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Atkinson Extends His 'Stay' At Home With 6-And-5 First-Round Win

By David Shefter, USGA

Kiawah Island, S.C. – For months, Bert Atkinson has had the U.S. Mid-Amateur circled on his competitive calendar. All USGA events are important to the 51-year-old Charleston, S.C., resident, but with the 29th edition of the national championship for those 25 and older coming to his backyard at The Kiawah Island Club, Atkinson wanted desperately to be in the field.

“Oh, absolutely I wanted to play here,” said Atkinson, who has a 30-minute commute to the course. “This is a fine facility.”

The last time the Mid-Amateur came calling to the Palmetto State, Atkinson wound up in the final match, losing to Jim Stuart, 1 down, at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island. That was 18 years ago.

Local favorite Bert Atkinson of Charleston, S.C., played the equivalent of 5-under-par golf in posting a 6-and-5 first-round victory on Tuesday. (John Mummert/USGA)

Things have changed a bit since that run. Atkinson is a few years older and isn’t quite as long off the tee. But he’s also a bit wiser and on a course like Cassique, where course management is arguably rewarded more than brute strength, Atkinson can certainly compete with the younger generation of “bombers.”

Case in point was Tuesday morning’s first-round match against 29-year-old Joseph Saladino of New York, N.Y. Saladino, the 2008 Metropolitan Golf Association’s Player of the Year and a 2002 graduate of St. John’s University, was hitting it as much as 40 yards past Atkinson, but in the most important statistical category – the scorecard – the wily South Carolinian was a wide margin ahead, posting a 6-and-5 victory.

It didn’t hurt Atkinson that his game was sizzling hot, especially on the greens. The two-time South Carolina Amateur champion played bogey-free golf and was the equivalent of five under par (with the usual match-play concessions) over 13 holes. Only his 8-foot birdie at the par-5 sixth hole was conceded and that came after Saladino made a tactical error with his second shot. His ball found one of the two cross-bunkers 30 yards shy of the green and the result was a bogey-6. That put Atkinson, who never trailed in the match, 3 up.

As Saladino walked from the ninth green to the 10th-tee shuttle, he muttered: “Way too many gifts.”

Indeed. Atkinson won the par-4 ninth with a routine two-putt par after Saladino found the back-greenside bunker and failed to convert a 10-foot par putt. Earlier on the third hole, Saladino lipped out a 2½-foot par putt to go 1 down.

Atkinson didn’t exactly give Saladino any openings either. On the par-3 fifth hole, Saladino rolled in a 20-foot birdie – his only one of the round – only to be topped by Atkinson’s 8-footer for a halve.

At the par-4 10th, Atkinson, the 1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur stroke-play medalist, rolled in a 25-foot birdie from the fringe to take a 5-up advantage. The lead swelled to 6 up at the 12th when Atkinson knocked his approach to 5 feet to set up yet another birdie.

“I did play pretty well today,” said Atkinson, competing in his 13th U.S. Mid-Amateur and 25th USGA championship. “Joe played pretty doggone well. I felt like he only made one mental mistake at the sixth hole.”

That wasn’t the case two holes into the stroke-play portion of the competition. Admitting nerves and perhaps too pumped up, Atkinson was three over par after two holes on The River Course on Saturday. He settled for a 4-over 75 and followed that up with an even-par 72 at Cassique on Sunday to easily qualify for match play.

“I just made some nervous mistakes starting out,” said Atkinson, adding that it wasn’t due to the pressure of playing near his home. “I don’t care where you play a USGA event, you should be a little nervous. And I was the other day.”

Having his 23-year-old son, Bubba, on the bag is an added bonus. Bubba, who recently graduated from the College of Charleston where he played one year on the men’s golf team, caddied for his dad at last year’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor and he made the cut. Atkinson qualified for the U.S. Senior Open against this year at Crooked Stick and made the cut again sans Bubba on the bag.

But he did caddie for Bert at the Mid-Amateur sectional qualifier at his home club, the Country Club of Charleston.  

“He understands the game,” said Atkinson of his only son (he has a 25-year-old daughter). “He’s a darn good caddie.”

Because of Monday’s washout due to the heavy rains, the Mid-Amateur suddenly has been transformed into several marathon days of match play. USGA officials are hoping to complete rounds one and two of match play on Tuesday and the round of 16 and quarterfinals Wednesday, with the semifinal matches Thursday morning. The 36-hole final is now scheduled for Friday, weather permitting.

That’s a lot of golf for anyone, especially an older player like Atkinson. So getting off the course early was a bonus.

“I need to go in and get some lunch and not get too stiff,” said Atkinson, who was scheduled to play Randal Lewis of Alma, Mich., a 5-and-4 victor over the other South Carolinian to qualify for math play, Mike Cobb of nearby Summerville. “I might take some ibuprofen.”

But on Tuesday, it was Atkinson inflicting the pain.

David Shefter is a USGA Digital Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.