Seiji Liu Earns Medalist at 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Sectional Qualifier
Seiji Liu took home medalist honors at the 2022 U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier which was held Aug. 8, 2022, at Spanish Trail Country Club. The win earns him a spot in the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship which will be held Sept. 10-15, 2022, at Erin Hills Golf Course and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club in Wisconsin. –By Bill Bowman, www.LasVegasGolfInsider.com
Brian Prouty (Tucson, Ariz.) and Michael Riechmann (Irvine, Calif.) also earned their way into the championship event in a three-way playoff for the final two spots. Daniel Covrig (Davis, Calif.) is the first alternate while Erik Jarvey (Palmdale, Calif.) is the second alternate.
Liu, from Philadelphia, opened the round with four pars as he started on the back nine.
A three-putt bogey, from 80-feet, put him over par but he rebounded quickly.
“I hit a 320-yard drive down the left side on the par-5 (15th) and hit a hybrid over the water and stuck it to about eight-feet,” he said. “I made the putt for eagle and that was definitely the turning point. It got me back into a positive mindset.”
He finished the nine with three pars and then stepped on the gas as he birdied two of his first three holes on his back nine.
“I got into a good rhythm,” he said. “It was just a matter of staying focused on every shot.”
He added the weather and the course were equally tough opponents for the field.
“It was tough out there and a good test,” he said. “It was hot and the pins were very challenging. It was a battle for everyone.”
Liu, who played four years of college golf at Harvard, is now working his way toward an MBA at Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, said it was nice to get back to playing solid golf.
“I haven’t played a lot of competitive golf since college,” he said. “I’m from California but all of their qualifiers were full and I have a few friends here in Vegas so it was a welcome journey.”
Now it’s on to the finale.
“This will be my first USGA national championship,” he said. “My sister has played in 20-some USGA events so to be able to follow in her footsteps is really cool.”
Liu added the tournament environment at Spanish Trail was impressive.
“I’ve got to thank the SNGA and the staff at Spanish Trail,” he said. “They put on a great event and really treated us phenomenally.”
2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Sectional Qualifier
Seiji Liu, 67
x-Brian Prouty, 68
x-Michael Riechmann, 68
Daniel Covrig, 68
x-Advanced in playoff
