W&M Golf Recruit Brent Paladino Qualifies for U.S. Amateur

08/02/05 1:10PM

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - William and Mary men’s golf recruit Brent Paladino (Kensington, CT), who has signed a letter of intent to play for the Tribe starting with the 2005-06 season, qualified for the U. S. Amateur Championship last Tuesday. Competing at sectional qualifying at the Shuttle Meadows Country Club in Kensington, CT, Paladino fired a 138 (68, 70) to finish tied for second, two shots off the lead. Paladino will face a large field of competitors at the Amateur Championship, held August 22-28 at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA. One of 10 amateur national championship events conducted by the United States Golf Association, the U.S. Amateur has been held since 1895.

Paladino is a tested competitor in USGA competition having been an alternate to the 2004 U. S. Junior Amateur where he finished just a stroke shy of advancing from sectional qualifying. Paladino also made a run in local qualifying for the 2005 U. S Open where he fired a 72 to finish one shot off a six-golfer playoff for three spots to sectionals in local qualifying held at Country Club of Fairfield, CT. Earlier this summer, Paladino won his qualifying section to the Amateur Public Links Championship by three strokes. He just missed making the 64-golfer match-play finals after playing most of the second round under the projected cut.

The qualification caps an incredible high school and junior career for Paladino, who graduated from Kingswood-Oxford Prep School in May. He was honored as the 2003 Connecticut Section PGA Player of the Year and has been a second-team Future Collegians World Tour All-American (16-18 division) the past two years. This past August, Paladino was a member of the Connecticut state team that won the New England Junior Championship title at Cocheco Country Club in Dover, NH. This spring Paladino has won the CSGA Tournament at Blue Fox Run and the CSGA Tournament at River Ridge.

Paladino will join a Tribe team that won two tournaments last season, including the prestigious Cavalier Classic in addition to its own William and Mary Invitational.