Hole-in-one ignites round for State Am qualifier co-medalist

Voorheesville

Timing can be everything in golf, and Kelly Borden found the right day for a career first.

Borden, a Broadalbin resident who plays out of Hales Mills, fashioned his first hole-in-one Monday during the New York State Amateur qualifier.

His 214-yard shot on the 12th hole of the Colonie Golf and Country Club ignited his round of 1-under-par 71, good for co-medalist honors with Ryan Miller of Glens Falls.

"That was pretty neat," said Borden, a left-hander who is a teacher in Gloversville. "I almost felt a little light-headed, like it wasn't real, when it happened. I didn't figure I'd ever have one. I figured I'd be about 70 years old and be running 5-irons up 120 yards to get one."

Borden, 40, shot 84 last year in his first attempt to qualify for the State Am, which will be played Aug. 6-8 at Crag Burn in East Aurora (suburban Buffalo).

The ace brought Boland's score to even par. He birdied the next hole as well as No. 16 to offset a bogey on the 14th.

"I didn't think I'd shoot under par," Borden said. "I was hoping for 74ish. That was my goal."

As it turned out, 74 was the magic number to qualify. Nine players shot that score or lower to advance to Crag Burn.

Miller, 39, has played in a handful of State Ams although failed to qualify last year.

"Glens Falls, it's my first year there, helps me prepare for these events," said Miller, who formerly played nearby at Hiland. "There's so much undulation, you have to think your way around the course. There are so many different lies. You get an even lie here, and you're like, 'Wow! It's a flat lie.' "

The best score of the day came out of the junior ranks. The State Junior, which will be played July 23-24 at Seven Oaks in Hamilton, had a concurrent qualifier off the same set of tees.

Aidan Fitzgerald, a...