By Tim Hartin
Hunter Jones of Burning Tree Country Club began playing golf more frequently about a decade ago, after he moved to the Met Area. You could say he’s still relatively new to competitive golf, but you’d never know it from his performance in the 19th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship, where an impressive finish punctuated a wire-to-wire victory at Laurel Links Country Club on Long Island’s North Fork.
After a bogey on the par-4 15th, Jones – who captured the Day 1 lead behind a 4-under 67 – bounced back in a big way, making a clutch birdie on the short but challenging par-4 16th.
Though he wasn’t scoreboard watching, the birdie kept Jones in step with Sam Bernstein of Century, who made birdie ahead of him on the par-5 17th. Jones had an answer there, too, where his second shot from 240 yards came up just short of the green. A chip to inside 10 feet and another good putt earned him a one-shot lead with one to play.
Jones’ drive on 18 found waist-high fescue, but he still made solid contact to once again find himself just short of the green. Another deft touch on a chip left him a tap-in that sealed the victory. Jones finished with 1-over 72 in the final round to win by one shot.
Making the cut in multiple Ikes served as Jones’ previous championship highlights in the Met Area, but now his name gets added to the Westmoreland Cup and the MGA record books.
“It was a little bit of shock but exciting to get it done,” said the 41-year-old. “I feel incredibly fortunate. It’s such a strong field out here. It’s an incredible honor. I’m so excited that I’m going on that trophy and etched into history.”