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Semifinalist Gerwin Creating Own 'Field Of Dream' At The Kiawah Island Club

By David Shefter, USGA

Kiawah Island, S.C. – The scene, according to Robert Gerwin, was right out of the movie “Field of Dreams.” The artificial light illuminating The Kiawah Island Club’s Cassique driving range early Wednesday morning.

It was the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur’s version of the dawn patrol. Golfers going through their warm-ups before the sun rose on the Low Country horizon. Because of his later starting times – both in the stroke- and match-play portion of the national championship for players 25 and older – Gerwin had never experienced hitting balls in the dark. In fact, he never had done it ever in his illustrious amateur career that includes two Ohio Amateur victories and the 2007 Players Mid-Amateur title.

Forced to return to the course for the 7:20 a.m. EDT resumption of round two, the Cincinnati resident knew he might be in for a long day on the course. As it turned out, Gerwin posted three victories over the course of 36 holes, the last coming in a 2-up quarterfinal decision over defending champion Steve Wilson of Ocean Springs, Miss.

Defending champion Steve Wilson put up a valiant fight before falling in the quarterfinals to Robert Gerwin, 2 down, at Cassique. (John Mummert/USGA)

For the record, Wilson played 42 holes of golf on Wednesday; first going 10 holes to oust Scott Harvey of Greensboro on the 19th hole and then beating sixth-seeded Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif., 5 and 4.

Such a marathon day was not a curveball for Gerwin. His local Cincinnati amateur consists of 36-hole qualifying, followed by four consecutive 36-hole days. This year, Gerwin won that event.

“It’s grueling,” said Gerwin, who needed four holes early Wednesday to oust Jerry Chang, 4 and 3, and then played only 14 holes in eliminating Chicago’s Troy Logan, 5 and 4. “I’ve sort of got a little bit of experience with all this golf. Yet it’s still overwhelming when you are 42.”

At least for a few more hours. Gerwin turns 43 on Thursday and he couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than a semifinal match against 2009 USA Walker Cup member and 2003 Mid-Amateur champion Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh, Pa.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Gerwin.

So was his match-deciding shot against Wilson on the par-4 17th. Facing a 120-yard approach and in between a pitching wedge and sand wedge, Gerwin decided to play aggressively and stuffed the pitching-wedge approach to 18 inches for an easy birdie. But there was an anxious moment when Wilson’s 25-footer for birdie lipped out.

“It got a whole lot of the hole,” said Wilson, who had rallied from a 3-down deficit by winning holes 12 through 14, the latter two with pars. “I don’t know how it didn’t go in.”

Gerwin found the fairway at 18 and knocked his 8-iron approach from 160 yards safely on the green. When Wilson struggled to reach the green in four shots, the hole and match were conceded.

The loss ended Wilson’s year reign as Mid-Amateur champion, but he didn’t exit the competition without a vigorous fight. He barely squeaked into match play at 149 (cut was 150), then overcame three-hole deficits in three of his four matches, only to come up short against Gerwin.

“You can’t ever give up in match play,” said Wilson, who failed to qualify for match play at his other two USGA events in 2009, the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links. “That’s what I kept telling myself and sure enough I came back each time. Robert just hit a fabulous shot into 17. What are you going to do?

“I’m disappointed. I wanted to win. I wanted to get back to Augusta. I know my son is going to be disappointed. He really wanted to go again. But it was a pretty good week all in all. It was the first time all year I played well.”

Gerwin, meanwhile, could be having good South Carolina karma. He attended Furman University in Greenville about four hours from Kiawah Island. Earlier in the week he made a hole-in-one at Cassique’s par-3 fifth hole during stroke play. And he’s competing in a national championship for the first time on his birthday.

“It will be fun,” said Gerwin. “Nathan has had a … storybook year. I’m the underdog and I’ll just go out there and see what I can do.

“Just 18 holes tomorrow? Maybe I could celebrate a little on my birthday.”

A trip to the Mid-Amateur finals would be the ultimate present.

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