John Kemp (left) and Stephen Creed (Paul Payne Photo)

Over the course of his sterling golf career in England, John Kemp is accustomed to dealing with pressure. The Woburn Golf Club member understands what is required to operate with peak performance when the stakes are the highest.

Kemp won this year’s English Senior Men’s Open Championship, and placed fourth in the British Senior Amateur Championship last month after finishing second in the event last year.

But as daunting as it might be to compete at such a high level of success, there was much more riding out the outcome of those events than simply building a résumé to gain entrance into this week’s 69th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Honors Course.

Instead, a more critical piece of the puzzle was at play surrounding Kemp's qualifying, and thankfully he was able to follow through with a mandate given by his wife, Mandy.

“I had to get in this event because my wife loves Elvis Presley,” Kemp said. “We knew it was going to be here (at The Honors Course), so I went online and Googled it. After I told her it was in Tennessee, she said, ‘I want to go to Memphis.’ So that’s been my goal.”

The Kemps arrived from England early, recognizing that the golf tournament was now secondary on their itinerary. They spent three nights in Nashville, then made the trek westward to Memphis.

“She loves country and western music, so she enjoyed Nashville,” Kemp said. “Then we went to Graceland and it made the trip worthwhile. She's simply not interested in the golf. When I’m competing, she’s much more focused on the wildlife she sees on the course than how well I’m playing.”

While his wife might not have been focused on Kemp’s play in the Sunday’s final stroke play round, the rest of the field certainly paid attention. Kemp posted an impressive 2-under 70 -tied for low round in for the day and during stroke play – to finish as co-medalist with Roger Newsom of Virginia Beach, Va. at 2-under 142.

Opening on No. 10, Kemp made the turn in 34 with birdies at 11, 15 and 17 that were offset by a bogey on 18. He dropped to 4-under after two more birdies to open his back nine on 1 and 2, but bogeys at 4 and 8 brought him back into a tie atop the leaderboard.

Making the adjustment from the terrain and turf associated with links golf back in England created an additional challenge for Kemp and fellow Brit, Stephen Creed, in their initial visit to The Honors Course. But both will get the chance to build their understanding of the course by advancing to Monday’s match play portion of the tournament.

“It was a shock for me because I don't spin the ball,” said Creed, who managed to secure a spot after shooting 80 to finish tied for 49th at 12-over 156. “I'm not kidding you - the amount of work that me and my caddie have had to do on that short game area to understand how to spin the ball has been incredible. I'd never experienced anything like this.”

Kemp has competed in the Anderson Memorial at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, so he had a taste of what to expect prior to arriving at The Honors Course.

“This place is just like Winged Foot when it comes to difficulty,” said Kemp, who has previously competed in a pair of U.S. Mid-Amateurs as well as the British Senior Open. “The greens here remind me of when I played there, and I have never played on anything like those.”

There is also the uncertainty of how to deal with the thick Bermuda rough that serves as an added defense at The Honors that doesn’t exist in England.

“The ball settles down really deep here, and we’re used to striking down on the ball in the rough which you can’t do here,” Creed said. “And then there’s the elephant grass where all you can do is hack it out of there. This type of golf course is totally foreign to me.”

After winning the English Senior Men’s Amateur last year, Creed has experienced his own motivation that has led him on a personal golfing odyssey throughout Europe in hopes of making it to the U.S. Amateur.

Creed is accompanied on his trip to America by Peter, his older brother of 17 years.

“My brother was forced to leave home because there wasn’t room for him, so I really never knew him,” Stephen said. “He was a little bit of a rebel when he was younger.”

After being apart for many years, Peter Creed decided he wanted to reconnect with the little brother he hardly knew 26 years ago.

“I was a hippie and I’m a free spirit,” Peter said. “I retired when I was 51 after 36 years as a cadet nurse and I rang him up. I asked him, ‘Stephen, can I go meet you and play a round of golf with you?’”

Peter, 76, wasn’t interested in playing golf with his kid brother, but desired to accompany him on many of his travels which has allowed the brothers to restore those lost years.

“The relationship would have ended a long time ago if I didn't enjoy his comfort,” Stephen said. “He’s got some wonderful stories that I’ve heard multiple times. He's a lovely man when you get to know him. I dust him off in April, and he goes all the way through until September to most of my tournaments.”

Peter is nattily attired in his dapper wardrobe at The Honors, engaging others with his inimitable charm while Stephen is out laboring on the golf course. He follows the action on his phone while delighting others in conversation near the clubhouse.

“I’ve never played golf in my life,” Peter said. “I know the game, but he doesn’t think so. But I’ve learned to tolerate him. We’ve had this amazing journey together for the past 26 years.”

While an accomplished amateur in England, qualifying for the U.S. Amateur is the culmination of a life-long goal for Stephen.

“It's the pinnacle for me. I don't think I can achieve any more than I've achieved now,” Stephen said. “I've been pushing my game since I stopped playing cricket at 35, and being here has exceeded my expectations.

“This place has pulled me out of my comfort zone. You either run away from it, or you dig in. And it was biting hard that front nine, and I eventually dug in and I did level par on the back nine.”

Choosing to forego the option of using a cart during the competition in order to control the cadence of his play, Stephen has shared his thoughts on his experiences at The Honors Course via a blog for his followers back home.

“This place can literally test you to an inch of your life, and only the best will prevail,” Stephen said. “I’ve said in my blog, ‘Just imagine this is the golf course you want to play in your eternity. And I believe this would be it.’”

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com