TOLEDO, Ohio — A face familiar to Toledo will be representing Northwest Ohio at the 2022 US Amateur in August.
Palmer Yenrick, an incoming senior with the Toledo men’s golf program and alum of Clay High School, has qualified for the 2022 US Amateur in August at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey.
Yenrick qualified for the tournament after shooting a seven-under-par 137 on Tuesday at the Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Michigan for the US Amateur qualifier. In round one on Monday, he shot a four-under-par 68, before shooting a three-under-par 69 on Tuesday.
Waiting to see if he qualified was nerve-wracking for Yenrick.
“I was nervous,” Yenrick said. “When I was finishing out my last round, I was looking at the leaderboard, which probably was a bad decision. I was looking over putts and saying, 'God, don’t mess this up,' but I was glad I was able to keep my head down and finish well.”
The week prior, Yenrick tied for 10th place with a four-under-par 206 (70-66-70) at the Ohio Open Championship on June 27-29.
Yenrick’s head coach Jeff Roope says that having someone represent Toledo golf on a grand stage is big deal for the program.
“This is the third year in a row where we have had someone qualify at some point for the US Amateur, and every year it is another selling point,” Roope said. “Look at the commitment of our guys, look at the tournaments they are playing, look at the passion they have for the game, how much they are practicing; it does nothing but positive things for us.”
Roope also understands that Yenrick is where he is now due to the hard work he has put in.
“He [Yenrick] came in as an athlete who understood if he was going to get to where he wanted to go, he was going to have to put the work in, and he has,” Roope said. “He is here from sun-up until sun-down. He is easily the hardest worker during the winter period as well. He understands the mindset of an athlete; that it is the process, the daily grind, the idea of getting one percent better every day.”
With the upcoming tournament just weeks away, Yenrick says that he is looking for help from his friends during his preparation.
“I am going to reach to a few of my friends who have played in it,” Yenrick said. “They said they had a great time playing in it, so hopefully they can help me out a little bit.”
Yenrick and the rest of the field at the US Amateur will tee off on Aug. 15, with the final rounds on the 21st.