Beckmann, Bleumink best at Porter Cup
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2009 Porter Cup | Round Three | 26 Jul 2009
Daniel Beckmann and Luke Bleumink have finished in a tie for 17th at 1-under-par to be the best of the Australians in the rain affected Porter Cup and five strokes short of making a 3-way playoff for the title.
The story of the 51st Porter Cup had been all about the weather in the state of New York this week and from an Australian perspective, whether Brendan Smith could build upon his opening 6-under-par 64 where he shared a three-way lead after the first round with Americans Cody Gribble and Tim Mickelson.
Rain on Wednesday forced tournament officials to shorten the tournament ranked 7th in the world according to the Scratch Players ranking to 54-holes, however, shortening the tournament took nothing away from a dramatic finish today.
Brendan Gielow went in to a three-way playoff with Andrew Yun and Cody Gribble after they finished at 6-under-par. The first two holes were all even until Gielow chipped in for birdie on the third playoff hole to claim the title, his second major US amateur event after winning the Northeast Amateur in 2008.
This year’s tournament was one that simply got away for Brendan Smith and the weather delays and course conditions didn’t help the Australian either.
Twice runner-up this season back in Australia at the Lake Macquarie Amateur and the Keperra Bowl, Smith’s opening 64 was followed by rounds of 75-72 where he finished at 1-over-par and in a tie for 29th.
Tarquin MacManus was even with the card and in a tie for 23rd after rounds of 70-72-68 to be the next best Australian behind Beckmann and Bleumink. Daniel Nisbet rebounded strongly after his opening 76, with rounds of 68-68 to finish in a tie for 36th at 2-over-par along with Jason Scrivener.
Matt Giles fired rounds of 71-74-70 to finish in a tie for 51st, whilst Matt Jager, Jordan Sherratt and Ryan McCarthy missed the plus-5 cut mark after the opening 36 holes.
Tim Mickelson, brother of PGA Tour player Phil, who was tied for the lead after the first two rounds with Smith, fired a four-over-par round to finished tied for 8th.
