August 21—Sure, Hazeltine National Golf Club provided a stern test when it hosted the 2002 PGA Championship, but it was downright abusive during yesterday’s first round of stroke-play qualifying at the U.S. Amateur.

Just ask Pittsfield’s Donnie Troy, who shot a 5-over 77 and watched his name tumble down the leaderboard while 17 of the top 19 places were occupied by players who competed on the grossly easier Chaska Town Course, which played to a scoring average of 74.37.

“It is ridiculous,” Troy said of Hazeltine, which allowed just 231 birdies and yielded a 78.7 scoring average. “It is so hard. Seventy-seven is pretty good. You have to hit the fairway. And you have to hit the green. If you miss the fairway, the most you can hit out it an 8-iron. And the greens are so hard. There’s no way they’ve watered them since Saturday.”

Of the 156 competitors who played Hazeltine on Monday, only 2 managed to break par, and 50 bettered Troy’s 76. At the Chaska Town Course—which measures 6,753 yards, 720 less than Hazeltine—Billy Horschel led all day one scores with a mind-boggling 11-under 60, the lowest 18-hole round in U.S.G.A history, which dates back to 1895.

Troy began his round on the back nine and shot 1-over despite hitting every green in regulation.

“It was so much better than that” he said.

As his group made the turn, an official informed them that they were behind their time. If they fell behind once more, he told them, they would be penalized.

Troy then made three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 5-7, the latter of which came on the same hole Rich Beem memorably eagled during the final round of the 2002 PGA Championship en route to a 1-stroke victory over Tiger Woods.

He admitted hurrying after his group had been warned, but insisted “that’s not why I made the bogeys.”

Troy, who tees off the Chaska Town Course at 2:05 local time, will begin his second round tied for 152^nd. Only the top 64 players advance to match play, which begins Wednesday at Hazeltine.

“I think even par or 1-under will get me in,” said Troy, when asked what he needs to shoot in round two. “I’m not going to hold back. I can’t lay back. I’ve got to play aggressive.”