The Porter Cup will attract more than 80 top-ranked amateur players from around the world. The Tournament will take place from Tuesday, July 23 through Saturday, July 27 at the Niagara Falls Country Club. Mandell emphasizes the tournament is open to the public and admission is free. 2013 marks the 25th consecutive year M&&T Bank will serve as the Porter Cup’s Official Tournament Sponsor. “It is an honor to be the General Chairman of such a prestigious event that over the years has become an important part of my family’s summer,” Mandell noted. “The Porter Cup gives the local golf fans the opportunity to watch some of the best amateurs in the world compete at the highest level in amateur golf.” Mandell added that in addition to the players who have received an invitation based on past Porter Cup performance or due to their current level of play, an additional eight golfers will earn a spot in the field via a local qualifying tournament which is scheduled for Monday, June 24 at the Niagara Falls Country Club. “Year after year, the Niagara Falls Country Club and its members proudly host some of the best amateur golfers from around the world. The Porter Cup Committee would like to thank the membership, staff and sponsors, without whose continued support the tournament could not exist.” Mandell said.

by Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News LEWISTON – Mike McCoy’s round of 4-under 66 Wednesday in the first round of the Porter Cup did more than just leave him in a tie for fourth place. Mike McCoy It showed that a Mid-Amateur player (those 25 and older) is not out of place with some of the game’s brightest young stars. “It keeps me young, I think, to be around the kids,” said McCoy, a 49-year-old resident of West Des Moines, Iowa, who’s playing in his 13th Porter Cup. “It keeps your game sharp. I think that’s all good, healthy stuff for a guy my age.” The Mid-Amateur field has shrunk in this year’s tournament. Just nine of the 78 players are 25 or older. There are a few key reasons for that: the family and work responsibilities that come with age don’t often leave much time for tournament golf. That, and the college kids they’re playing against are pretty darn good. “I started doing all this stuff back in the late ’90s and 2000s, and any event I played in the summer, it’d be a guaranteed top five. I feel like I’m playing better now and I just can’t do that anymore,” said 33-year-old Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh. “They’re just too good. The courses have gotten longer and the guys have just gone to another level.” Smith, who’s playing in his ninth Porter Cup, might be the most accomplished Mid-Amateur in the country. He’s won the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship three times (2010, ’09, ’03) and represented the U.S. on the last two Walker Cup (the amateur version of the Ryder Cup) teams in 2011 and 2009 against Great Britain and Ireland. “You’re dealing with a lot as a Mid-Am. You’re married, you have a family, and you’re working. You feel like you should just get a medal for being here for five days in a row,” he said. “It’s tough to find the time. It’s one thing to get here and have five days free and another to compete on this level, which is so good. “It makes you better. You’re able to learn. I think it pulls you along. That’s why I haven’t totally gone to Mid-Am stuff. Playing in these events with these guys makes me better.” The last Mid-Amateur to win the Porter Cup was Gene Elliott in 1998. The last to seriously challenge was Skip Berkmeyer Jr. in 2006, who finished two strokes behind eventual winner Seung-us Han in 2006. McCoy hopes he’s put himself in position to do that this week. “Obviously I’m familiar with the golf course and feel I can play the golf course pretty well,” he said. “It’s a nice way to start the tournament.” McCoy said he was disappointed to see the Mid-Am numbers drop in this year’s field, but echoed Smith’s sentiments about the quality of their younger opponents. “The young players have gotten so good, you’re kind of beating your head against the wall most of the time,” he said. Smith has been the only Mid-Amateur on the Walker Cup the last two times it’s been contested, a change from when there used to be a bigger presence for older golfers on the team. While their numbers have dwindled, that should not be taken as a sign that Porter Cup organizers would prefer not to have them in the field. In fact, the Mid-Amateurs have one of their biggest supporters in Porter Cup Tournament Director Steve Denn. “If there were 20 competitive Mid-Amateurs, I’d like to have every single one of them,” Denn said. “With college kids, it’s nice to see them on the pro tour down the road and brag, ‘oh I saw him at the Porter Cup.’ But the Mid-Amateurs, they know the history, they’re more appreciative of the history. They represent what the amateur game is all about. “I don’t want to invite a Mid-Am just for the sake of inviting a Mid-Am. I want them to be competitive, but I definitely have got a soft spot for them.” … The local contingent of players had a rather disappointing opening round. Mike Boss, the Lewiston resident who’s the Niagara Falls Country Club club champion, had the best round of the day for area players, a 2-over 73 that could have been better if not for a double bogey 6 on the par-4 17th hole. Boss’ drive went left and was just slightly out of bounds. It was so close, in fact, that rules officials had to use dental floss – tied around the out of bounds markers – to determine whether it was in play. “I already accepted it was out, was just hoping maybe it was in,” Boss said. “It was kind of a struggle. I didn’t really hit it that great. … Hopefully [today] I can get it back to even.” Buffalo’s Chris Covelli and Clarence’s Matt Stasiak both shot rounds of 4-over 74, tied for 70th, while North Tonawanda’s James Blackwell and Hamburg’s Brian Jurkiewicz carded 5-over 75s, in a tie for 75th. … There were two late scratches to the field: Minnesota’s Donald Constable withdrew because of pneumonia, while Stanford junior Cameron Wilson pulled out after suffering a back injury.

NOTEBOOK: Popular closing stretch could change in future years.by Jonah Bronstein, Niagara Gazette Wesley Bryan shredded the front nine at Niagara Falls Country Club on Saturday, carding birdies on the first four holes and two of the next four. Bryan made the turn at 6-under 29 for the round and was leading the 53rd Porter Cup by three strokes at 14-under. “I made pretty much every putt I looked at on the front nine, with the exception of one or two,” Bryan said after losing the tournament to Patrick Rodgers in a sudden death playoff. “I really putted good on the back nine too. They just didn’t fall when I needed them to.” Bryan missed a short putt for eagle on No. 11, a hole he had eagled in two of the first three rounds. He then made bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 17th holes to post his first over-par nine-hole score of the tournament. On Friday, Bryan birdied four of the first six holes to put himself in contention. He managed two more birdies and an eagle on the back nine, but a bogey on No. 17 was the lone blemish on his tournament-best round of 63. And, of course, it was one of the extra strokes that ultimately cost him the championship. Today, the long par-4 17th hole that tormented Bryan reverts back to being the No. 8 hole at NFCC. The club’s board of governors flipped the nines this year. Since players can be sent off the new first tee (No. 10 at Porter Cup) by the pro shop, the club saves money by not having to pay for a starter. The new front nine is also easier to navigate for older players that prefer to play only nine holes. “The flopping of the nines was a little in-house controversy,” said Marty Schimmel, a member of the Porter Cup executive committee. “I was a firm believer in keeping them the way they were. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter for the members. It did save the club a few dollars.” Schimmel said there will be ongoing discussions about flipping the nines for Porter Cup play, but he is hopeful the tournament sticks with its traditional hole order. Tournament director Steve Denn feels the same way. The nines were switched for one Porter Cup in the late 80s and quickly switched back because organizers believed the traditional final three holes were ideal for competitive purposes. That No. 18 was used for Saturday’s sudden death playoff only reinforces this notion. Williamsville native and three-time Porter Cup participant Jake Katz wouldn’t mind seeing the change, mainly because spectators have to cross a busy street to get from hole No. 17 to 18. “It’s kind of hard for people to watch and follow the last few holes,” Katz said. Katz also noted that the eighth and ninth holes, both long par 4s, would make for a good finishing stretch. Bryan agreed. “Nine would be a great finishing hole,” Bryan said. “Not knocking 18 or anything, but nine is a hole for men only.” Over the past 10 years, the ninth hole has been the second-toughest par-4 for Porter Cup players, who have averaged a score of 4.29. The toughest par-4 has been No. 17, where players have averaged a score of 4.32. ••• Katz, the local darling and 54-hole leader last summer, got off to a slow start earlier in the week and never picked up the pace in his third and final Porter Cup. He shot an even-par 70 on Saturday and was 1-over for the tournament. “The first two rounds were not my best. I played the par-5s even for the first two rounds and that’s not very good,” said Katz, who had his father, Jeff, caddying for him on Wednesday and Thursday, but carried his own clubs in the final two rounds. “Last year I had an eagle in every round. This year I had no eagles. Out here, you have to make a couple eagles to keep going up that leader board.” Katz recently graduated from Binghamton University and will be turning professional after the U.S. Amateur. He plans to try and qualify in a Nationwide Tour event, and possibly a Canadian Tour event, before going to PGA Q School in September. Before playing in the Porter Cup, Katz tried to qualify four times, and always has had an affinity for Western New York’s premier golf event. “I’ve played a lot of other big amateur stuff and the support at this tournament is amazing,” he said. “Its a great tournament and its nice that everyone came come out and watch. Every time I saw somebody this summer, they said, ‘When is Porter Cup?” Hopefully, I can build on it and have something else to be know for.” ••• It’s now been 46 years since a local won the Porter Cup. That Katz was even in contention last year was considered a novelty. And even though he struggled this week, Katz was still posted the lowest scores among locals. Katz said local players are at disadvantage against players from warmer climates who can compete year-round. But he hopes a local can break through some year. “You would like to think you could get somebody who has played this course a bunch like I did, and a kid who is really hungry and really wants to play and grew up watching this tournament like I did,” he said. “I think they can be competitive, but they’re going to have to work their butt off that’s for sure.” The other locals in the field were Clarence’s Matt Stasiak (8-over), Lewiston’s Michael Boss (13-over), Williamsville’s Kenneth Riter (24-over), and Buffalo’s P.J. Alterio (29-over). Alterio got into the tournament by finishing second in the NFCC championship. The winner, Porter Cup veteran Fred Silver, vacated his spot because he is playing in the Senior British Amateur. ••• Even if the nines stay the same, NFCC will look a little different for next year’s Porter Cup. The club is currently reconstructing hole No. 2, which led to a large area of ground under repair in the fairway this year. The new hole will make the course longer and should be ready for members to play in September, Schimmel said. The new hole and four renovated greens are part of a comprehensive redesign by golf course architect Tripp Davis, who played in his 10th Porter Cup this week, and won the William McMahon Award as low mid-amateur. Davis placed 25th with a four-round score of 5-under. To get more sunlight and airflow on the renovated greens, about 30 trees were removed from the course. ••• Defending champion David Chung has struggled all summer, and that continued at the Porter Cup. Chung shot 78 on Saturday and finished tied for 72nd at 11-over for the tournament. … Dylan Frittelli shot 65 on Saturday to finish at 11-under, tied with Paul Haley, the tournament leader after the first three rounds, for third place. Frittelli was part of the winning teams at both Monday’s par 3 event and Tuesday’s Ham-Am. “He’s leaving Niagara Falls with a whole lot of hardware,” Denn said. … Julio Vegas and Max Homa both shot 64 on Saturday for low-round of the day honors. … The top 25 finishers gained exemptions into next year’s field.

by Jonah Bronstein, Niagara Gazette An unassuming 19-year-old heading into his freshman year at Stanford University, Rodgers sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Saturday at Niagara Falls Country Club to beat Wesley Bryan for the 53rd Porter Cup championship. “I’m going to enjoy this one, because it was a lot of fun,” Rodgers said. “One of the best fields in amateur golf, and to be the champion is awesome.” The putt capped a scintillating finish in which Rodgers overcame a seven-stroke deficit with eight holes left to play. As they walked to the 11th hole, Rodgers’ caddy, Tom Maples, marched past the tee box, set his bag down in the shade, dropped down to one knee, and began ruminating the long ride back to Avon, Ind. that was ahead of him. Maples was Rodgers’ golf and basketball coach in high school, and he had accompanied him to a handful of events this summer. Rodgers finished in the top five at the Northeast Amateur and the Players Amateur, which, combined with his Porter Cup score, gave him the William C. Campbell Award. But before Saturday, he had yet to give his best performance on the final day. After taking a brief lead during the third round, Rodgers came in to Saturday one shot behind pace-setter Paul Haley at 10-under par. But while Bryan birdied six of the first eight holes in the final round to get to 14-under, Rodgers made bogeys on holes No. 7, 9 and 10, and seemed out of contention. As Rodgers waited to tee off on No. 11, Maples buried his head in a towel and wondered, “Is this kid ever going to pull one of these out?” Two big swings later, Rodgers tapped in for eagle, turned to Maples and said, “I’m not out of this yet.” “At that point, I wasn’t really focused so much on winning the golf tournament, just getting myself back on track,” Rodgers said later. “I knew it would take something pretty special for me to win.” After a par on No. 12, Rodgers approached the 576-yard No. 13 and requested his driver, a calculated risk considering the creek dissecting the fairway. “Absolutely,” Maples said. “I kind of laid up from there earlier in the week,” Rodgers said. “I knew I had to go for it.” Rodgers followed up with a 3-wood from 275 yards out to the middle of the green and dropped in an 18-foot putt for his second eagle of the round — and the tournament. Meanwhile, Bryan, who got to 15-under after lipping out an eagle putt on No. 11, pushed an eight-footer past the hole on 13 and took a bogey. The three-shot swing brought Rodgers within three strokes of the lead, tied for second with Haley, the tournament leader after the first three rounds. Bryan made another bogey on the par-4 14th hole, while Haley made a birdie and Rodgers skirted the hole on his chance to close the gap. All three players parred No. 15. “I knew if I get one or two birdies I might have a good chance,” Rodgers said. Rodgers got that birdie on the par-3 16th hole. He claimed a share of the lead on the par-4 17th when Bryan put his tee shot in the sand, went bunker to bunker with his next swing, and missed a short par putt. Haley also bogeyed No. 17. With the tournament up for grabs on the final hole, all three players put their tee shots pin high on the par-3 18th. Bryan’s was the closest to the cup. Haley took himself out of contention with a missed birdie putt. Rodgers went next, circling the green several times to set up his line, but ultimately rolled his putt too slowly. Bryan got closer with his left-to-right, eight-foot putt, but his shot at victory circled around the left edge. Both in the clubhouse at 12-under 268 after four rounds, Rodgers and Bryan walked back to the 18th tee, stride for stride, to begin the playoff. Both hit six-irons again. Bryan put his shot in the right greenside bunker. Rodgers plopped his ball down in the middle of the green. Bryan blasted out of the sand to set up a makeable par putt, but Rodgers never gave him the chance to try and make it. After accepting the Porter Cup, slipping into his new green jacket, and graciously thanking the staff at NFCC, rules officials, fellow players, his caddy, and his parents, Rodgers said the gallery lining the fairways during his final round was the biggest he had every played in front of, and that he was very nervous coming down the stretch, even if his play didn’t suggest as much. One of the older players then walked up and began pouring champagne into the cup. Rodgers nervously took a sip. “First one of my life,” he said. “Pretty good.” The first victory of his amateur golf career tasted even better.

by Jonah Bronstein, Niagara Gazette Paul Haley, of Houston, Texas, hits on 11 at the Niagara Falls Country Club during second round action at the 53rd Annual Porter Cup. (Dan Cappellazzo/Niagara Gazette) He finally made a bogey. And then another. And it hardly mattered. Paul Haley’s third round at the 53rd Porter Cup wasn’t as flawless as his first two, but it was good enough to keep him on top of a congested leaderboard. The 22-year-old Texan who just completed his career at Georgia Tech shot a 1-under par 69 on Friday at Niagara Falls Country Club to get to 11-under for the tournament and preserve his one-shot lead over soon-to-be Stanford freshman Patrick Rodgers. “There’s a bunch of low scores out here, so going into tomorrow, I’m just going to try to play the best I can, shoot a low round, and see where that puts me,” Haley said. “I can’t play any defense out here.” Haley and Rodgers are scheduled to tee off at 12:40 this afternoon, along with Wesley Bryan, who shot 63 on Friday to move up from 32nd place into a six-way tie for third. Bryan birdied four of the first six holes Friday, dropped a 30-foot putt for eagle on No. 11, and got to 9-under for the tournament before a backtracking with bogey on 17. “I got lucky out there,” Bryan joked after his round. “I’m excited about the opportunity tomorrow. Putting myself in position to win. I guess that’s why we play.” John Peterson, the NCAA individual champion from LSU who boasted last week that he and the other top players on the amateur circuit were on par with the best PGA professionals, is also among the group at 8-under after shooting 66 Friday. “I still haven’t putted to where I would like to, but I’m right there,” Peterson said. “I’m playing well. I’m feeling good.” Peterson looped in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to card a 66 on Friday that followed his second-round 65, but is still lamenting his opening 71, which he attributes to lack of sleep Tuesday night. He said he got more rest the past two nights, but also benefited from the two-hour rain delay before Friday’s round. I had to shake off a few beers from last night,” he said. Peterson will tee off today with Ben Kohles, the ACC Player of the Year from Virginia, and Cameron Wilson, a Stanford sophomore. Kohles and Wilson both made four birdies on the back nine Friday to post 64s. Australians Tim Hart and Tarquin MacManus are the other players at 8-under. They will tee off at 12:20 with Garrett Rank, who is at 7-under, tied with Cheng Tsung Pan. Dylan Frittelli, Kelly Kraft and Andrew Yun are at 6-under. Ryan Fox, who posted Friday’s best round (63), is one of four players at 5-under. If Haley continues to save par with such consistency, those players are going to have to post exceptionally low scores to challenge him. Haley played 40 holes of bogey-free golf to start the tournament before a clipped chip shot on No. 5 forced his score to roll back for the first time. “It’s crazy to think I was going to play 72 holes without a bogey,” he said. Haley then missed a three-foot putt on No. 6, relinquishing the lead to Rodgers, who made his first birdie of the day. Haley found his groove again on No. 9, getting up and down from 185 yards, then birdied the first two holes of the back nine to move back in front of Rodgers, who made bogey on 10. “My game was good,” Rodgers said. “I was hitting the ball real well, I just couldn’t get enough putts to fall out there. But I’m right there.” Coming down the stretch, Haley missed a handful of birdie putts, inching away from a more comfortable lead. “It seemed like there was a lid on the hole for the last seven or eight holes for our group,” Haley said. Haley came into this week as an unheralded player, only in the field because he had played well in a few recent tournaments and was persistent enough to apply three times to tournament director Steve Denn. Peterson is hardly surprised that Haley is playing so well. He said the layout at NFCC to Haley’s home course, Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, and that Haley has always been at his best in competitions that place a premium on putting. “He’s a great putter,” Peterson said. “I saw his stat where he didn’t make a bogey in the first two rounds. That’s unbelievable (with) greens like this that are real bumpy. … The course is tough to score if you don’t hit it close. It’s tough to make putts outside of 15 feet.”

by Ryan Nagelhout, Niagara Gazette Paul Haley, of Houston, Texas, putts on the first hole at the Niagara Falls Country Club during first round action at the 53rd Annual Porter Cup. Rodgers is second place shooting an eight under for the first day of tournament play. (Dan Cappellazzo/Niagara Gazette) Haley retained his lead at the 53rd Porter Cup, shooting a 4-under par 66 on Thursday at an overcast Niagara Falls Country Club. He’s at 10-under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Patrick Rodgers and three better than Nate McCoy. Despite another day devoid of bogeys, Haley wasn’t satisfied by a long stretch of pars. “I just didn’t really capitalize on the front nine,” he said. “I birdied my first two and didn’t make another birdie until 15.” Haley also birdied No. 16. Two days of bogey-free play has surprised the Dallas native. “I’m probably going to make a bogey at some point in the tournament — I went out today thinking I would,” he said. “I played pretty smart and was making a few par putts, and that par save on 18 was pretty good.” His tee shot on No. 18 landed in the rough just past the far bunker, bouncing off another player’s caddy as the group ahead signed their scorecards. A solid up-and-down put his ball three feet from the pin. He tapped in to save his par as a small crowd applauded the effort. “It’’s nice to get that up-and-down, but I wouldn’t want to do it again,” he said. “Thats a 1-in-10 up-and-down, but I had to go with the hole and it was just perfect. After I hit my tee shot I was thinking ‘just don’t make a five, give yourself a chance at a three. If you walk off with a four it’s not a big deal. It’s the 36th hole of a 72-hole tournament.’” The par save gives Haley some added momentum as the tournament hits the turn and the crowd surrounding the leaders grows as they tee off at 12:40 p.m. today. While his opponents wait for Hale’’s first bogey of the week, he thinks there’s room for improvement in his game. “I missed probably four or five putts inside 12 feet today for birdie, but that happens,” he said. “I probably made some I shouldn’t haven’t made either. I’ve been hitting well and giving myself a lot of chances.” Haley’s Porter Cup has had few obstacles, but the 23-year-old says he’ll be ready when they come. “Just keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully when that bogey comes over the next few days, I rebound from it,” he said. ••• Early morning rain disrupted at least a few holes for most of the early tee times, with wind and showers soaking greens to the delight of the later pairings. The rain started on the ninth green for Andrew Rodgers, and despite some tough play for three holes, a 7-under par round of 63 puts him in second place after 36 holes. “Going into the day I was just trying to battle the conditions,” Rodgers said. “I knew it would be rainy out there and we were kind of fortunate it was only three holes of rain. I played well through that.” Rodgers, who is playing in his first Porter Cup, birdied No. 11 through the rain and added six more to his bogey-free card on Thursday. His 63 was one shot better than fourth-place Tarquin MacManus’ 64. Rodgers briefly held the lead, but walking off the links the Avon, Ind. native knew his score wouldn’t top the leaderboard when the sun set Thursday. Three of the top four from Wednesday barely saw rain on the course, but Rodgers said dodging droplets helped his concentration. “While it was raining (the course) played pretty tough, the wind started kicking up and you’re just trying to stay dry,” he said. “I really think that helps me focus just on myself and on making a shot and not get too ahead of myself. It was kind of a springboard for me finishing the round.” ••• Cody Gribble dropped to 20th place after following his opening-round 4-under par 66 with a 2-over par 72 on Thursday. He’s tied with Daniel Nisbet, who shot a 73 Thursday after an opening round 65 had him tied for Garrett Rank for second. Rank’s 71 on Thursday put him in a tie for seventh. Tim Hart and Cheng Tsung Pan are tied for fifth at 5-under par, while Rank is joined by Dylan Frittelli, Mark Hoffman, John Peterson and Andrew Yun at 4-under. Last year’s Porter Cup winner, David Chung, shot his second 72 of the tournament on Thursday and sits tied for 65th along with Lewiston resident Mike Boss, who shot a 4-over par 74 in round two.

by Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News LEWISTON – James Blackwell’s first Porter Cup experience has been an eye opener. “Everybody needs a good butt whipping once in a while,” he said. “It’s not a bad thing.” Unfortunately, Blackwell has been on the receiving end this week at Niagara Falls Country Club. While he’s struggled through the first three rounds, Blackwell has learned plenty of lessons teeing it up against the country’s best amateur players. James Blackwell hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Porter Cup. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) “It’s good to see where I measure up against these guys,” the St. Joe’s graduate and North Tonawanda resident said. “I’ve known that putting’s been a weakness, and this week I’ve been putting worse than usual. “But from a ball-striking perspective, I’m right there. I played with Tyler Dunlap (who shot a first-round 65), and if he would have used my approach shots and tee shots, he probably still would have shot 65, because he makes putts.” Blackwell will tee off in the first group at 8:30 a.m. in today’s final round after he shot an 82 Friday. It’s not what he expected coming in. “My past few tournaments leading up to here were under par. I definitely expected to at least be in the mix,” he said. Despite that, Blackwell had his usual throng of supporters following him Friday. “Not only is he an exceptional golfer, he’s a great kid,” said David Reid, a family friend who’s caddying for Blackwell this week. “We all are extremely proud of him. I told him, ‘look at it as something you can look forward to.’ This is the first big tournament you’re playing in, but there’s going to be many, many more. Enjoy it. Get the feeling of playing in a tournament like this.’ ” Reid met Blackwell when he was 6 years old, playing as part of the Buffalo Inner City Youth Golf Program. “His golf bag was bigger than he was back then,” Reid said. “He was out there dragging his bag around. He was always determined. He just wanted to play, and get better.” When he was 8, Blackwell got a chance to travel to Florida to meet Tiger Woods. Hank Williams Jr., the founder of Buffalo’s Inner City golf program, had previously served in the military with Woods’ father, Earl. That relationship helped facilitate Blackwell’s trip. “I was a little shy because I was 8 years old and he’s Tiger Woods,” Blackwell said. Blackwell will leave next month for Ball State University, where he’ll join the golf team. After his runner-up performance at the International Junior Masters last month, he got some feelers from the University of Alabama. “They talked to my dad and a family friend who always follows me around,” Blackwell said. “Their assistant coach was at the Junior Masters and saw me hit the ball, saw my potential, I guess.” Blackwell, though, will honor the verbal commitment he made to Ball State. “I’m going to stick with them. Part of growing up in Delaware Park, if you can’t keep your word, or a handshake, then you’ve got nothing to go on,” he said. “I gave them my handshake and my word, so I’m going to stick with that.” While there have been valleys in his golf career – including when he wasn’t sure whether he’d ever be able to play the game again after a serious car accident as a high school sophomore – Blackwell has stuck with it in part because he recognizes that as a minority playing golf, he can serve as a role model to younger kids. “One of the guys I know from Delaware Park told me a few few kids – whenever my name is in the paper — they cut it out and post it on their wall. That was pretty special to hear. It kind of made me realize that maybe I can help them and show them they can play this game.” … Blackwell will tee off with Hamburg’s Brian Jurkiewicz today. The St. Bonaventure sophomore shot an 80 in the third round Friday. Buffalo’s Chris Covelli shot a third-round 72 Friday to record the best score among the local players in the field. Clarence’s Matt Stasiak had a triple-bogey 8 on the par-5 13th hole after he drove the ball out of bounds left, finishing at 3-over 73. He’s tied for 50th, the leading area player on the leader board. Lewiston’s Mike Boss struggled to a 79 after shooting a second-round 66. … The round of the day, a 7-under 63, was turned in by 18-year-old Australian Cameron Smith, one of the more promising young players in the field. Smith won the Australian Junior championship last year, and is playing in his second Porter Cup. He carded eight birdies and a bogey. … Niagara Falls Country Club has played progressively hard as the tournament has gone on. After coming in under par with a stroke average of 69.83 in the first round, it averaged 70.50 in the second round. Friday’s third round was the toughest so far, a full shot over par at 71.18. The new second hole has also achieved its desired effect. What was once one of the easier holes on the course is now a fair challenge. The par-4 hole has played to stroke averages of 4.14, 4.09 and 4.00 in the first three rounds, ranking as the sixth, seventh and 11th toughest holes on each day.

Bama star has been a winner since age 8by Bucky Gleason, The Buffalo News LEWISTON — The ball rack rests in the pro shop at Harmony Landing Country Club back in Goshen, Ky. It’s a trophy case of sorts for Justin Thomas, who after every tournament victory gives the ball from his final putt to his father. Mike Thomas marks the occasion and files it away. “He writes my score, what tournament and the dates,” Justin Thomas said Wednesday. “When I’m done, if I won the tournament, I know to put that ball in a little different place in my bag because I’m going to have to hand it over to Dad for him to write on it. It’s kind of a cool little thing that we have.” Mike Thomas, master professional at Harmony Landing, had the foresight to begin the practice after it became obvious his son was going places. Justin was still in diapers when he started hitting balls with cut-down irons, barely in kindergarten when he proved he could draw or fade the ball on command. Thomas has a ball from 2001, when Justin won his first U.S. junior event. He followed a 7-under 29 for nine holes in the qualifier with a full-round 69. OK, so he was hitting from shortened tee boxes they used for the kids. Then again, he was only 8 years old. It also was right around the time he first broke par at Harmony Landing. “I remember watching [the qualifier] and saying, ‘This is ridiculous,’” Mike Thomas said by telephone. “He only won by one, and I was shocked. It was a wakeup for me. I remember when he was 20 months and was consistently getting balls up in the air. It was crazy. He wanted to hit balls like the adults hit balls.” Actually, Justin was determined to hit balls better than the adults hit balls. He was about 12 when he beat his father, an accomplished player, for the first time. Their standing $1 wager has since disappeared. Obviously, his father understands finances the way he understands golf. “He just drills me,” Mike Thomas said. Justin still remembers when he made his first hole-in-one, with a driver from 144 yards, on his home course. Free drinks for everyone? “Apple juice for everyone,” he said. “I was 6.” Good heavens. Thomas, 19, is now on his third ball rack. He has won 123 amateur tournaments on all levels. He’s hoping for No. 124 this week at the Porter Cup, one of the top amateur events in the nation. Thomas, who entered the four-day tournament as the sixth-ranked amateur in the world, shot a 1-under 69 in the opening round. His mother, Jani, drove six hours from Columbus, Ohio, and arrived at Niagara Falls Country Club just in time to caddy for him Wednesday. He played with Stanford sophomore Patrick Rodgers, the defending champion, and South Carolina freshman Matt NeSmith. Thomas remains in good position after leaving several shots on the course. He was cruising at 3-under par going into No. 13 before narrowly missing three straight birdie opportunities inside 10 feet. It left him irritated when he reached No. 16, a difficult 215-yard par 3, and hit an errant tee shot that landed out of bounds. It led to a double-bogey, the only blemish on his scorecard. “I easily could have shot 64,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I have to realize why I was missing those putts and why I wasn’t scoring better. Build on that and get ready for tomorrow [today]. Whatever. There’s not much I can do now.” Thomas is coming off a terrific freshman season in which he won the Haskins Award, given to the top collegiate player in the country. He was the first University of Alabama player to win in his college debut. He finished with five victories, shattering the Crimson Tide record, and was an easy choice for top player in the Southeastern Conference. Roll Tide, roll. Thomas wants to keep rolling with the second-ranked team in the country. His 70.44 scoring average last season broke the school record. He shot par or better 25 times and had 14 rounds in the 60s. He is among the favorites to win the Porter Cup in his second appearance. “It’s so hard because everyone is so good,” he said. “There are people who aren’t even ranked that can win because that’s how good amateur golf is now. If you win one or two a summer, it’s a great summer. It’s hard to come by and a huge honor when you do. It’s something you have to take and cherish when it happens.” Thankfully, he has the ball rack to remind him. He added two and three balls per week before reaching adolescence, back when the smart money was on Justin Thomas over rest of the field. He was still winning, but his victories grew farther apart as he grew older and played against stiffer competition. The depth of amateur golf across the country is greater than ever. A generation that became hooked on the game as young children, after Tiger Woods stormed onto the PGA tour, is now in its late teens or early 20s. Thomas is part of a strong core of college players who are expected to make an impact at the pro level. For now, the PGA tour can wait. Thomas plans to stay at Alabama for four years so he can mature and develop his game. He wants to make sure he’s mentally equipped to handle the demands that come with professional golf. He also wants to help the Crimson Tide win a national title, which would give him top individual and team honors. In the 2009 Wyndham Classic, when he was 16, he was the third-youngest player to make the cut in a PGA tour event. The Haskins Award granted him automatic entry earlier this month into the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia. He shot two rounds in the 60s. It was an impressive showing, but not good enough to leave college. His grandfather, Paul Thomas, played on the PGA Tour and the Senior Tour. Mike Thomas was an excellent player and turned golf into good living at Harmony Landing. They knew Justin was something different, something special, something better. The proof is behind the counter. “We have openings,” Mike Thomas said. “We’ve got room for more.”

LEWISTON – If you missed seeing Justin Thomas and Patrick Rodgers playing together in the first two rounds of the 54th Porter Cup, don’t worry. They’re grouped together again – this time in the final tee time of the day, the one reserved for those at or near the top of the leader board. Richy Werenski lines up his putt on 14 green during the second round of the Porter Cup. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) Thomas and Rodgers, though, will be chasing the third member of their threesome, tournament leader Richy Werenski. The Georgia Tech junior shot a scintillating 8-under 62 Thursday in the second round, just two strokes off the course record and enough to open a four-stroke advantage at 12-under 128 through 36 holes. Thomas was almost as good, firing a 7-under 63 to get to 8 under for the tournament, a total Rodgers matched after shooting 5-under 65 Thursday. “We were feeding off each other and it was a good day for both of us,” Thomas said. Not even the rain that started falling on his back nine was enough to cool off the white-hot Werenski, though. The 20-year-old from South Hadley, Mass., has yet to make a bogey in his first Porter Cup appearance. He went out in 5-under 30 Thursday, closing his front nine with four straight birdies. “It just suits my eye really well,” Werenski said of the 6,871-yard Niagara Falls Country Club layout. “It calls for good tee shots, and I usually hit the driver pretty well. I hit a lot of fairways, and if you can do that out here, you’re going to hit a lot of greens. [Thursday] I made putts.” Werenski played last week at the Players Amateur in South Carolina, but came away with a disappointing finish, tied for 41st. Despite that, he saw positive signs his game was coming around. “There was a lot of good stuff, it just didn’t click,” he said. “It’s starting to click now.” Werenski birdied the difficult par-3 16th, then got up and down out of the left greenside bunker on the par-3 18th to finish his round, a solid showing on the closing three holes at Niagara Falls. Rodgers did it one better, with some flair. After knocking in a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th, he holed his bunker shot for birdie on 18. That helped him finish his back nine at 5-under 30, after he shot even par on the front. “I think you have just as many opportunities on the front, for me it was just I had to get settled into my round. You can’t shoot over par any round. I’m right where I need to be, I just have to play well for two more rounds,” the defending champion said. Thomas has had one bad hole all tournament – when he hit it out of bounds on No. 16 and made double bogey. He was frustrated with his putting after the first round, saying he had 11 birdie attempts inside 15 feet, and only converted three of them. After a quick tip after the round from Rodgers – the two are long-time friends – he got things straightened out on the practice green. The result was a flawless second round, one that featured a stretch of four straight birdies from Nos. 7-10, including putts of 35 feet on the eighth and 20 feet on the ninth. “After that I really tried to hammer on the gas pedal and see how low I can go,” Thomas said. “I played solid coming in. It was just a good day.” The next two days shape up to be the same. Rodgers and Thomas are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Scratch Players World Amateur rankings, while Werenski is 70th. University of Florida senior Tyler McCumber, the 58th-ranked player, is also in the group at 8 under, tied for second place. McCumber ripped off five straight birdies and six in seven holes, from Nos. 9-15, as some of the game’s best amateurs showed that despite some gusty wind and the rain, it’s going to take a low number to earn the winner’s green jacket. “There are a lot of birdies to be made out there,” McCumber said. “You’ve just got to capitalize.” First-round leader Denny McCarthy is one of three players tied for fifth, five shots back at 7 under. McCarthy shot 1-under 69 Thursday. James White, a teammate of Werenski’s last season at Georgia Tech, is also 7 under, as is Ontario’s Corey Connors. Tee times have been pushed back a half hour today, meaning the first group will go off at 8:30 a.m., with the leaders scheduled for 12:40 p.m.

by Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News LEWISTON – Even down to the green jacket presented to the winner, the Porter Cup tries to emulate the Masters. One of the big similarities between the two tournaments is the emphasis both place on international competition. Craig Hinton of England says he’s impressed with the Porter Cup experience. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) This week at the Porter Cup, 10 different countries are represented. “You look at the pro tours and there are very strong players coming from Asia, Europe, South America, places like that,” Tournament Director Steve Denn said. “We want to be representative of that.” The Porter Cup has long had a strong Australian representation, and that’s true again this year with nine Aussies in the field, as well as one player, Ben Campbell, from New Zealand. “We’ve had a great relationship with them and they love coming over here,” Denn said. Because of its proximity to Ontario, there’s also a traditionally strong representation of Canadian players, and this year is no different with 10 in the field. In recent years, the Porter Cup has seen more players from Central and South America in the field. Included this year are players from Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia. “They find me, which is flattering,” Denn said when asked how he identifies foreign players who have the profile the Porter Cup is looking for. “They don’t have the type of budget that [Australia] does, so they might only send one or two players,” Denn said, “but a lot of times it’s their national champion, and we want to make room for those types of players.” That’s true this year of Jorge Fernandez Valdes, the Argentina Amateur champion, and Sebastian Vazquez, the two-time Mexican Amateur Champion. This year, the field at Niagara Falls Country Club also includes players from Great Britain and Finland, a rarity since the European amateur calendar is usually packed. Craig Hinton, a 23-year-old who lives in London, is ranked No. 51 in the world by the Scratch Players World Amateur rankings. He won the Welsh Open Amateur title earlier this year. Hinton’s been impressed with his first Porter Cup experience. “I love how the members get involved with dinners and stuff like that, it’s a great set-up here,” he said Thursday after shooting a second-round 73. Denn, who’s housing Hinton this week, said he hopes Hinton passes along word to his fellow countrymen about the Porter Cup. “If we have 25 international players in the field, almost a third, that’d be great. That’s kind of the model we keep,” Denn said. … There’s a new hole this year at the tournament. The par-4 second hole, which measures 407 yards, is in use after being under construction last year. The new hole adds about 30 yards of length, and also sharpens the dogleg right. What had been one of the easier holes at NFCC now presents an option – play it safe in the fairway with a long iron or hybrid and have a longer approach, or try to bomb it over a new fairway bunker with a driver to have a wedge into the rebuilt green. Construction on the hole was done by Tripp Davis and Associates, a golf architecture firm from Oklahoma. Davis is a frequent Porter Cup participant. The new hole was designed to actually be a restoration of the original intent of original course designer A.W. Tillinghast in 1919. … Lewiston resident Mike Boss, club champion at NFCC, turned in his career-best round Thursday with a 4-under 66 that included a stretch of five straight birdies, Nos. 10-14. “It feels good. I’m excited for [today],” he said. “I’m got to try and keep it under par, see if I can do it again. Maybe the putter will get hot again.” Boss holed out from the sand for birdie on No. 10, and also made a 25-foot putt on No. 12. He started his round bogey-bogey, but chipped in for eagle on the par-5 third hole to get back to even for the day. He’s at 1 under for the tournament, in a tie for 28th place and leading the five local players in the field. Clarence’s Matt Stasiak also had a strong second round, shooting 3-under 67 that moved him up 26 spots, into a tie for 44th at 1 over for the tournament. Buffalo’s Chris Covelli shot a 3-over 73 in the second round, while North Tonawanda’s James Blackwell shot 76 and Hamburg’s Brian Jurkiewicz finished with a 79.