August 22—Following a 5-over 77 on Monday, Pittsfield’s Donnie Troy entered the second round of U.S. Amateur stroke-play qualifying under the assumption that he needed to shoot 1-under or better to advance to match play.

Troy’s prediction proved correct, but ironically, he came up short because he went long.

A 4-over 75 at the Chaska Town Course and 9-over total left the reigning Berkshire County Men’s player of the year tied for 155^th and five shots shy of a playoff for the final ten spots.

One-over through 11 holes, his 4-iron from 197 yards sailed over No. 12 green and led to an untimely double-bogey.

“I think I’m getting stronger,” he said.

Troy attempted a late rally, hitting his tee shot on No. 13 to ten-feet, but he missed the putt for birdie.

“I knew that was pretty much it,” he said. “I thought I played pretty good golf. I hit a couple wrong clubs and I didn’t make any putts all week…I thought I hit some good putts. Nothing went my way. But it was a good learning experience.”

Troy’s maiden appearance in the U.S. Amateur concludes a summer in which he also competed in the Massachusetts and New England Amateurs, Massachusetts Open and the Porter Cup. With a 210 point lead on Wyantenuck’s Andy Congdon, Troy will likely repeat as the Berkshire County Men’s player of the year.

“The whole summer was good, said Troy, who will begin classes at Eckerd College on Sept. 5. “Next summer I will be in the same tournaments, but with better results. Hopefully I’ll be more of a threat.”