Jager, Jeong line up at Porter Cup

BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2010 Porter Cup | Preview | 28 Jul 2010

This week’s 52nd Annual Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club marks the first occasion that two of Australia’s hottest players are competing this season in a main US Amateur event.

Matt Jager will make his season debut after a recent stint in the United Kingdom and will be looking to go one better than his runner-up finish to Mark Anderson at the 2008 Players Amateur, his best result so far in the US.

Jager recently slipped outside the world’s top-10 after peaking at number 5 following his dual Australian & New Zealand Championship wins earlier in the year. The world number 13’s results during his UK tour at the St Andrews Links and British Amateur Championship didn’t do justice to Jager’s talent and the recent respite holidaying in Europe should see him invigorated and match hungry to do well.

The 21-year-old Jager is certainly due for a major win after being so close on numerous occasions in his three tours here to the US.

With two international victories already to his credit, with the 2008 Tournament of International Jockey Club of Rosario in Argentina and the 2009 New Zealand Amateur Championship, international wins is one area he wants to add to his ever expanding portfolio of achievements.

Good players make their own chances and even greater players seize the opportunities that they create. Despite recent woes in the UK, Jager is a fighter and will continue to create opportunities for himself when the glove is on. I tend to favour that he’ll do well this week at the Porter Cup. He’s rested, fresh and will be spurred on with the recent achievements of fellow Waverley Club member and good mate, Jin Jeong.

Jeong in the UK this season has been nothing but spectacular, winning last month the British Amateur Championship with a 5&4 win over Scotland’s James Byrne at Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland and following that with securing the Amateur Medal at The Open Championship last week at St Andrews, finishing in 14th position.

Jeong has rightfully claimed the world number one position and enters this week at Niagara Falls as the tournament favourite in a field that’s littered with US and international talent.

The reigning United States Amateur Champion, Byeong-hun An is also in the field, as is NCAA Player of the Year and world number 2, Russell Henley. They are supported with the likes of 2009 United States Walker Cup Team members, Nathan Smith and world number 3, Peter Uihlein.

There are nine other Aussies in the field.

Keep an eye on the likes of Jordan Sherratt who secured a top-10 finish at the Southern Amateur a fortnight ago and comes into the Porter Cup with some stellar form.

Bryden Macpherson has being the best Aussie performer this season in the US with a tied 3rd finish after a sizzling third round 8-under-par 64 at the Dogwood Invitational earlier in the month and also secured a top-20 finish at the recent Southern Amateur.

Macpherson, the dual 2009 Australian and New Zealand Amateur Stroke champion, moved from Australia earlier in the year to attend the University of Georgia. Macpherson has the propensity to give things a go. He’s not afraid to, as he says “opt outside my comfort zone” and his aggression around the shortish Niagara Falls Country Club layout should see him challenge the field this week.

Kieran Pratt is another to watch and he’ll be looking to improve on recent tournament results after a promising UK tour. The three-time winner this season in Australia made the top-32 at the British Amateur and has shown signs of brilliance in patches here in the US, including his second round 66 at the Southern Amateur that had the world number 21 in 4th position at one stage during the tournament.

Ryan McCarthy has been consistent this US tour with a number of top-25 finishes, including a 13th finish at the Dogwood Invitational and a solid result at the Players Amateur. If McCarthy gets his driver going this week, he’ll be a player to follow as well.

The other Australian to watch are Brendan Smith, who at last year’s event had a share for the three-way lead at Niagara Falls Country Club after the opening round, Luke Bleumink who’s off a tied 16th finish at the Southern Amateur and Arizona State collegiate player, Tarquin MacManus.

As far as US major amateur events, the Porter Cup is viewed as a must play tournament. PGA Tour players such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Tom Lehman, Hal Sutton and Justin Leonard have challenged for the trophy with Mickelson the sole victor, claiming the title in 1990.

First played in 1959, only one Australian, Simon Nash in 2002, has ever won the Porter Cup.

The best performance in recent times for an Australian was Jason Day’s tied 2nd finish in 2005, were the PGA Tour player reeled off an impressive final round 65 to finish two shots behind Spaniard, Pablo Martin-Benavides.

European Tour players, Andrew Dodt and Andrew Tampion, recorded top-10 finishes in 2007 and 2006 respectively, while Matthew Griffin in 2008 finished in a tie for 13th position.

Last year in a rain effect tournament that was reduced to three rounds, Brendan Gielow won the title after going in to a three-way playoff with Andrew Yun and Cody Gribble when the three finished at 6-under-par.