Snow tied for fifth last year when the event was won by Derek Gustafson of Cincinnati, who is in field again this year.
Of the top 11 finishers last year at Shawnee Country Club in Lima, eight are among the 71 entrants. They include: Gustafson, Snow, Dan Devore, Edward Steiber, Nick Lambos, Ray Sovik, Fred Miller and Jeff Sparks.
In addition to Gustafson and Snow, former champions teeing it up at DCC are Jim Durr of Silver Lake (2015) and Fred Miller of Aurora (2014).
Three who frequently finish among the leaders are Sovik of Powell, who has seven top 10s, Craig Soule of Port Clinton and Dan Devore of Cincinnati.
In addition to Snow, golfers from the Miami Valley who have entered include: Daytonians Ron Eubel, Allen Ferguson, Gary Hickman, Roger Johnson, Brooks Kerrick, Charles Kidwell, Dave Novotny, John Sherman and Doug Stolle plus Robert Bollinger of Tipp City, Tom Christy of Piqua, Greg Hahn of Bellbrook and Dave Larger of Troy.
Missing this year is three-time champion Randy Reifers of Columbus, who won in 2002, 2010 and 2013. Reifers played in the Ohio Mid-Amateur at Miami Valley Golf Club in June, but was disappointed with his performance. He may be taking a break.
Dayton qualifier
wins U.S. Amateur
A sectional qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship was held on July 6 at Walnut Grove Country Club.
One of the 94 players who attempted to qualify on that rainy day was 21-year-old Sophia Schubert who drove up from her home in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Schubert, who will be a senior at the University of Texas, was one of nine who advanced to the Open at San Diego Country Club Aug. 7-13. She shot 70, which wasn’t the best score. Two women turned in 68s and two posted 69s.
In San Diego, however, nobody in the international field could beat her. In the match play competition, Schubert beat Naomi Ko of Canada, 4 and 3, and Krystal Quihuis of Tucson, Ariz., 3 and 2.
Then she eliminated Zoe Campos of Valencia, Calif., 7 and 6, Isabella Fierro of Mexico, 3 and 1, and Chia Yen Wu of Chinese Taipei, 2 up, to reach the 36-hole championship match last Sunday against Albane Valenzuela, a 19-year-old college student from Switzerland.
Schubert birdied the first hole and never looked back. She was 4 up after 18 holes and won, 6 and 5.
Chip shots
• The team of Larry Saunders and Armen Parker won the Mercedes Benz Dealers Championship last Monday at Moraine Country Club. They had a 15-under-par score of 57.
The runners-up were Mike Cronin and Robby Poteat, who turned in a 59. Aaron Barhorst and Jase Barhorst were third with a score of 60. Mark Vitali aced the fifth hole.
• Dayton decided to sod rather than seed the surfaces of its 19 rebuilt teeing grounds, so they should be ready for use at the beginning of the 2018 golf season.
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