Hard day at Monroe for Beaufils
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 Monroe Invitational Championship | Round Three | 20 Jun 2009
It was one of those rounds where nothing went to plan. Even before Ray Beaufils arrived at the Monroe Country Club, things were not looking good with a major traffic snarl resulting in him only just making his tee time.
Beaufils would go onto fire a third round 75 after opening well with rounds of 70-71. He started the day in a tie for 6th position at 1-over-par and within six strokes of the leader Mitchell Gregson.
By the end of the third round the Australian found himself fourteen places further back in a tie for 20th position at 6-over-par and 12 strokes from current leader, Phillip Mollica, who has fired three rounds of 68 for a two stroke margin over fellow American, Vincent Nadeau.
“Today was one of my worst nightmares,” said Beaufils.
“The course is great, I’m hitting some great shots, but my putting is gone. Even before I got to the course this morning, things were not in my favour and I took that out on the course.”
Keeping in perspective the Monroe Invitational is only Beaufils’ second main amateur event since returning to competitive golf, overall his efforts in the US have been commendable. With starts in the Rice Planters and Dogwood over the next few weeks, there remains plenty of opportunity for Beaufils to make his move.
At present all eyes at Pittsford are on Phillip Mollica. No golfer has ever won the Monroe Invitational three times in a row. In fact no golfer had ever won it twice until Mollica won last year.
Three solid rounds of 2-under-par 68 has the American in position to go for the hat trick at Monroe Golf Club this weekend. Mollica won the tournament in 2006 with an 8-under-par total of 272, and last year he shot 6-under-par 274 for a six-stroke victory. Mollica also collected the 2007 North & South Amateur title.
With regards to the two other Australians playing at Monroe, Michael Smyth has rounds of 75-72-73 to be a 10-over-par and in a tie for 40th position, whilst Jin Jeong is well down the leaderboard in a tie 51st position at 14-over-par.
