By Tim Schmitt
There was a time, however brief, when Andrew Parr’s name was atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Open on Thursday.
OK, so it was only for about 20 minutes after the London, Ontario native birdied the first hole at Bethpage State Park’s vaunted Black Course, but still, Parr can officially say he led the Open.
And the Porter Cup can officially say it had a qualifier that led the Open.
That’s right, the runner-up in the 2006 Porter Cup — he lost to UNLV’s Stevie Han — originally wasn’t good enough to get an invite to the amateur event at Niagara Falls Country Club.
Before he headed off to Texas A&M; and became an established player, Parr got into the annual tournament through the qualifier. This field for this year’s Porter Cup qualifier — which will take place on June 29 — is nearly full.
“That shows you how strong our field actually is,” said Dena Armstrong, a member of the tournament’s board of directors. “They come from all over to play (in the qualifier). Some of these players might be the fourth or fifth player on their college team and they don’t get an invite, but they still want to play.”
The qualifier is open to the first 96 players with a USGA-verified handicap of three or under who apply. An entry fee of $150 includes two rounds (one for practice and another to qualify) and a buffet lunch.
The lowest eight scores will qualify for the Porter Cup, which begins on July 22.
The jump from six to eight slots means this year’s qualifier should bring even more competition as a good chunk of the Porter Cup’s field will come through the one-day playoff.
“We wanted to allow more local players to participate,” Armstrong said. “I recognize some of the names as they’ve played a few years in a row.”
Last year, Christopher Ross took top honors in the event with a 67 while Campbell Gordon was second with a 68 and four players all got in with scores of 69. But Armstrong said ties are common when it comes to the qualifier, and that leads to a hole-by-hole playoff.
“One year we had nine kids for two spots,” she said. “Try to play nine kids for two spots. We went four extra holes.
“But it was exciting.”
Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.
PORTER CUP QUALIFIER
• WHEN: June 29
• WHERE: Niagara Falls Country Club
• DEADLINE TO ENTER: Friday
• NOTES: A few spots still remain for the event, which includes a practice round, lunch, and a qualifying round. ... The top eight scores earn berths in the 51st annual Porter Cup, which starts July 22. ... To enter, you must have a verified USGA handicap of three or better.
