Rick Stimmel opens up big lead at Tri-State Open at Southpointe

Amateur Rick Stimmel has proven over the years that he can play well in big events.

He put his talents on display Monday during Round 1 of the Tri-State Section PGA Open at Southpointe Golf Club.

Stimmel shot a 5-under-par 67, the only player under par, and heads into the final round Tuesday with a commanding lead over Laurel Valley Golf Club pro Christopher McKnight and Valley Brook Country Club pro Mike Frisina, who both shot an even-par 72.

Slippery Rock pro Rob McClellan and amateurs Brett Young, Brendan Shaughnessy, Brody Taylor and Tanner Grzegorczyk are tied for fourth at 2-over.

Ty Roush of Riverside Golf Club (W.Va.), Allegheny Country Club pro Roy Vucinich and Connoquenessing Country Club pro David Yokitis are tied for ninth at 3-over.

Jackson’s bid falls short

Notre Dame junior and Franklin Regional grad Palmer Jackson will have to wait for another chance at playing in the U.S. Open.

Jackson played well in the U.S. Open Sectional qualifier in Columbus on Monday but finished outside the top 40 in a field of 108 golfers vying for 16 spots to the 122nd U.S. Open on June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

He shot a two-round total of 1-over 144: a 1-under 70 at Wedgewood Golf and Country Club in his first round and a 2-over 74 in his second round at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club.

The qualifier will be finished Tuesday morning with a playoff for the final spot among players at 5-under.

Because he didn’t qualify for the Open, Jackson is planning to play in the Sunnehanna Amateur on June 15-18.

“I have high expectations,” Jackson said. “I just want to play well. I watched someone shoot a 64 and wedge in two shots from the fairway. Anything can happen.”

Jackson said he has a busy schedule this summer, which includes playing in some of the top amateur events in the country.

The highlight will be representing the U.S. in the Arnold Palmer Cup, hosted by Golf Club de Geneve on July 1-3 in Switzerland.

The event, which began in 1997, is a Ryder Cup-style tournament in which the top collegiate golfers in the U.S. compete against a team from Europe.

He was selected using Golfstat’s NCAA Player Ranking as a base, and the Arnold Palmer Cup ranking awards bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for poor finishes.

The ranking also contains strength-of-schedule component. The ranking is utilized to identify the top six golfers who automatically qualify for the team. The rest of the 12-person roster will be selected by a committee before the competition begins.

“I am grateful and honored to be a member of the United States team for the Arnold Palmer Cup,” Jackson said. “This will be my first time to Europe, and I’m excited.”