Lehigh Valley Amateur tournament: Five things to know
John Keba made Lehigh Valley Amateur history last September by becoming the youngest semifinalist in tournament history as a 14-year-old freshman at Emmaus.
Keba won’t be playing this year because of an injury, but the 84th annual event again has a strong presence of teenagers.
Emmaussenior Michelle Cox, a Penn State recruit who has lost only one match in her four seasons, along with Liberty’s Jimmy Barker and Jase Barker, are among the area youth who are looking to make a deep run like Keba did in 2019.
Liberty’s Matt Vital (2019) and Jordan Barker (2016) were the youngest championship flight qualifiers at age 13.
Many other high schoolers, including Nazareth’s Chase Skrapits, Owen Fahs and Ethan Honsel, are entered in the junior match-play event.
Here is a look at the 2020 event:
Five things to know
WHAT: 84th annual Lehigh Valley
Amateur
WHEN: Saturday through Sunday, Sept. 27 WHERE: Green Pond Country Club, Bethlehem (par-71, 6,531 yards)
DEFENDING CHAMPION (championship flight): Zach Juhasz, who beat 2018 champ Jason Wilson to win last year’s title SCHEDULE
Saturday: Open qualifying, 7 a.m.
Sunday: Final qualifying, 7
Monday: Senior and Super senior qualifying, 7
Tuesday: Lehigh Valley Better Ball of Partners, regular and senior divisions, 8
Wednesday: Sponsors Appreciation Day
Thursday: Senior championship round of 32, 7; Presidential flight round of 64, 7:30; Championship flight round of 64, 11:30; Super senior flight round of 16, noon
Friday: Senior championship flight round of 16, 7; Presidential flight round of 32, 7:30; Championship flight round of 32, 11:30; Super senior championship flight round of eight, noon
Saturday, Sept. 26: Championship and Presidential flight rounds of 16, 7; Senior championship round of eight, 8; Championship and Presidential flight rounds of eight, noon; Super senior championship flight semifinals, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday Sept. 27: Presidential and Senior championship flight semifinals, 8; Championship flight semifinals, 8:30; Super senior championship flight final, 12:30 p.m.; Senior championship and Presidential flight finals, 1; Championship flight final, 1:30