Ira Flood wins medal in Mid-Am Qualifying at Concordia
October 7, 2020 - Ira Flood of Hamilton Farm had a round full of ups and downs - including an eagle and a triple bogey - but when it was over, his one-over-par 72 was good enough to earn medalist honors at the second of two qualifiers for the 37th NJSGA Mid-Amateur Championship on Wednesday at the par-71, 6,243-yard Concordia Golf Club in Monroe.
Flood’s 72 was one shot better than a group of six golfers that included Clark Holle of Galloping Hill, Tim Daily of New Jersey National, Nick Loughlin of NJSGA eClub, John Perrine of Valley Brook, Matt Scozzari of Upper Montclair, and John Browndorf of Deal.
All told, 18 golfers who shot five-over-par 76 or better qualified for the Mid-Amateur Championship, set for next Tuesday through Thursday, Oct.13-15, at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne.
“I was all over the place, but in the end, it was all good,” said Flood, who was runner-up in the 2019 club championship at Hamilton Farm to this year’s NJSGA Open Champion, Mark Costanza. “It seemed I hit all of my lag putts short. I couldn’t get anything to the hole.”
Flood, who played in the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur and did not make the cut, did connect today on one 40-foot putt for an eagle on the short par-4, 10th hole after he drove the green. He followed that with five bogeys and three birdies to shoot an even-par 36 on the back nine.
His triple came on the par-4 third hole, when hit his drive out of bounds and an approach shot into a bunker. Otherwise, his front included a bogey and three birdies for a one-over 36.
“It just was a crazy day. The wind was really blowing, especially on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes where I went three over,” said Flood, a native of Malibu, California, who was on the golf team at UC Santa Barbara. A software developer in the pharmaceutical industry as well as an event planner, he has resided in Tewskbury for the past eight years.
“That was one of the windiest days I’ve ever played in. I hit iron off every tee on the back nine just to be safe,” said second place finisher John Browndorf, who carded a one-over 37 on his final nine holes.
