Porter back for a shot at The Open
BY iseekgolf.com | Australasian PGA Tour | 2008 British Open International Final Qualifying | Preview | 01 Feb 2008
It was the feel good story of 2007 International Final Qualifying (IFQ) when little known Sydney golfer Ewan Porter earned his first trip to Europe after winning the event by three shots. Next week Porter returns to The Lakes, hoping for a repeat of that success and another shot at The Open Championship.
Porter blitzed through 2007 IFQ shooting five birdies and an eagle for an opening round of 66 and followed it with a 69 which included seven birdies. His score of 11 under saw him take first place and not only earn a trip to the Open Championship for his first major, but also experience his first overseas sojourn.
The 25 year old returns to IFQ this week with fond memories of his experience at The Open and ready to make the most of the opportunity that IFQ Australasia offers.
“For us it’s huge to get the chance to qualify for a Major Championship especially at home and for me I suppose I have the advantage of being able to play at my former home club,” said Porter. “I know every blade of grass there and I have played the course a thousand times so it’s pretty special for me.”
Porter’s experience of The Open Championship is what every young golfer dreams about as he recalls his week last year.
“I got over there and it was my first experience of playing Links golf. I got to play a practice round with Padraig Harrington who went on to win The Championship and then in the first round I was paired with Jonathan Byrd who’d won the previous week on the US PGA Tour. We had about 40,000 people following us just for the practice round. It was awesome!”
Tee times for next week’s International Final Qualifying for the 2008 Open Championship has been released with a field of 56 players battling it out for four positions on offer at Royal Birkdale in July.
The one day, 36 hole strokeplay event will be held at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney on Tuesday February 5, with play beginning at 6:45am led by Nova Castrian James Nitties and Victorian Brad Lamb.
The field features several international winners including former Australian and New Zealand Open Champion Peter Fowler who broke the course record at Australasian Qualifying at The Lakes last year, storming home with a course record nine under 64 in his second round to finish outright second behind Porter.
Nationwide Tour winners Paul Sheehan and Paul Gow will also line up next week alongside Japan Golf Tour winners Steve Conran, Chris Campbell, Scott Laycock, Wayne Perske and teenage superstar Ryo Ishikawa who stunned the locals when at 15 years and 8 months he became the youngest winner in history on the Japan Golf Tour claiming the 2007 Munshingwear Open KSB Cup in May.
The experienced field will be lining up against some of Australia’s rising stars including 2007 MFS Australian Open runner up Sydney’s Won Joon Lee and former world Junior Champion West Australian Rick Kulacz who in 2006 became the first amateur in 31 years to win the New South Wales Open. Kulacz also secured his Asian Tour card for 2008 after finishing third at Qualifying School.
Another name to look out for is new PGA Tour of Australasia member Bronson La Cassie. La Cassie shot a six-under par final round of 66 to win the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Qualifying School tournament at Peninsula Country Golf Club in December, romping in to win by ten strokes to earn his card for 2008.
La Cassie turned professional in 2007 after a successful amateur career that included winning the 2006 Western Amateur, defeating Oklahoma States Pablo Martin in the Match Play Final 2 and 1. La Cassie became the first Australian, and only the third international, in the championships 104-year history to win an event considered one of the big five of American amateur championships.
The 2008 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP will be held at Royal Birkdale from July 17-20.
International Final Qualifying Field
Aaron Pike
Adam Bland
Adam Crawford
Adam Porker
Alistair Presnell
Andrew Dodt
Andrew Martin
Andrew Pitt
Andrew Tampion
Andrew Tschudin
Anthony Brown
Anthony Summers
Ashley Hall
Ben Bunny
Bradley Lamb
Bronson La’Cassie
Chris Downes
Christopher Campbell
David Diaz
Euan Walters
Ewan Porter
James Nitties
Jarrod Moseley
Jonathan Abbott
Justin Maker
Kurt Barnes
Leigh McKechnie
Lucas Parsons
Luke Hickmott
Marc Leishman
Matthew Ballard
Matthew Ecob
Michael Curtain
Michael Long
Michael Wright
Mitchell Brown
Neil Sarkies
Neven Basic
Nigel Stivala
Paul Gow
Paul Marantz
Paul Sheehan
Peter Fowler
Peter Wilson
Rick Kulacz
Ryan Haller
Ryo Ishikawa
Scott Laycock
Steve Collins
Steve Dartnall
Steven Conran
Steven Jeffress
Steven Jones
Wade Ormsby
Wayne Perske
Won Joon Lee
Source – PGA Tour
