Four "Ballers" From NY to Compete at Pinehurst this Weekend

May 26, 2017

PINEHURST, N.C. --  Four “ballers” from New York will be competing in 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship this weekend including Jim Gifford (Mohawk GC), his partner Chad Stoffer (Town of Colonie GC) as well as Matt Clarke (Cazenovia Golf Club) and Tony Hejna (Crag Burn GC).

The quartet will be two of one hundred and twenty-eight teams competing over 36 holes of stroke play, with the top thirty-two teams advancing to match play for the remainder of the championship extending through Wednesday.

Gifford & Stoffer punched their ticket to the championship during the sectional qualifier in Dartmouth, Mass. back in September of 2016. The duo is set to tee off on No. 8 Saturday afternoon (1:12pm) and again on Sunday, where they’ll face the world-famous Donald Ross design, No. 2 beginning at 9:48am. 

2005 New York State Mid-Amateur Champion, Clarke and his partner Hejna, earned medalist honors at the sectional qualifier close-to-home in Buffalo last September. Their weekend starts with No. 2 on Saturday at 12:36pm and continues Sunday morning on the less formidable No. 8 at 9:12am. 

Gifford and Clarke both competed at the NYS Men’s Amateur & Senior Amateur Four-Ball at Leatherstocking GC in Cooperstown this past weekend. Although they had different partners, the opportunity was perfect for them to get in some quality last-minute practice before heading down south.

Related: USGA's Four-Ball Homepage // Four-Ball Starting Times