s Stroke Play Qualifying
Par 72
73—Mitch Hufstetler.
74—Taylor Lewis.
75—Matt Hadden, Jay Potter.
76—Winston Brown.
77—Matt Crowder, Nick Blakely, Brandon Cissom.
78—Wayne Woolfall, Walt Moffitt, Joe Markham, Jr.
79—David Watts, Jimmy White III, Caleb Roberson, Tim Crawford.
81—Cody Godfrey, Josh Baker.
82—Rick Mays.
83—Rusty Pickett, Bob Rice, Benjamin Thomas.
84—Jimmy Watkins.
Senior Division
72—Neil Spitalny.
75—Jim Chapin.
77—Richard Keene, Pat Corey.
78—Tom Baird, Wes Gilliland.
79—Frank Hollowell.
81—Randy Yoder.
82—Mike Jenkins.
Friday’s Matches
1:39 p.m.—No. 1 Mitch Hufstetler vs. No. 16 Tim Crawford; No. 8 Nick Blakely vs. No. 9 Matt Crowder.
1:48 p.m.—No. 4 Jay Potter vs. No. 13 Todd Moreland; No. 5 Matt Hadden vs. No. 12 Walt Moffitt.
1:57 p.m.—No. 2 Matt Roberson vs. No. 15 Jimmy White; No. 7 Brandon Cissom vs. No. 10 Wayne Woolfall.
2:06 p.m.—No. 3 Taylor Lewis vs. No. 14 Caleb Roberson; No. 6 Winston Brown vs. No. 11 Joe Markham.
Senior Division
1:30 p.m.—No.1 Neil Spitalny vs. No. 4 Pat Corey; No. 2 Jim Chapin vs. No. 3 Richard Keene.
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