Porter Cup: Stewart's amateur swan song?
BY Anthony Powter | US Mens Amateur Tour | 2008 Porter Cup | Preview | 22 Jul 2008
There’s little doubt that Tim Stewart is one of Australia’s emerging talents. Considered a seasoned amateur having played the world’s top events for the last three years in the US, UK and Asia, as well as representative duties in South America, Stewart is ultimately destined for the professional ranks.
This week’s Porter Cup will probably be the last opportunity to claim his first US major amateur title. A runner-up finish at the 2006 Rice Planters Amateur is Stewart’s best American performance despite being in contention on numerous occasions.
Stewart is coming off a T4 finish last week at the Southern Amateur with his confidence beaming, despite having being on the road for over twelve weeks where the dual international winner travelled through the UK and US to his present location for the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York.
As far as US major amateur events the Porter Cup, ranked 6th in the world, is viewed as a “must” play tournament by the world’s leading amateurs. 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.
Brian Harman cruised to victory last year smashing the tournament record on a drought hardened layout with a four-day total of 258, 22-under par – eight strokes better than Casey Wittenberg’s 14-under-par record from 2003. Harman is undergoing wrist surgery and will be a non-starter this week.
Recent heavy rains have given the course staff a better chance to grow out the rough, meaning those who stray from the fairway will have a tougher time getting home. A few new additions have been added in response to last year’s low scores to toughen the otherwise shortish lay-out.
A new tee box on the 8th hole par-4, which now can play as long as 460 yards, will provide a stern challenge for even the longest of hitters. The 16th hole, a par-3, has been pushed back and can play up to 220 yards. And to top that off, the tee box on the 17th par-4 has been moved back to play at about 460 yards. The extra length an attempt to add the necessary “bite” to what is considered by most players, a quaint well-manicured course at a club steeped in tradition.
This year’s tournament marks the 50th anniversary of the Porter Cup and it’s a top class tournament field of the world’s best amateurs, who are hand-picked by tournament officials.
Rohan Blizard has made his way across the Atlantic for his first US amateur event following his recent efforts after qualifying for the British Open, where he missed the cut alongside some of the world’s best golfers.
Blizard will join a string of top Australian amateurs including world number eight, Matt Griffin, winner of the 2008 Rice Planters amateur, the in-form Matt Jager, Matthew Giles, Jason Scrivener, Michael Foster, Ray Beaufils, Scott Arnold, Josh Younger and Justin Roach.
As expected there’s a strong American presence this week headed by Billy Horschel, the world number 3 and the top ranked player at the tournament. The American joins three other players ranked inside the world top-10, who interesting are all Australasian, namely Danny Lee (6), Rohan Blizard (7) and Matt Griffin (8).
Stewart sits just outside the world top-ten at 13 and will be seeking to leave his mark in the US before returning to Australia in what will probably be his last event as an amateur on American soil. There’ll be plenty of competition and the course with its adjustments is sure to present a stern challenge, however, you have to like Stewart’s chances this week as he’s hungry for that maiden US victory.
