Matt Clarke qualifies for U.S. Senior Amateur

For the 13th time in his career, Matt Clarke of Loudonville has qualified for a U.S. Golf Association championship.

Clarke, a 58-year-old Rochester native, will play in his first U.S. Senior Amateur on Aug. 24-29 at the Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

He was one of three to qualify Tuesday at Manchester (Vt.) Country Club, shooting a 1-over-par 73. He finished second among the 70 entrants.

"I fell backward into it," Clarke said. "I finished three-putt, three-putt the last two holes, but it didn't matter."

In his career, Clarke has played in the U.S. Junior, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Fourball and the U.S. State Team. He also played twice in the British Amateur, not a USGA event but still prestigious.

Clarke said he took about a month off after finishing poorly in the Troy Invitational to tend to some family matters.

"It was hard to focus on golf," he said. "I practiced enough, but you're just not emotionally connected as much as you are when you don't have all the things swirling around."

He played over the weekend in the Brook-Lea Invitational in Rochester, winning the senior division.

"That was the key to everything," he said. "I hadn't played much. I like that golf course. I practiced a little bit. It's an old classical golf course.

"I got in a groove and saw some old friends and relaxed a little bit, and I got confident. I was driving it really well, controlling the golf ball well. I took that over to Manchester with me."

Clarke is in the field Friday and Saturday for the Capital Stroke Play, an event he helped create, at Schuyler Meadows.

pdougherty@timesunion.com • 518-454-5416 • @Pete_Dougherty