BALL GROUND -- Lee McCoy could be forgiven for thinking he is actually living out a movie screenplay these days, one in which each chapter is better than the next.
On Monday, the former Habersham Central standout, who recently played his way to an All-American season for the University of Georgia, ensured the best is still to come.
McCoy fired a 13-under-par 131 to clinch a berth in the 2015 U.S. Open Championship to be played June 18-21 at Chambers Bay, Wash., cruising through a 36-hole Sectional qualifier at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground.
The performance placed the junior second amongst 42 competitors, as he carded two bogey-free rounds to seal a golfing dream.
“You could not script this any better. I’m going as an amateur, but my professional tournament debut will be at our nation’s championship... This is priceless,” McCoy said, bearing a grin that might have been visible all the way in Chambers Bay.
Meanwhile, rising Gainesville High senior Spencer Ralston -- a future University of Georgia golfer -- also distinguished himself, firing a second round 67 to finish the day 3 under and in the thick of the pack chasing a top three qualification spot.
McCoy stayed at the front of that pack almost from the start, and if he maintains the type of play he displayed on Monday -- and through much of his junior season with the Bulldogs -- the screenwriters may want to tune in just under two weeks time.
“Everything has just gotten more consistent for me this season,” said McCoy, just days removed from helping lead Georgia to a semifinal finish in the men’s NCAA Championships. “That’s what I did today. I didn’t do anything crazy, and my putter was just hot enough. This was a tough field, and to finish top three against these guys was not easy.”
McCoy almost made it look that way, however, dropping 13 birdie putts while avoiding any bogeys to finish four shots behind leader Matthew NeSmith (127), a University of South Carolina junior, and one shot ahead of third place Roberto Castro (132).
“It was there all day for me,” said McCoy, who caught fire midway through his morning round, dropping birdies on five straight holes -- Nos. 7-11. That combined with birdies on No. 3 and 13 to give McCoy a first round of 7-under 65 and a spot amongst the top four -- a position he never relinquished over the final 18, firing five more birdies to maintain his cushion.
“After those five straight birdies I knew something good was coming; I knew I put myself in a good spot. And with this field I knew I needed birdies. Par was not a good score today.”
McCoy entered the competition believing he was in position to continue a stellar season that already saw him make history by becoming the first Bulldogs golfer to win three consecutive tournaments, as well as earning All-SEC honors and a spot on the United States Palmer Cup Team -- a collegiate version of the Ryder Cup, pitting top U.S. and European amateur golfers against each other.
“I played a practice round here (at Hawks Ridge) yesterday and I saw that this course really suited me,” said McCoy, who continued an impressive showing he began at the NCAA tournament. “Match play really got me going (at the NCAA tournament), and I hoped to carry that confidence forward.”
Gainesville’s Ralston finished Monday’s Sectional with some confidence as well, overcoming a frustrating morning round of 2-over 74 to put up a 67 in the afternoon -- a score only surpassed by five competitors during the second half of the marathon event.
“I had trouble reading the greens early and got a little tentative,” said Ralston, who bounced back to card six birdies against just one bogey in the afternoon. “I played well over the last 18.
“It was fun and a learning experience. It was a long day though.”
Ralston added that he was excited for McCoy, who -- though he will be graduated by the time the Gainesville standout reaches Athens -- is a player he has gotten to know.
“That’s really cool to see; I knew he could do this,” said Ralston, who will take some time off before competing again. “I’ve got a couple of weeks, and then I’ll be in Kentucky.”
McCoy won’t have much time for rest, competing in the Palmer Cup June 12-14 before trekking to the Pacific Northwest for his dream opportunity at Chambers Bay.
“What I keep thinking about is that golf course,” McCoy said. “It’s going to be a quite a test, but I’m going to go there and try to scrape around some pars... I don’t know how I’ll play, but I know I’m going to enjoy it.”
