Rain plays havoc with stroke play qualifying at U.S. Junior Amateur

At least Hilton Head’s Andrew Orischak was able to get in 14 holes during Tuesday’s rain-soaked second and final round of stroke play qualifying at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bluffton’s Colleton River Plantation Club.

Two rain delays totaling around five hours kept a few golfers from starting play until 7:15 p.m. – when the action resumed after players were pulled from the Pete Dye Course, for a second time, at 3:43 p.m.

“You just got to wait it out, take your mind off it,” Orischak, 16, said while lounging on the clubhouse patio with a slew of his competitors during a three-and-a-half hour stoppage. “When you get back out there just try to refocus.”

After a somewhat rocky start in which he bogeyed three of the first five holes, Orischak, who entered the day at 2 under, responded with birdies on 15 and 16, followed by a par on 17, when the weather horn blew.

When Orischak returned to the course at dinner time, he promptly parred four straight holes — while playing on fumes.

“I just went out there and I was just exhausted mentally. I was just beat,” Orischak said after coming off the course around 8:40 p.m.

The rising junior at Hilton Head Island High is 1 under (tied for 13th) with four holes to play starting early Wednesday morning.

“I got on the first hole and looked down at my ball, and it was just different, it was just a little different. So I just grinded,” he said, adding that his goal isn’t to qualify for match play but to win.

Another 16-year-old, Sumter’s Christian Salzer, shot 3 over through six holes on Tuesday, putting him at 8 over for the tournament – within reach of the projected cut of 5 over.

“Very tiring,” an exhausted Salzer said after his marathon day. The future N.C. State golfer hit one tee shot between the time he arrived at noon, and the resumption of play after 7. “We were all tired. You try to grind through it but it was pretty hard.”

Brandon Mancheno of Jacksonville is the leader, at 6 under, with six holes remaining on Wednesday.

Christian Baliker, of Simpsonville, and Jack Parrott, of Columbia, got their rounds in and are 10 over and 12 over, respectively. Baliker shot a 6-over-par 78 on Tuesday, while Parrott posted a 79.

Following the scheduled completion of the second round of stroke play Wednesday morning, the first round of match play is set to begin with the top 64 players.

At Colleton River Plantation

Dye Course, Bluffton

Partial second round

Brendan O’Reilly, Hinsdale, Ill. 71-69—140

Reese Ramsey, Austin, Texas 71-70—141

Wells Padgett, Wichita, Kan.72-70—142

Sahith Theegala, Chino Hills, Calif. 70-72—142

Brody Blackmon, Sulphur Springs, Texas 69-73—142

Andy Zhang, China 72-70—142

Also

Christian Baliker, Simpsonville76-78—154

Jack Parrott, Columbia 77-79—156