Thompson in hunt for U.S. Senior Amateur medalist honors

   You always hear that expression about golf being a "sport for life."
   Well, a couple of Delco guys, Ray Thompson and George "Buddy" Marcucci are living, breathing witnesses to that expression.
   It was 42 years ago, when PIAA golf was still a spring sport, that Marple Newtown's Thompson finished in a tie for second at the state tournament and Haverford High's Marucci finished in a tie for fourth.
   Today at the Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va. Thompson and Marucci will be trying to make it to match play in qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur.
   Thompson is very much in the hunt for medalist honors in qualifying aftrer the Drexel Hill resident and Overbrook Golf Club member fired a 2-under 70. Thompson is in a tie for second wtih three other players, two shots back of Mark Bemowski of Mukwonago, Wis. One of the players in that tie for second is Golf Association of Philadelphia stalwart and reigning British Senior Amateur champion Chip Lutz from Reading.
   Marucci, runnerup to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. Amateur, made the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur title his elusive first USGA crown, but was unable to defend because he was busy captaining the U.S. team to a victory over Great Britain/Ireland at the Walker Cup Match on his home course at Merion G.C.
   Saturday, he wasn't far behind his old Central League rival Thompson with a 1-over 73.
   The third member of the Delco contingent at Kinloch, a fellow member of your favorite golf blogger in the Class of 1973 at Archbishop Carroll, M Golf Driving Range owner Mike Owsik did not fare as well. Owsik's 83 left him with a lot of work to do in Sunday's second round of qualifying.
U.S. falls behind in Scotland
   You can bet Marucci will be keeping an eye on developments across the pond Sunday while he's playing his second round of U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying.
   The U.S., under captain Jim Holtgrieve, trails Great Britain/Ireland, 7-5, after Day One of the 2011 Walker Cup Match at Ryal Abeerdeen's Balgowne Course in Abeerdeen, Scotland.
   The U.S. won the Walker Cup in 2007 with Marucci as the captain on the road at Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland. He wrapped up his four-year commitment as captain with a special victory two years ago at the famed East Course at Merion, a club that numbers him among its members.
   This U.S. team was touted by many golf experts as one of the strongest we've ever sent into the biennial amateur matches. In addition to 2009 holdovers Peter Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, and Nathan Smith, the veteran from western Pennsylvania, the squad includes UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay and Kelly Kraft, the SMU product who downed Cantlay in a tense U.S. Amateur final a couple of weeks ago, as well as junior phenom Jordan Spieth, among others.
   Cantalay and Chris Williams claimed the only points for the U.S. in morning foursome matches Saturday with a 5 and 3 decision over Steven Brown and Stiggy Hodgson, a gritty competitor who endeared himself to the Philly area golf fans who trudged around Merion East at the Walker Cup Match in 2009. Cantlay, who fired a 60 at the PGA Tour event in Hartford this summer, then stopped the bleeding in the afternoon singles matches with a 2 and 1 victory over Michael Stewart. Uihlein, Spieth and Harris English also win singles matches before Patrick Rodgers, Russell Henley, Smith and Kraft all dropped close decisions as the home team surged in front.
   It will be interesting to see if this very strong U.S. side can rally on Day Two Sunday.
   Anyone who witnessed the matches at Merion two years ago can tell you what a special event this is. And yes, a lot of golf fans gave up watching the Eagles season opener live two years ago without regret.