Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Robert T. Jones Jr.
Those are just some of the all-time golfing greats whose names are engraved on the Havemeyer Cup -- given to the winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship.
It’s among the oldest golf tournaments in the country and now has a 19-year-old Orangeburg golfer among its would-be competitors. On Tuesday, Jacob Burger secured a place at this year’s U.S. Amateur by placing first at a qualifying event at Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton.
The Clemson University freshman and former Orangeburg Prep golfer bested a field of 144 golfers vying for one of six qualifying berths to compete at Pinehurst, N.C., Aug. 18-24. Burger shot a two-day score of eight-under-par 136 to qualify for the U.S. Amateur on his first try.
“I kept the ball in play for the most part, just didn’t make too many mistakes,” Burger said. “I knew I had the game to get there. I just needed to do it.”
While this is Burger’s first try at the U.S. Amateur, he’s no stranger to Pinehurst Resort. Just three weeks ago, he played on the same course being used for the U.S. Amateur in reaching the second round of match play in the 108th North-South Amateur.
Burger is counting on his previous experience at Pinehurst helping him stand out among the field of 300-plus qualifers trying to advance to the 64-field match play.
“I hope I can play as well as I did when I was up there before,” he said.
-- T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.