Hannibal’s Thomas, Palmyra’s Schuenke, Quincy’s Pfeiffer reach match play at Missouri Amateur

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Three local golfers are headed to match play at the Missouri Amateur Championship.

Hannibal’s Quinn Thomas, Palmyra’s Ryan Schuenke and Quincy’s Adam Pfeiffer finished 36 holes of stroke play Wednesday tied for 15th at even-par 142 at St. Joseph Country Club. The top 64 golfers from a field of 144 advance to match play beginning Thursday.

Thomas, who won the Missouri Class 4 state championship in May and captured the title of the boys 16-18 division of the Pepsi Little People’s Golf Championships last week, opened with a 2-under 69 on Tuesday and bounced back Wednesday after starting his round birdie, bogey, double bogey.

An eagle on the par-5 17th — he began the round on the back nine — turned Thomas’ day around. He finished at 2-over 73.

Schuenke shot a 1-under 70 on Tuesday, stringing together 10 consecutive pars after making a pair of birdies on the par-4 fifth hole and the par-5 eighth. In Wednesday’s second round, Schuenke played the front nine in 1-under 34 and made a birdie on the par-5 17th to shoot a 1-over 72.

Pfeiffer found himself in the top five after the first round as he shot a 4-under 67, playing the back nine in 3-under 33. Wednesday’s round proved to be more of a challenge as Pfeiffer shot a 4-over 75, but he made a pair of birdies on the back nine to help offset a 3-over 38 on the front nine.