Top amateurs descend on Porter Cup
IN: News | US Mens Amateur | Porter Cup (2007) | Preview | by Anthony Powter | 24 Jul 2007
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 staged in 1959 the event, named after a prominent local businessman Alex Porter, has evolved into one of the most sought after amateur trophies in the US.
This year five of the top ten ranked R&A world amateurs will compete at Niagara Falls Country Club, including Billy Horschell (2nd), Dustin Johnson (6th), Chris Kirk (7th), Webb Simpson (8th) and Kyle Stanley of Clemson University (9th). It’s a statistic that reflects the importance of the Porter Cup, in undoubtedly one of the strongest fields to assemble this season in the US.
Seven Australasian players this year received invitations, including Rohan Blizard, Andrew Dodt, James Gill, Matthew Griffin, Rick Kulacz, Aaron Pike and Tim Stewart.
Rohan Blizard, who with his fourth place finish at the Players Amateur a fortnight ago, has timed his form perfectly going into this week’s tournament as well as next Monday’s US Amateur qualifying at Bon Vivant Country Club, just south of Chicago.
Blizard with his recent form, both in the US and UK and his capacity to play the bigger events well, should be a serious contender this week. Tim Stewart is another Australian that’s primed to secure his maiden US Amateur title. Stewart played strongly at the Players Amateur, finishing with a top ten result after an eight under 64 on the final day.
Stewart, like Blizard, is finding his form in America at the right time, as the tournaments move towards the “business end” of the US amateur schedule.
Andrew Dodt, who is playing his third Porter Cup, feels this year’s layout is a little easier than in previous years and anticipates low scoring from the quality field.
“I had a practice round today with Rick [Kulacz] and Rohan [Blizard] and I thought the course played a little easier than in previous years,” remarked Dodt.
“I’ve heard it’s been a dry season in Buffalo, with not much rainfall, which has made the fairways firm and the rough a lot thinner then it would normally be and it should result in some low scoring especially with the quality of the field.”
Dodt, as with all the National Squad members playing this week is keen to make a mark in a major US event
“There’s the who’s who of American golf competing this week and I’m looking forward to it.”
Rick Kulacz is another player that I feel is ready for a US major amateur title, an honor that has so far evaded him this tour. Kulacz comes off a sensational Australian season, with two significant wins in as many months in the Federal Amateur and the NSW Open, capped with winning the Dunes Medal and the 2007 South Australian Invitational.
Whilst Kulacz made the British Amateur quarter-finals, his best result in the US so far was T38 at The Players. He certainly will be looking to improve on his T15th at this event last year.
“The greens were fairly soft but some were firm and I’m sure as the week goes on they will speed up,” were Kulacz’s comments after today’s practice round.
“The course isn’t long, but it can get windy and the greens are small, plus you don’t want to short side yourself around here in the thick stuff or you have no shot.”
Kulacz views this week’s event as the perfect platform to improve on, what he otherwise views as a disappointing American campaign.
“The course is similar to say Riversdale in Melbourne, but the greens are smaller and it’s tighter,” was his assessment of the course. “I’m really looking forward to playing this week and I feel my game is definitely better than it has been. I’d now like to put it under the pump for a change, because the trip so far hasn’t been that rewarding for myself.”
Kulacz will join Andrew Dodt, Aaron Pike and Rohan Blizard in Chicago on Monday for the US Amateur qualifying event and a strong finish this week will certainly provide the necessary momentum to make the US Amateur.
This week’s Porter Cup has a different perspective with the players as to what they want to achieve, each with its own subtle differences.
Whilst Kulacz is looking in his own way to make a statement, the Americans appear to be focused upon a totally different mater, but with the same objective, to get noticed; but by USGA selectors.
Walker Cup selection is certainly on the mind of the main American amateurs, including the “new” kid on the block, Rickie Fowler, who must be considered a serious contender to make the 10-man team that heads to Royal County Down in Newcastle, Ireland in September for the matches against Great Britain and Ireland.
Fowler, 18, who is set to embark upon a US collegiate career out of Oklahoma State University, is currently ranked the fourth best US amateur. He may be young, but Fowler certainly has plenty of talent and a cabinet that’s bursting with trophies from US major amateur victories this season, including the Players Amateur and Sunnehanna Amateur.
He will be tested this week by the likes of Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Chris Kirk, Trip Kuehne, Billy Horschel, Carlton Forrester, all who are striving to be picked for Ireland.
The USGA is expected to name seven or eight players to the team following the Western Amateur next week, with final selections being made after the U.S. Amateur, 20-26 August, at Olympic Club in San Francisco. You can then sense the importance these closing events like the Porter Cup, Western Amateur and US Amateur have with the Americans.
With considerable stakes this week at the Porter Cup for all players, as well as the level of sheer talent that’s assembled at Niagara Falls, the Porter Cup certainly is set to be one of the majors in American amateur golf. Let’s hope an Australasian player can rain on their parade.
