Since Paul Atchison was already accompanying his wife, Teresa, to Alpharetta, Ga., to visit her sister, he thought he'd try to qualify for the U.S. Public Links Championship while he was there.
The odds didn't look good for the Hephzibah resident: Ninety-seven players would be vying for three spots in the sectional at RiverPines Golf Club in Alpharetta.
When the 36-hole qualifier was over, Atchison had shot 70-70-140 to finish second, and he had his ticket for the U.S. Golf Association event in July.
"I didn't think that would get in," the 36-year-old Atchison said.
It did, mainly because Atchison birdied his final three holes in the first round and kept his game together in the wind-swept second round.
"It was nothing but a survival match," Atchison said of Round 2, which he concluded by making a 15-footer for par. "A storm came through, it was raining and we played in 20-25 mph winds. It was pretty tough."
The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be held July 10-15 at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. The winner earns an invitation to the 2007 Masters Tournament.
"I was excited; it was fun," Atchison said of qualifying.
FLYING HIGH: Last week's column on recent double eagles in the area was missing one of those rare feats.
Aiken's Don Cronin pulled off the trick on the 493-yard, par-5 17th hole at the Reserve Club in Aiken, where he holed out a 162-yard 8-iron for his second shot.
His witnesses were Richard Burns and Brandon Burns.
Cronin is one of those rare golfers to have made a double eagle and a hole-in-one. His ace came July 4, 1990 at Springfield Golf and Country Club in Springfield, Va.
As is traditional, Cronin had to spring for drinks in the clubhouse. Usually, it happens after the round, but because Cronin made his ace on No. 6, some of his fellow members got an early start.
"Word had gotten back to the clubhouse so quickly that some members were toasting me as I passed the clubhouse between No. 9 green and No. 10 tee - with drinks that I was paying for," Cronin wrote in an e-mail.
SOUTH CAROLINA JUNIOR: North Augusta's Ben Lown tied for sixth place in last week's South Carolina Golf Association's Junior Championship.
Lown shot 74-71-145 at Country Club of South Carolina in Florence. Aiken's Chase Epting had 83-79-162.
Jacob Burger, of Orangeburg, S.C., shot 65-69-134 to win by six shots over Cheraw's McCuen Elmore (72-69-140).
The 54-hole tournament was shortened to 36 after the second round was washed out.
Lown is the first alternate for the Georgia/South Carolina Junior Matches, which will be played in July at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club.
PALMETTO AMATEUR: There is still a chance for area golfers to play in the Palmetto Amateur at Aiken's Palmetto Golf Club, scheduled for June 29-July 2.
The field for the 72-hole invitational event is full, but four spots are available through an 18-hole qualifying round June 27 at Palmetto.
To sign up, call Palmetto at (803) 649-2951.
Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.
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