KINGSTON, N.Y. — Twaalfskill Club member Nick Baker knew he was in a race against time in Saturday’s Ulster County Men’s Amateur Golf Championship (the Herdegen) qualifier on his home course.

When he teed off at 8:10 a.m. in the second group, Baker was hoping he’d finish in time to make it to the start of his daughter’s dance recital, which started at 1 p.m. at M. Clifford Miller Middle School in Lake Katrine. Baker wrapped up his round on Twaalfskill’s par-4 by the
clubhouse at 12:43 p.m., signed his scorecard and bolted to the car. He made it just in time to join his wife, Miranda, to see his 6-year-old daughter, Hadley, perform at the recital.

“That was my biggest concern while playing today,” Baker said.

Though his main priority was to get to the dance recital on time, Baker also was hoping to play well. He certainly accomplished that by shooting a 2-under-par 68 to share medalist honors with three-time Herdegen champion Doug Kleeschulte Jr., who shot a 68 in his first Herdegen round since 2016.

Baker and Kleeschulte were the only players in the 18-hole qualifier to break par. Twaalfskill’s Kyle Petramale, Ben Fox of Alapaha Golf Links and Zach Murphy of Wiltwyck Golf Club tied for third at 72. John Paulsen of Ellenville’s Stoeckeler Memorial Park and Golf Course was next with a 73.

Other scores included a 77 from two-time runner-up Bill Collins of Wiltwyck, who will now compete in the 54-hole Herdegen for the first time in 40 years. Twaalfskill’s Duane Postupack, the 1987 Herdegen champ, made it with a 78, as did 10-time Woodstock Golf Club men’s club champion Chris Grady (80).

A total of 37 golfers out of the 60-man field qualified for the first round of the Herdegen on Friday, June 23, at Woodstock. The cut was at 14-over 84, an improvement of eight shots over 2022.

The qualifiers will join 20 exempt players in the Herdegen’s 57-man field. Kingston High grad Donte Groppuso is the defending champion.

Baker, 41, birdied two of his three holes to get to 2-under quickly. He fired 1-under 34s on both sides with the highlight of the round coming with an eagle on the par-5 12th, where he
canned about a 40-footer.

“I was probably about as far away as I possibly could be on that green,” said Baker of the hole that is No. 7 for the members and measures 465 yards. “The pin was front-right and
I was back-left. I putted really well today. I made three or four putts over 20 to 25 feet. I kind of did everything well today.”

Baker, who played for the late Ed Mills on Kingston High’s 1999 Section 9 baseball titlists, didn’t take up golf until he turned 30 in 2012. He did so at the urging of his father, Jim, a
longtime Twaalfskill member.

“He asked me to start playing with him at Twaalfskill,” Baker said. “I joined thinking I wasn’t really going to play that much, but then I got hooked on it.”

Baker first tried to qualify for the Herdegen in 2013. He didn’t make it that year, but after qualifying the next year he played in all the Herdegens except 2016 when he got married
and last year when he had to withdraw before the first round due to a shoulder injury.

Baker has set a goal of finishing in the top 10 this year. “I’d like to keep it together for all three rounds,” Baker said. “I’d like to contend, really.”

Kleeschulte, who has won three straight Herdegen titles (2009-2011), returned to qualify after not playing in the county men’s championship since 2016. The Wiltwyck member certainly didn’t look rusty, getting it to 4-under through 13 holes. He made bogeys on Nos. 14 and 17
to finish with a 68.

“I felt like I played well overall,” Kleeschulte said. “Hit a lot of good shots and hit some good putts that just didn’t drop today.”

Kleeschulte said four of his five birdies were from tap-in range with the longest coming from eight feet. He missed three short putts that prevented him from going really low.

“Overall, I accomplished what I was aiming to do – getting into the tournament,” he said. “It felt good to get the competitive juices flowing again.”

Results in Saturday’s Herdegen qualifier at the Twaalfskill Club:

Nick Baker 34-34-68
Doug Kleeschulte Jr. 33-35-68
Ben Fox 35-37-72
Zach Murphy 36-36-72
Kyle Petramale 34-38-72
John Paulsen 37-36-73
Joey Manginelli 39-35-74
Riley Gogg 33-41-74
Dan McDonough 39-36-75

Brian Williams 36-39-75
Andre Manginelli 42-34-76
Bill Collins 41-36-77
John Hornbeck 39-38-77
Paul Larios 40-37-77
Mike Beck Jr. 40-38-78
Ryan Johnson 40-38-78
Duane Postupack 39-39-78
Scott Via 38-40-78
John Lowe Jr. 41-38-79
Joey Redmond 38-41-79
Jerry Maier 37-42-79
Chris Grady 42-38-80
Koltin Pickell 39-41-80
Richard Juman 43-38-81
Hokai Liv 39-42-81
Arthur Higby 45-37-82
Kevin Montayne 44-38-82
John Lucarelli 43-39-82
Liam Allred 41-41-82

Jesse Cazakoff 40-42-82
Kyle Hilliard 43-40-83
Ricardo Lavarreda 42-41-83
Martin Pennington 40-43-83
Anthony Umhey 40-43-83
Eric Paddock 45-39-84
Michael Brabham 41-43-84
Adam Williams 41-43-84
Failed to make the cut
Brian Juman 45-40-85
Thomas Feeney 44-41-85
Donald Meybohm 42-43-85
Dean Palen 42-43-85
Joel Kivlan 42-43-85
Josh Tienken 38-47-85
Dean Myers 44-43-87
James Lewis 43-44-87
Alan Coombe 47-41-88
David McDonough 47-41-88
Ty Monroe 44-44-88

Scott Stevens 43-45-88
Jonathan Kivlan 42-46-88
Hunter Lapp 44-46-90
Miles Valvo 43-48-91
Rob Alonso 44-49-93
Michael Harms 45-48-93
Dave Hilliard 50-44-94
Jarrett Sprague 51-45-96
Donald Beesmer 50-47-97
Don Guidi 48-49-97
William Darling 54-45-99
Christian Daly 46-55-101