Derek Busby & Bryan Vahlberg Win Medalist Honors at U.S.
Amateur Four-Ball Sectional Qualifier
Derek Busby of Ruston, Louisiana and
Bryan Vahlberg of Norman, Oklahoma
fired a ten-under par 61 to earn medalist
honors at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
Qualifier at Contraband Bayou Golf Club
on Monday. This formidable duo now has
national championship aspirations as they
advance to the 3rd U.S. Amateur Four-
Ball Championship, to be conducted at the
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, May 27-
31.
Also qualifying are: Jake Kuwitzky of
McKinney, Texas and Scott Roden of Dallas.
Kuwitzky is 17 years old, and Roden is 15.
These Junior golfers were not intimidated at
all by the older competition. They showcased
their game and posted a seven-under par 64.
The final qualifying team had to survive a
three-team sudden death playoff to advance.
Shane Humphries of Ridgeland, Mississippi
and David Sinclair of Brandon, Mississippi
birdied the second playoff hole to punch their
ticket to Pinehurst. First alternates Jacob
Huizinga and Joseph Hymel of Orlando,
Florida made a par on the second playoff
hole, while the second alternates Jeff Ingram
and Randy Lee of Houston, Texas made a
bogey. All three teams in the playoff shot a
six-under par 65 for their stipulated round.
Monday’s medalists have all the tangibles
to make a deep run at Pinehurst in May. Derek
Busby and Bryan Vahlberg’s friendship goes
back to their college days. Busby played for
Louisiana Tech, and Vahlberg played for the
University of Louisiana at Monroe. They
developed a mutual respect for each other
through competition. Busby is an LGA
Member through Squire Creek Country
Club in Choudrant. He invited Vahlberg
to play with him in Squire Creek’s Peach
Festival tournament several years ago, and
the two have stayed in touch. When they saw
the opportunity to compete together in the
U.S. Four-Balll Championship, they jumped
on it.
Busby and Vahlberg started their round at
10:10 a.m., and they made two consecutive
pars. Vahlberg made the team’s first birdie
at the par 4 3rd hole. Both players made a
par at the par 3 4th hole and Busby made
a birdie at the par 4 5th hole. Both players
parred the 6th hole, and Vahlberg chipped
in for birdie at the par 4 7th. Busby drained
a 12-foot birdie putt at the par 3 8th hole.
He capped off their front nine with another
birdie at the par 5 9th, and they made the
turn at five-under par. Busby kept the hot
streak going on the back nine, making
back-to-back birdies at #10 and #11. Both
players made par on hole #12, and Busby
added another birdie at the par 3 13th.
After back-to-back pars, Vahlberg made a
birdie at the par 4 16th hole. Busby finished
birdie-par, bringing their back nine total to
30. Busby shot a 64 on his own ball, and
Vahlberg shot a 69 on his own ball. They
played exceptionally well as a team, trading
birdies all day, and they hope to continue
that momentum at the next level as they
now set their sights on the challenging and
picturesque Pinehurst No. 2 course in May.
Click here to access Busby and Vahlberg’s
scorecard.
The Louisiana Golf
Association
conducted the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
Qualifier on behalf of the USGA. The Tom
Fazio designed Contraband Bayou Golf
Course played to a par 71 at 7,000 yards. The
weather in Lake Charles on Monday was
partly cloudy with temperatures reaching
the low 80s with a slight breeze. For final
scoring results, click here.
These three qualifying teams will get to
play where so many legends have played
before them.
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