Jamey Friedman on the Mid-Am bubble

Jamey Friedman of Water Mill is the Tiger Woods of the U.S. Mid-Amateur in one respect. He had the biggest gallery. Not that he had throngs racing to get a good view, but he did have a handful of family members, friends and fellow Southampton Golf Club members watching him today at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton. Club pro emeritus Bob Joyce also was walking with him.

            Friedman had a terrific first round, 1-over par at the Bridge Saturday. He was like most of the rest of the field Sunday, shooting 8-over at Atlantic amid the stiff winds. At 9-over he still could make the cut, or at least get in a playoff for one of the final 64 spots Monday morning.

“Absolutely, I worried about the cut right after the third hole, saying `I’ve got to get back on track here.’ I made some good pars and missed a couple putts here and there that I needed to make. Two [fewer] shots and I think I would have been right in there,” he said.

But he might be right in there anyway. At the very least, he has had the experience of playing in a pro-caliber tournament. That’s the way he viewed the USGA’s running of the Mid-Amateur, so close to his house.  What does he take out of it? “That I want to do this more,” he said, “and I think it would be wise to possibly find somebody to help me with the intricacies of my swing.”