F&M Golf Alum to Compete for U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship

LANCASTER, Pa. – Larry Elbaum of Highland Park, Illinois, will compete in the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. Elbaum, a 1990 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, will play out the four-round national championship at the Milwaukee Country Club in River Hills, Wisconsin, beginning Saturday, September 6.

The U.S. Mid-Amateur originated in 1981 for the amateur golfer of at least 25 years of age, to provide a formal national championship for the post-collegiate player. The event is open to those with a USGA Handicap Index of 3.4 or lower. It is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

“I am pretty excited about playing in the event,” said Elbaum. “This will be my first time competing for a USGA Championship.”

Elbaum qualified for the Mid-Am on the strength of a second place tie in the sectional qualifier held at Plum Tree National Golf Club in Harvard, Illinois, back on August 6. He shot a 70 on the par 72, 6,399- yard course to finish one stroke off of the sectional champion, Mark Hannon. Three other golfers also shot a 70 to qualify.

A four-time letterwinner for the Diplomats, Elbaum was a member of the 1987 MAC Championship team that posted a seventh place finish at the NCAA National Championships. He has remained an avid golfer since his graduation, conducting business and making friends on the links.

The 2008 Mid-Amateur will be the third USGA event conducted at Milwaukee Country Club. Previously, the club hosted the 1969 Walker Cup Match and the 1988 USGA Senior Amateur. The club has also hosted numerous Wisconsin State Opens and various Wisconsin amateur championships.

Elbaum’s progress will be tracked by GoDiplomats.com throughout the tournament.