Dalton Melnyk posts bogey-free round to tie for stroke-play lead in U.S. Mid-Amateur

Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union
·3 min read
Erin Hills was the site of the 2017 U.S. Open. This week, the Wisconsin course will be the site of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Erin Hills was the site of the 2017 U.S. Open. This week, the Wisconsin course will be the site of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Dalton Melnyk, a Bolles and University of Florida graduate, fired a bogey-free 65 at the Erin Hills Golf Club in Erin, Wis., on Saturday to earn a share of the lead in the first round of U.S. Mid-Amateur stroke-play qualifying.

Melnyk is one of four players with First Coast ties who are competing in the Mid-Amateur this week, beginning with stroke-play qualifying Saturday and Sunday at Erin Hills and the Blue Mound Golf Club in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Also playing are Toby Ragland, Osborn Theam and Graham Nichols of Jacksonville.

More First Coast golf coverage

Melnyk birdied four of his first seven holes and is tied at 6-under with Stewart Hagestad (6-under 64 at Blue Mound).

Theam shot 73 at Erin Hills, playing his last 14 holes at 1-under, with no bogeys.

Ragland shot 3-over 74 at Erin Hills and Nichols struggled to a 9-over 79 at Blue Mound.

The top-64 in stroke play after Sunday's second round will advance to match play beginning on Monday at Erin Hills.

Cox posts top-10 in FJT Major

Nancy Cox of Ponte Vedra Beach tied for 10th in the girls 16-18 division of the PGA Golf Club Wanamaker in the Florida Junior Tour's 54-hole major. She shot 13-over 229.

Maddie Rathjen (241) of St. Augustine finished 18th and Jessalyn Young (254) of Jacksonville finished 21st.

In the boys division, Dylan Ma (217) of Jacksonville led area players with a 12th-place finish. Nolan Harper of St. Augustine and Matthew Young of Jacksonville (219) tied for 15th, Rohan Singh (220) of Ponte Vedra Beach tied for 19th, Stefan Ink (222) of Ponte Vedra tied for 22nd and J.P. English of Ponte Vedra and Henry Robards of Jacksonville (223) tied for 25th.

Topgolf for charity

The Isaiah 117 House, which cares for children awaiting foster placement, will host a charity golf tournament on Sept. 26 at the Jacksonville Topgolf, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The entry fee includes lunch, two hours of golf, prizes and a hole-in-one contest. There are five sponsorship levels, including a team competition.

For more information or to register, visit isaiah117hours.com/golf and select Duval County, or call (904) 535-6405.

Decked out

The Jacksonville Beach Golf Club will host a fundraiser for the Deck The Chairs holiday celebration Oct. 7 from 6-10 p.m.

The fundraiser will be on the practice range with holiday lights, and a putting and chipping contest with glow balls. A silent auction and beer and wine tasting also will be held.

The DTC Board also is soliciting items for the silent auction. Email info@deckthechairs.org for more information.

Tickets are available at deckthechairs.org/fore-the-chairs.

Fall Four-Ball on the tee

The Jacksonville Area Golf Association Fall Four-Ball will be Oct. 11 at Eagle Harbor. Information can be found at jaxareagolf.org. ... Gary Mullikin made his 11th hole-in-one last week at Hidden Hills, using an 8-iron from 138 yards at No. 12. ... Nease and University of Florida graduate Tyler Brown is the new president of the North Florida Junior Golf Foundation board, replacing Jim Houston of South Hampton. Houston was the president for 12 years.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Dalton Melnyk posts bogey-free 65 to tie for stroke-play lead in U.S. Mid-Am