The year started with a trio of wins in the southeast and west coast. Now, he showed that he can win in the northeast following a dominant victory at the Senior Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club. After an opening-round 73, Whitney fired a 69 in Round 2. He entered the final round with a two shot lead over Robert Parmar and closed with a sound 71 to win by an impressive seven shots. Larry Nunez joined Paul Schlachter and Parmar in a tie for second place. Nunez shot 71 in the final round to creep into the runner-up position. Bill Zylstra tied for fifth along with Frank Broderick and Larry Cooper. They were 10 back of the low mark set by Whitney. Starting in 2008, the Senior Porter Cup is played separately from the amateur Porter Cup, which since 1992, had a Senior Division.

By Ron Balicki, GolfWeek I’ve pretty much always thought a tournament is a tournament is a tournament. To me, however, what places one tournament above another – particularly in the amateur game – are the people who organize and operate these events. They are greatly involved and take a tremendous amount of pride in what they do and how all the pieces fit together to run a successful, competitive tournament. They give the event its backbone. For what seems like forever, Tom Denn has been one of those special people when it comes to the Porter Cup, one of the country’s leading amateur tournaments, held each July at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y. His health declining for more than a year, Denn, 79, died of heart failure in his sleep Jan. 21. But be assured, his legacy will endure within Porter Cup circles, starting with his son, Steve, who is entering his 13th year as the event’s tournament director. “He certainly made his mark on so many people,” Steve Denn said. “When I started looking back at his life, it’s truly amazing all the things he accomplished. For me, I don’t know where I’d be right now if it wasn’t for him. He was a proud man and loved people. He really loved all the players who came here and competed in Porter Cup, especially the mid-amateurs. He treated all of them with respect and as if they were a part of his family. He truly was a very special person.” I, for one, will vouch 100 percent on that. Over the years, I’ve attended numerous Porter Cups, my first being in 1997. One of the first people I met that year was Tom Denn. At that time, he was the de facto “Voice of Porter Cup,” as he served as master of ceremonies at the long-drive contest and introduced – and welcomed – every player on the first tee. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., Denn lived most of his adult live in the Niagara Falls area, where he was a banker and for the past 30 years an investment manager in his own Denn Financial Services company. He was involved with Niagara Falls CC and the Porter Cup for some 40 years, as a past club president and chairman of the executive committee and for the longest time the man in charge of starters on the first tee during Porter Cup. “Tom Denn on the first tee at Porter Cup will probably be what most people will remember him for,” his son said. “He really loved doing that.” Over the years, my friendship with Tom continued to grow. Though I loved covering Porter Cup, getting to see some of the best amateurs in the world and enjoying the great hospitality that surrounds the event, I really loved spending time with Tom. I could listen to his stories for hours on end. He was a master storyteller. And they weren’t always about golf or Porter Cup. He’d tell me about local, state and national politics, about new and old happenings in the area, and about almost anything and anyone. I always looked forward to having lunch with him and riding around the course in a golf cart during the tournament. A few years ago, he lost his central vision, but certainly not his enthusiasm for the tournament. He could barely see, but he still was in his cart zipping from tees to fairways to greens. Riding shotgun with him, I can’t tell you how many times I secretly wished golf carts had seatbelts. Disney World’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride attraction had nothing on Tom Denn. “The last year and a half was very difficult for him as his health continued to decline,” Steve Denn said. “But he had 78 good years on this planet, and I consider that a blessing.” Denn also is survived by his wife, Nan, and daughter Sharon Larkins of St. Paul, Minn. The Porter Cup will go on. In fact, Steve Denn said a tribute to his father can be expected at the 55th edition of the Porter Cup this summer. “We’ll definitely do something to honor him,” Denn said. “I’m not sure right now what that will be.” So rest in peace, my good friend Tom Denn, and know you will always be missed and loved by all those whose lives you touched over so many wonderful years.

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. — There may be no other player in the amateur game hotter than Richy Werenski. The incoming junior at Georgia Tech is fresh off a win at the prestigious Porter Cup and on Tuesday, he qualified for his third U.S. Amateur Championship. Before he leaves for next week’s Western Amateur, amateurgolf.com caught up with Werenski following his rounds of 69-67 to take second medalist honors at The Orchards Golf Club where he learned the game as a child and junior golfer. amateurgolf.com: It seems like you’re in a great place in your game right now. Richy Werenski: I’m not thinking about much on the swing. I’m just thinking about tempo and keeping it light. That has helped me be able to score. Coming off of last week at the Porter Cup, I knew I was playing good. Some people could say I’m tired, but, I mean, you’re playing golf. It could be a lot worse. I couldn’t wait to play today (Tuesday). Even on my days off, I’ll be up here at 7 or 8 in the morning to practice. AGC: You shot 62 on Saturday at the Porter Cup. Have you ever been that hot? RW: I’d never gotten that hot in a tournament like that. I shot 62 in a match at school but it wasn’t anything serious, so that was pretty hot at the Porter Cup. For a lot of guys, when they start getting out of their comfort zone they start thinking about it. But I was able to just look at everything and see that it had a chance to go in. I was feeling good and focused more on the process than the swing. If it went in, it went in and then I was on to the next hole. AGC: You’re name is now on the same trophy as a lot of great Porter Cup winners. How does that feel? RW: Phil Mickelson, that’s kind of cool. Winning at the Porter Cup means a lot. I haven’t won a whole lot so it was nice to win that. I just love the tournament, it’s been going on for 50 years and it has great history. People who have won have pretty much gone on to do some great things. The win was also good for the Walker Cup next year. My name probably wasn’t on the watch list. After a good Western and U.S. Amateur, it might be. AGC: What are your thoughts heading into the U.S. Amateur? RW: I’ve played two U.S. Amateurs. I qualified at Southern Hills in 2009 and at Chambers Bay in 2010. In 2009, I missed match play but in 2010, I made match play and lost to Morgan Hoffman in the second round. I’d love to make match play, which would pretty much be good with me. Once you get to match play, anything can happen. It’s anyone’s game. A lot of things have to go your way. I like match play but it’s tough when you’re focused on stroke play all summer. That’s why I’m going to the Western. Of course I want to win. I know I’m good enough. AGC: Last year, you had a handful of 2nd place finishes but no wins. RW: This fall at school I really started getting frustrated knowing I could play so much better. How I was finishing, I started thinking man I haven’t won in two years. But I said to myself, ‘the more times you put yourself out there, the more chances you have.’ I wasn’t happy last year. I’m not even happy this summer. I’m feeling pretty good but I’m still hungry. AGC: What are your goals in golf? RW: My ultimate goal is to be on the PGA Tour and be the No. 1 player in the world. Short term, I want to finish out college and be a first team All-American. I think if I go out and play like I know I can play and not let head get in the way, I have it locked up. I have a lot of experience in college situations; it will be tough but I know if I play anywhere near my ability, I can do it. AGC: What in your preparation has helped lead to your great success? RW: Last year, I’ve worked more on swing things. Recently, I’ve just been trying to fix my tempo, keep things light and visualize. Trust my swing and wherever it goes, it goes. I know what I need to do subconsciously where I think about it and know what I have to do on the next swing. AGC: You have a younger brother, Mickey, who is a great player, too. RW: I’ve never met somebody who loves the game more than him. He’s not had the best year. He had a huge growth spurt and is 6-foot-3 now. He practices so much, it’s only a matter of time for him. He’s a senior at Heritage Academy and will play the next year at Texas A&M.

Ga. Tech junior caps nearly flawless show with final round 68by Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News LEWISTON – Welcome Richy Werenski to the list of elite amateur golfers in the country. The laid-back 20-year-old’s spot was reserved after 72 magnificent holes this week at the 54th Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club. Werenski slipped on the winner’s green jacket Saturday evening after finishing a final round of 2-under-par 68, giving him a winning total of 17-under 263 and a two-shot victory over Denny McCarthy. Werenski’s winning total is the second best in Porter Cup history, trailing just the record 22 under shot by current PGA Tour member Brian Harman in 2007. Incredibly, Werenski shot just one bogey over four rounds. “It was definitely in there,” Werenski said of the thought of not having one hole over par all week. “I wanted to go bogey free all four rounds, which would’ve been really cool. But it’s all right.” His performance was much more than all right. No matter what facet of the game it was, Werenski had it going. “That just means you’re really strong mentally and you have a lot of control over your golf ball,” defending champion Patrick Rodgers, who finished in third place at 13 under, said about making just one bogey. “An incredible accomplishment that is, for sure. I played well, not as well as he did. What a great event for him.” “God almighty. I just told him when we got done, that I’m pretty upset that he made one bogey,” said Scott Harvey, who joined Werenski and Justin Thomas in Saturday’s final group. “It was phenomenal to watch.” Werenski’s from South Hadley, Mass., and will be a junior at Georgia Tech, but he’s got a California cool to him. He cracked a bright smile and shook hands with his playing partners after tapping in for par on the 18th green, but there was no raucous celebration. For a player who carried his own clubs all week, it looked business as usual. “It’s hard to put in words but all the support that I’ve gotten over the last couple of years … it just feels really good,” he said. Werenski took a conservative approach to his final round after coming into the day with a four-shot lead. He was content to aim for the middle of greens, confident that his putter would get the job done. That was the case on the par-4 fifth hole, when he found tree trouble off the tee and was forced to chip out left-handed. He simply hit a wedge to about 5 feet and calmly sunk the par putt. “I didn’t hit too many bad shots and when I did I played smart and got out of trouble and tried to save my par,” he said. Despite his steady play, this was not a runaway. McCarthy made it close by starting his final round at a blistering pace, 5 under through the first six holes, including an eagle on the par-5 third hole. That got him to 15 under and within one shot of the lead at the time. McCarthy’s 72-hole total of 265 is the third-best in tournament history. “I don’t think anyone lost it this week. He went out and won it,” McCarthy said of Werenski. “He made one bogey all week. That’s pretty impressive. “I know he was playing pretty steady. He was probably going to shoot a couple under like he did [Saturday] and I thought I was going to have to shoot something in the low to mid 60s to put myself at the top or at least in a playoff, so I’m happy with the way I played.” Werenski’s lone bogey came on the par-4 14th hole, when his approach shot from the rough with a pitching wedge went long. For the only time in four days, he couldn’t get up and down. McCarthy was on the 16th tee when he found out he was within two and hit a beautiful 6-iron to 10 feet above the hole. His left-to-right putt came tantalizingly close but somehow didn’t fall. Werenski then made par on the final three holes look way more routine than it is. “I noticed that he was playing with an incredible amount of confidence,” Harvey said of Werenski. “You could just tell. He stepped up and hit it, went and hit it again. … He just had everything going.” Werenski’s previous best finish in a major amateur tournament was a second place at last year’s Southern Amateur, a tournament he skipped this year to play in his first Porter Cup. “I heard this tournament is absolutely awesome and it didn’t disappoint,” he said. While he may not have been on the list of pre-tournament favorites in a field that included Rodgers and Thomas – the No. 1-ranked college player – Werenski established himself on the national scene with his win. “Most of the time they beat me,” he said. “It’s nice to have my turn right now.” “He’s getting ready to be well known,” Harvey said. “This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and he just dominated it. If they didn’t know him before, they know him now.”

by Jay Skurski, The Buffalo News Rene Sobolewski had wondered about it since she was as tall as her golf bag. “I’ve been asking people about this for a long time. I always wondered why there was no women’s Porter Cup, or why women couldn’t play in it,” Sobolewski said this week. “So it was pretty cool when I got the email that they were having one this year. Finally, they’re involving us girls.” They are with a tournament all their own. The first-ever Women’s Porter Cup gets started today at Niagara Falls Country Club, with 38 players set to play three rounds of stroke play. “I really hope it starts out strong so that it gets a good name, just like the men’s Porter Cup has. It would be great if this could turn into something special,” said Sobolewski, the Nichols graduate who recently completed her junior season with the Vanderbilt golf team. “I know the Porter Cup is a huge name on the men’s side around the country, so hopefully it’ll bring some recognition and get people to see what we have to offer here.” Sobolewski is particularly excited to be able to play tournament golf again close to home. “I honestly don’t think that other than playing Buffalo district events, I’ve ever been able to sleep in my own bed, wake up in the morning and go to a tournament, so that’s pretty cool,” she said. Sobolewski carded a career-low round of 3-under-par 69 during the first round of the Bryan National Collegiate tournament in March. She struggled in the collegiate postseason, however, and looks at this week’s event as a chance to get back on track. “In a summer tournament, there’s no pressure of the team aspect, or college coaches and all of that,” she said. “A lot of local people haven’t been able to see me play. I’m not really too worried about score or anything, it’ll just be good to be able to see people and play golf in my hometown. That doesn’t really happen too often.” Sobolewski came to NFCC several times as a spectator for previous Porter Cups, and served as a caddy during the men’s qualifying tournament a few times, but doesn’t have much playing experience on the course. She will be joined in the field by other local players Cat Peters, Michelle Hanes, Ashleigh Frieday, Kit Creighton, Gaelin Carrig and Chelsea Dantonio. Peters recently finished her freshman season at the University of Michigan, making six starts. Frieday played at Robert Morris, while Creighton played for Division II Florida Southern last season as a freshman. Carrig played in eight events as a sophomore for the Mercyhurst women’s team. Dantonio, just a high school sophomore, has won three of the last four Section VI championships, while Hanes won the inaugural Erie County Amateur Championship last year. The pre-tournament favorite is Grace Na, a first-team All-America selection by Golfweek who is ranked 24th in the Women’s World Amateur Golf rankings. “I’ve always heard about the men’s tournament, the golf course and where it’s located. I just wanted a different experience,” said Na, a native of Alameda, Calif., who recently finished her junior season with Pepperdine University. “The West Coast teams don’t get to play on the East Coast very often, so this was a different experience. “I think it’s going to be really special. Hopefully in the future it just keeps growing.” Na is a three-time All-American who in the 2012-13 season set a school record with a 72.17 stroke average and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year for the third time. Another top-50 player in the WWAG rankings is Krista Puisite, a Golfweek honorable mention All-American. Puisite is a 22-year-old native of Latvia who finished her career with Texas State University this spring. She won a school record five tournaments in her career and three last season, when she finished second in the country with 119 birdies. In keeping with the global tradition of the men’s tournament, the Women’s Porter Cup has competitors from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Latvia, Thailand and China.

We would like to welcome you to the Niagara Falls Country Club, host of the inaugural Women’s Porter Cup. The tournament is pleased to have a collection of many top collegiate and mid-amateur golfers. Elite players from the United States, Canada, Thailand and New Zealand will comprise the field of nearly 40 women golfers. The local contingent of players is led by Rene Sobolewski, a Buffalo native and senior at Vanderbilt University. Section VI High School Champion Chelsea Dantonio of Lancaster and Clarence Center’s Catherine Peters, a sophomore at the University of Michigan also look to contend. We would like to acknowledge the membership of the Niagara Falls Country Club for enthusiastically and graciously sacrificing a week of early-season golf in the spirit of maintaining the wonderful tradition of Porter Cup. Your support of the tournament is greatly appreciated. We look forward to a successful Championship and hope you enjoy our inaugural Women’s Porter Cup.

Will Niagara Falls Country Club members please stand up and take a bow. The club, home of the prestigious elite amateur tournament called the Porter Cup, recently announced it will create a women’s equivalent beginning this summer. The inaugural contest will be played June 12-14 and will be a 54-hole medal play tournament with no cut. Field size will be limited to 60 players with a USGA handicap index not to exceed 9.4. The Women’s Porter Cup will be the third major amateur championship hosted annually by NFCC, joining the men’s championship played annually in July and the Senior Porter Cup, held in September. This new event was the brainchild of Steve Denn, a longtime NFCC member who runs the men’s event. He brought the idea to the board in November, and it was warmly received and quickly approved. It certainly will be equally well received by the elite women’s amateur community, as the reality for that community is one of few summer playing opportunities. While their male counterparts, mostly schoolboys, can play a good or great event each week of the summer, first-rate tournaments for young women are far fewer in number. And very few are hosted annually by a club or community, which is very common on the male side of the equation. “There was a void,” Denn told me. “We think we can help fill it.” This year, the inaugural Women’s Porter Cup will come the week before the 113th Women’s Western Amateur, slated for June 17-22 at Dayton (Ohio) CC. So what is in it for the NFCC? It doesn’t hurt that the men’s event is a net positive contributor to the club’s bottom line, thanks to the many local sponsors who support the event. But there is more to it than that. Like a lot of private clubs in America, NFCC is going through a kind of reinvention. Changing demographics and evolving societal norms are causing clubs like NFCC to take a hard look at the value offering they make to members and prospective members. NFCC clearly believes that the membership really enjoys these amateur tournaments, and that they can serve as a meaningful point of differentiation and attraction when someone in the area is thinking about joining a golf club. The Porter Cup certainly has brought the club great recognition. It began in 1959 and has been played continuously since then, becoming a mandatory summer stop for the nation’s best collegiate players. All the great amateurs have played here, and among those who have donned the winner’s green jacket are Deane Beman, Vinny Giles, Jay Sigel, John Cook, Ben Crenshaw, and Phil Mickelson. The college kids come and go, but fourtime U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Nathan Smith will play the Porter Cup for the 14th time this summer. “Steve Denn has done a great job running this tournament,” Smith recently told me. “The course is fun to play and poses some risk-reward holes in the closing stretch to make it an exciting finish. The par-3 18th is a fun last hole as there is a massive gallery all around the hole to greet the winner.” NFCC, a 1918 A.W. Tillinghast design that was touched up by Robert Trent Jones in the 1930s, stretches to a bit more than 6,800 yards, short by today’s standards for the college bombers. As a result, when the weather cooperates, the scores will be low. The course is known for its greenside bunker complexes and for its five challenging par-3 holes, including the last. If the men’s Porter Cup is any indicator, the women are in for a great week. Like some events on the summer elite amateur circuit, the Porter Cup has become a weeklong club and community festival. The women who play this event are in for a surprise… they are going to be welcomed in a way they just don’t experience very often. Consider the whirlwind itinerary of the men’s championship. It begins with a seven hole, par-3 contest Monday involving players and sponsors. Tuesday’s practice round is an all-day player/sponsor “Ham/Am,” followed by the players dinner. Wednesday’s first round is followed by a 500-plus person barbecue, and Thursday’s round is followed by a boat tour of the famous Niagara Falls. A formal dinner dance takes place after Friday’s third round for members and sponsors. And after a winner is crowned on Saturday, a pool party breaks out where the players can let their guard down a bit. Rumor has it past years have seen a player or two doing belly flops in their boxer shorts off the diving board. Meanwhile, the golf is played at a very high level, and the fairways are adorned by perhaps the largest galleries in amateur golf. It is, quite simply, a joyous week in the western New York golf community. Private clubs aren’t lining up to host big-time women’s amateur events, and so you really have to tip your hat to the club for doing this. And so, ladies and gentlemen of Niagara Falls Country Club, kindly rise and be acknowledged.

Round of 64 moves him closer to joining his fatherby Aaron Mansfield, The Buffalo News LEWISTON — Every tee a memory. Every fairway a flashback. The Porter Cup means more to Scott Harvey than to most golfers. Niagara Falls Country Club reminds Harvey of the days he spent there as a kid while his father, Bill, golfed. “As far back as my memory goes, I remember coming up here as a kid and playing around on the putting green and the pool and, when I got big enough, caddying for my dad,” Harvey said. “That was really cool. Then I got the invite to play here, I think it was four or five years ago. That was just a dream come true for me.” Bill won the 1963 Porter Cup. For as long as Harvey can remember, he has envisioned following in his dad’s footsteps. Harvey has competed in the tournament the past four years, but he’s never been in serious contention, finishing in the top 10 just once. Harvey started the third day of the 2012 Porter Cup tied for 12th, but he rocketed up the leader board Friday into a third-place tie with Denny McCarthy with a round of 6-under 64, bringing him to 10 under. “Now I feel like I’m ready to contend a little bit,” Harvey said. “It’d be really cool to get my name on the trophy with my dad.” “He’s going to be proud of me. He’s going to want me to go in there and do it again tomorrow, even more. That’s his mentality: go get it.” Harvey has an arduous mountain to scale. To get his name on the trophy, he’ll have to overcome Richy Werenski’s commanding five-stroke lead while also passing Justin Thomas, who is at 11-under. But five strokes are not nearly enough to dishearten Harvey from trying to achieve his dream. “I got off to a big start. That’s the opposite of what I’ve been doing, and that was pretty big,” said Harvey, a North Carolina native. “I just kind of cruised around from there. I knew I needed something really special today to get anywhere close to contention because these kids are really good.” Among the leaders, Harvey is the old guy. At 34, he is one of just nine Mid-Amateur players (those over 25 years old) in the 78-golfer field. “It takes something pretty special for us to go against these college kids,” Harvey said. “But every once in a while, we can put it together for a week and hopefully compete a little bit. These guys are so good. It’s amazing to watch them play.” Before the Porter Cup, Harvey had led his last four tournaments entering the final round. In April he won the Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship. But he just wants this one more. “I came up every single year,” Harvey said. “I can’t even tell you all the memories. Just being up here and being in contention, it’s way more special.” The odds aren’t in Harvey’s favor. Werenski has looked borderline untouchable, emerging from little-known underdog to clear-cut favorite with a powerful 195 through three days – not bogeying a single hole. He shot a 3-under 67 on Friday to reach 15 under. Tyler McCumber, who is tied for fifth at 9 under, has been chasing Werenski since Day Two. “He’s obviously playing flawless golf just by his score,” McCumber said. “I mean, to not have a bogey out here in three days is pretty remarkable.” Werenski, a junior at Georgia Tech, is ranked 70th in the Scratch Players World Amateur rankings. A couple of the other contenders are ranked in the top 10. He said he hasn’t had the best summer so far, and he couldn’t even remember the last tournament he won, but he knew in his mind he was good enough to win. “Honestly, it’s not like I’m trying to do anything different,” Werenski said. “I’ve just been working really hard on my game. Sometimes it just clicks. It’s kind of clicking right now. “I’m just really confident,” he said. “I feel that no matter where I am, I can hit the next one pretty good.” What will it take to beat Werenski? His competition has an idea. “Tomorrow you’re going to have to shoot low,” McCumber paused. “Real low.” It remains to be seen whether Harvey can shoot low enough to overcome five strokes. But even if he doesn’t get his name on the trophy, Harvey can rest easy knowing his captivating 18 holes took the Porter Cup crowd through an astonishing journey Friday, a journey reminiscent of 1963.

LEWISTON – Williamsville’s Jake Katz, arguably the most prolific local amateur golfer the past few years, was back at the Porter Cup this year, his fourth in a row. This time, though, he didn’t golf. He was helping a friend. Katz caddied for North Carolina’s Ben Kohles, who finished the tournament tied for 18th at 3-under-par, in his last tournament as an amateur. Katz turned professional last year and therefore gave up his status as an amateur. While he’s trying to make the PGA Tour again this year, Katz admitted he wasn’t ready to give up the tournament just yet. “This tournament has meant so much to my amateur career that I wanted to come up and soak it up one more time,” he said. “This tournament just means a lot, so I wanted to be here and be a part of it.” Katz, who finished 10th in the 2010 Porter Cup, has been working on his game all year both in Florida – bouncing between Tampa Bay, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton – and at Westwood Country Club. He said there are a couple Web.com Tour qualifiers coming up that he’ll be playing in, and the PGA Tour’s Q-School is also on his calendar in the middle of October. While his game is strong on the links, Katz said he wasn’t the world’s best caddy. “A couple times I actually handed him the putter head cover instead of the putter, so I’m still a player at heart, but it was fun,” Katz said. “I enjoyed it. Ben’s a great guy. It was a great week.” As this was Kohles’ last amateur tournament – he’s turning professional and, like Katz, hopes to one day join the Tour – the 22-year-old cracked a beer after finishing the 18th hole. “We’ve been buddies since we met,” Kohles said. “We were out there having fun, having a good time.” … Five local players competed in the tournament. Clarence’s Matt Stasiak finished the highest of the bunch, tied for 67th at 11 over after a final-round 77. Buffalo’s Chris Covelli, a 25-year-old Mid-Amateur who graduated from Nichols in 2005, finished with a 73, and was just one stroke behind Stasiak at 12 over. Lewiston’s Michael Boss, who shot a strong 66 on the second day of the tournament, finished 14 over. North Tonawanda’s James Blackwell fired his strongest round of the four-day tournament on Saturday. His 2-over 72 brought his final score to 26 over. Hamburg’s Brian Jurkiewicz shot a final-round 77 and carded 31 over. … The low Mid-Amateur in the field was 34-year-old Scott Harvey, a real estate broker from Greensboro, N.C. Harvey played in the final group Saturday. He shot an even-par 35 on the front, but took a double bogey 6 on the par-4 14th hole and faded with bogeys on the par-3 16th and par-4 17th to come in at 39, 4-over for the day. He finished at 6-under 274 for the tournament, in a tie for 13th place. Harvey’s father, Bill, won the fifth Porter Cup, in 1963. … The William C. Campbell Award, presented annually to the player with the low aggregate score in the Porter Cup, Northeast Amateur and Players Amateur, went to Curtis Thompson. The 19-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., finished tied for ninth after shooting 7-under 273. He shot a combined 4 under over the three tournaments. … The number to receive an automatic invitation to next year’s field was 2-under 278, which was reached by 25 players. … The Senior Porter Cup will be held Sept. 5-7 at NFCC.

by Cassie Stein, GolfWeek The power of the Porter Cup name. Most people know the Porter Cup because of the well-respected men’s tournament played every July. This week, the inaugural Women’s Porter Cup takes place at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y., to help promote the women’s game. As of now, the women’s side of the game has about eight major tournaments during the summer. The Women’s Porter Cup, the Women’s Eastern Amateur and the Ladies British Amateur all take place this week. The U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, scheduled next week in Norman, Okla., will go away after the 2014 championship. Brian Oakley, tournament director at the Women’s Porter Cup, hopes this event will replace the WAPL and grow into something more. “If we do decide to move forward with the tournament, we’ll certainly look at the competition and adjust as best we can,” Oakley said. The Women’s Porter Cup hopes to eventually become a regular tournament in women’s summer schedules. Organizers hope it will gain recognition – quickly – and the World Amateur Golf Ranking will see it as a tournament that needs to be ranked and become a major factor in the Curtis Cup selection process in years to come. “We will take these 39 ladies and have them be ambassadors to the tournament . . . But you don’t know what you don’t know if you’ve never had opportunity to play the course,” Oakley said. When the tournament was announced in December, the committee wanted a 60-player field with the top amateurs from the world to participate. By announcing the tournament six months in advance, and in the middle of the college season, only few players heard about the tournament. Instead of getting a full-fledged field, the tournament will feature 39 players. Four-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, Meghan Stasi reached out to Oakley when the tournament was announced. She will be one of two mid-ams competing. Pepperdine standout Grace Na will make an appearance this week. Na, a two-time West Coast Conference champion, led the Wave to a 15th WCC team title in the 2012-13 season. 18 players are from western New York or Ontario, among them: Vanderbilt senior Rene Sobolweski, Michigan sophomore Catherine Peters and Pittsford native Kristin Powers, who will attend UNC Greensboro in the fall. That contingent will try and keep the title within 100 miles of the tournament destination. “We knew it was the best word of mouth,” Oakley said. “It was to our advantage to reach out to local golfers.” The course will play at 6,189 yards and par 71. The fifth hole, typically a par 5 for women, will be moved up and played as a par 4. The 17th hole is being pushed back beyond the water and will be played as a par 5. Niagara Falls Country Club also will play long – at least Wednesday – as Lewiston received “lots and lots” of rain, superintendent Khlar Holthouse said. Holthouse wouldn’t specify how much but said the greens are soft and the fairways are soaked. Regardless, history will be made at Niagara Falls CC, as it will crown the Porter Cup’s first women’s champion Friday.

by Cassie Stein, GolfWeek It’s going to be a busy two weeks for Casie Cathrea. On Saturday, she will travel back to her hometown of Livermore, Calif., will graduate from the Venture School on Wednesday and then returns to the East Coast to play in the U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack, which begins June 27. Cathrea began that tour with a victory at the inaugural Women’s Porter Cup. The incoming Oklahoma State freshman shot a final-round 2-over 73 on Friday to win the rain-shortened tournament at Niagara Falls Country Club. She finished with a 36-hold total of 4-under 138. “It’s awesome. It’s amazing,” Cathrea said. “It’s a big honor to be the first winner of the Women’s Porter Cup.” She dropped a shot on the par-3 16th but got it back on the following hole by lipping out for eagle from 18 feet. Cathrea tapped in for birdie. Cathrea made the turn at 7 under and had a six-shot lead over Samantha Troyanovich and Prima Thammaraks. Then she started the back nine par-bogey-bogey. Cathrea said she wasn’t nervous, but needed to get her head back in the game. “I think I was getting in my own way more and more,” Cathrea said. “I had pulled my shot on 2, pulled my shot on 3 so I had to get back in it.” She made five consecutive pars leading up to the par-4 ninth. Cathrea hit a drive right down the fairway, and, with help from caddie and dad Harry, decided to club up to get to the green. She pulled a hybrid instead of a 4-iron and flew the green. Cathrea finished with double bogey, but still finished three shots ahead of Iowa State senior Thammarks. Troyanovich, Krista Puisite and Laura Wearn tied for third at 1-over 143. “I will tell you, it’s very hard to follow up a 65 with another 65,” she said. Now that tournament play is over for the week, Cathrea can focus on her graduation speech – something that does have her a little nervous. “Giving a speech is more nerve-racking,” Cathrea said when asked to compare public speaking to golf. “I’d rather play golf in front of 100 million people than give a speech.” It won’t be 100 million people, but she’ll get that chance to play in front of lots of people in Southampton, N.Y. “I just want to start that week,” Cathrea said of the U.S. Women’s Open. The ninth-ranked junior in the Golfweek Rankings also has her eyes on a spot on America’s Junior Solheim Cup team. She represented the U.S. less than a year ago at the 2012 Junior Ryder Cup. After the Open, she’ll play in the U.S. Girls’ Junior – where she fell in the quarterfinals in 2012. She plans to play in one or two more events before a hopeful Junior Solheim Cup appearance in August. Then it’s off to Stillwater. If it’s a Junior Solheim spot she wants, Cathrea is off on the right foot this summer – with a victory.

by Cassie Stein, GolfWeek Dressed in orange and black on Wednesday, Casie Cathrea made no secret about where she is heading in the fall. The incoming Oklahoma State freshman shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 at Niagara Falls Country Club to take a three-shot lead after the first round of the inaugural Women’s Porter Cup. A native of Livermore, Calif., Cathrea had no expectations heading into the week but is more than pleased with her first-round score. She started her round with a birdie on No. 1, kick-starting her round. “It was a 15-footer uphill,” she said. All six of her birdies were within 15-18 feet. The width of the fairways, how much is in front of you and the width of the greens at Niagara Falls Country Club are similar to the courses that Cathrea plays back home in California, Haggin Oaks and San Francisco Golf Club. That puts her at ease on this golf course. This tournament was not on Cathrea’s radar at the beginning of the summer. But Oklahoma State head coach Alan Bratton told her to consider the first-year event, which complements the long-running men’s Porter Cup here next month. Cathrea entered soon after. The 17-year-old is looking forward to graduating from high school next week and playing in her first U.S. Women’s Open the following week, at Sebonack Golf Club. “I just want to be out there,” Cathrea said of being in Southampton, N.Y. She is ranked No. 6 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Rankings. She’ll do the same tomorrow, “come out and act like I’m going to shoot even par,” as recent Texas State graduate Krista Puisite is trying to catch her. Puisite sits in second after firing a 3-under 68. Oklahoma senior Emily Collins and Iowa State senior Prima Thammaraks are tied for third at 2 under. Only five players broke par during Wednesday’s first round. Thammaraks thought 5 under would be the winning score come Friday, but with Cathrea coming in at 6 under on the first day, scores might be a lot lower in days to come.