From Nazareth to Bethlehem: Dane Mohap Makes USGA Debut at Saucon Valley

Summer goal secured. Dane Mohap had the date circled for years, a USGA championship in his backyard. The 78th U.S. Junior Amateur at Saucon Valley Country Club is the first USGA championship for the Nazareth native, who is 1-for-1 in qualifying for USGA championships.

The road to the championship took extra holes. Mohap qualified on June 22 out of the Phoenix, N.Y., site at Beaver Meadows Country Club. He parred the last three holes, including a pressure two putt from 50 feet on the last, that led to a 7-for-1 playoff for the final spot.

Three golfers were eliminated after the first hole. A fourth was out after the third playoff hole, leaving only Mohap and Canada’s Michael Vivone.

Mohap found himself in familiar territory on the fifth playoff hole, needing a two-putt par. This time it was from 20 feet, and he putted it to six inches. His ticket to Saucon Valley was punched.

"I knew what I had to do, at that point in the round I really had the greens and the speed down," said Mohap. "I was happy I made it; I really wanted this one."

Golfers know how special it is to hit the first ball at a golf tournament. To do so at a USGA championship in your backyard, that does not happen often. Of the five golfers from Pennsylvania in the field, four hit opening tee shots on Monday morning on the Old and Grace courses.

Mohap had the honor of hitting the first ball off No. 1 of the Old Course.

"That's going to be really cool," Mohap said. "I know how special it is hitting first tee shots, but to do that in my first USGA championship so close to home is going to be extra special."

He was playing in the Pennsylvania Golf Association's Junior Boys' Championship at Hershey Country Club during U.S. Junior Amateur media day on June 30. He was invited as the hometown qualifier, but he made the cut at the event and finished tied for fifth. Two weeks before, Mohap won the 15-16 age division and finished T3 out of 232 players in the 15-18 age division at the Future Masters, in Dohan, Ala.

Mohap, who first picked up a club when he was 3 years old, learned from his grandfather, Ron, when the two played at Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville, Pa. Mohap now plays out of Lehigh Country Club, just 20 minutes from Saucon Valley. He saw the Old and Grace courses for the first time last week; before then he had only played the six-hole short course on the property.

"What stood out to me between the two courses, the Old Course you cannot miss fairways or you'll be punished," Mohap said. "The Grace Course, the greens were a lot harder. They will both be tough tests championship week."

Mohap is a rising senior at Nazareth Area High School, where he won the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference individual title last fall.

"I'm excited to play and see how I play with the other players," said Mohap, one of 264 competitors vying to hoist the Tiger Woods Trophy. "It's really exciting for me to play in front of college coaches, too. That's a big part of this, being able to show my game to them."