LEWISTON, NY (July 27, 2013) -- Serving as one of the final benchmarks ahead of the U.S. Amateur, the Porter Cup was again impactful in the race for the final five positions on the U.S. Walker Cup team.
Captain Jim Holtgrieve was in attendance throughout the week and he watched closely two players that have already been selected to the team, Max Homa and Patrick Rodgers. And, given the duo’s respective finishes against one of the toughest fields in amateur golf, he was pleased.
Homa shot a final-round 68 to tie for ninth place at 6-under. Rodgers threw out a final-round 69 to finish tied for 19th.
The Walker Cup powers that be were also keeping close watch on a number of other contestants. Here’s a look at how some of the potential targets fared and what it means to their chances:
Michael Weaver: The Cal junior and 2012 U.S. Amateur runner-up has been consistently solid since his impressive run at Cherry Hills. He struggled a bit early at the Porter Cup, shooting 75-73 in the first two rounds but bounced back with a 68 on Friday and a 69 Saturday. He’s pleased with how he’s played as a whole this season and thinks his consistent and low-key nature will only help in a team atmosphere.
Bobby Leopold: The Rhode Island mid-am shot rounds of 72-74-69-70 to take a tie for 42nd. A long shot to snag one of the remaining mid-amateur selections, Leopold likely needed to log a top 10 at the Porter Cup.
Michael Miller: After playing so well to start the 2013 season, Michael Miller of Brewster, N.Y., cooled down a bit. He started off slowly at the Porter Cup, shooting a pair of 70s in the first two rounds. After a third-round 74, he bounced back nicely with a final-round 67 to finish 1-over for the event.
Todd White: White was a player to watch this week on account of the mid-amateur slots available on the roster. He shot rounds of 74-69-70-71 to finish strong and hopes the overall consistency of his play will be enough to earn one of the mid-am positions. White, a school teacher from South Carolina, added the Porter Cup to an otherwise typically-full schedule this summer. Next up is the Western Amateur.
Brandon Hagy: Hagy, the long hitter from Cal, closed well at the Porter Cup. He shot rounds of 72-69-69-70 to finish even par. One of the contenders for the remaining positions, Hagy likely boosted his chances heading into the Western Am and U.S. Amateur.
Peter Williamson: Williamson, the 2012 North & South and Southern Amateur winner, shot rounds of 67-69-70-69 to finish at 5-under and tied for 12th. He’s looking for a strong start and run in match play at both the Western Amateur and the U.S. Amateur to boost his Walker Cup prospects.
Cameron Wilson:Wilson, of Stanford, shot 71-67-66-71 to finish tied for 12th at 5-under. The Connecticut native is a long shot but has logged solid finishes in prominent tournaments like the Northeast Amateur and, now, the Porter Cup.
ABOUT THE
Porter Cup
One of the premier amateur events in the
nation, this 72-hole stroke play invitational has
lots of extra activities that give this event a special
flavor. The winning player receives a green blazer, as
well as an invitation to the Master of the Amateurs
tournament in Melbourne, Australia. Pre-tournament
qualifying is a few weeks prior to the
event and approximately five spots are available.
Starting in 2023, the men's and women's
Porter Cup championships are run concurrently with
54 players in each field and alternating
tee times. It's been exciting seeing the top players in each division in final pairings on the par-3 18th hole at Niagara Falls CC, with large galleries always appreciative of the rising talent.
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