Headline: Three-time Christopher Cutler Rich MGA Junior Player of the Year Jon Curran Will Represent the Bay State at the 2010 U.S. Open Championship
For Immediate Release: June 8, 2010
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Jon Curran, a member at Framingham Country Club, not only earned a spot in the 2010 U.S. Open Championship but he was also featured prominently on the event's web site. |
Norton, MA — The Bay State will once again be represented at the U.S. Open Championship.
Three-time Christopher Cutler Rich MGA Junior Player of the Year Jon Curran (Hopkinton, MA) survived two rounds of sectional qualifying this week to earn one of the coveted spots at the USGA Championship Proper event to be held in Pebble Beach later this month.
One year ago, Massachusetts watched as two-time New England Amateur Champion Mike Welch (North Quincy, MA) and Kevin Silva (New Bedford, MA) competed in the 2009 U.S. Open Championship at Bethpage State Park (NY).
This time around, it was Curran, who earned a spot in sectional qualifying in dramatic fashion by draining a 50-foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole at Metacomet Country Club (RI) during local qualifying, who once again had a flair for the dramatics... this time at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey.
After posting identical rounds of 71, Curran found himself tied for fourth place (only four spots were available at that site) with Parker MacLachlin (Paradise Valley, AZ). In what turned out to be a one-hole playoff, Curran secured a trip to California and a chance to take on the world's best by besting MacLachlin.
As an added bonus, Curran's photo from Canoe Brook Country Club was featured on the U.S. Open's home page.
Other Massachusetts players who avanced to sectional qualifying but failed to make the cut included Welch, a-Herbie Aikens (Pinehills GC), Billy Downes (Longmeadow, MA), Rick Leal (West Springfield, MA), a-Brendan Livingston (Westford, MA) and 2009 Walker Cup Team member and Bay State native Peter Uihlein (Orlando, FL).
Here is a copy of the feature story that appeared on the 2010 U.S. Open Championship web site, available at www.usopen.com.
Peffley Leads Way At Canoe Brook C.C.
By David Shefter, USGA
Summit, N.J. - When Blaine Peffley broke Jim Furyk's high-school scoring record to win the 2002 Pennsylvania state title, the 2003 U.S. Open champion wrote the Lebanon, Pa., resident a congratulatory letter.
"He was joking around that when he played he had to walk uphill in 2 feet of snow," said Peffley. "It was pretty funny."
Furyk even convinced Peffley to look at the University of Arizona, which he attended for two years before transferring to Maryland in 2005.
After earning medalist honors at a U.S. Open sectional qualifier on June 7 at Canoe Brook Country Club's North Course, Peffley will have another chance to get acquainted with Furyk. Peffley posted a 6-under total of 138 (68-70) on the 7,163-yard, par-72 layout to earn one of the four available berths into the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach June 17-20.
Joining Peffley was Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, N.Y. (70-70--140); third-year Nationwide Tour player Jim Herman of Port St. Lucie, Fla. (72-69--141) and Jon Curran of Hopkinton, Mass. (71-71--142), who got the final spot in a one-hole playoff over Parker MacLachlin of Paradise Valley, Ariz. (73-69--142).
"I'm sure we'll cross paths," Peffley said of Furyk. "I hope he remembers me."
Peffley surely won't forget his performance at Canoe Brook. Despite lower-back pain that requires him to wear a brace, the 24 year old played a bogey-free round in the morning, then followed it up with one of his best shots ever at the 442-yard sixth hole in the afternoon, hooking a 4-iron around a tree from 210 yards to 1 foot for a tap-in birdie. That came after holing a 60-foot birdie putt at the 173-yard, fifth hole.
"I'm kind of speechless right now," said Peffley, a former American Junior Golf Association All-American who competed in the 2000 and 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur. "I feel great. Everything is great."
As Herman approached the par-4 16th hole in round two of the 36-hole qualifier, he realized finishing even par was not going to be enough. He ripped a drive 40 yards short of the green and holed a 12-foot downhill birdie putt. At the 455-yard, 17th hole, his tee shot found trouble, but he was able to punch a 6-iron from 200 yards to the front of the green where he holed a 30-footer for birdie.
In the morning round, Herman, who won the year's second event on the Nationwide Tour in Australia and currently stands eighth on the money list, had knocked a hybrid into a greenside bunker at the 601-yard, par-5 18th hole. He had 288 yards to the flag on his second go-around and knocked a 3-wood approach to 15 feet. "That was the best shot I hit [all day]," said Herman, who two-putted for birdie and a closing 69. As it turned out, he needed that finish to avoid a playoff.
"I didn't know where I stood," said Herman, who took a drive down to the Monterey Peninsula last year after a Nationwide Tour event in the Bay Area. "So you never know how aggressive you need to be.
"I'm thrilled to be out there with [the world's best players]. I know I can play at that level."
Growing up in central New York, McCarthy had pictures of Pebble Beach on his bedroom walls. And up until now, he had never played a round of golf in California. That will change next week when the 24-year-old Lemoyne College graduate competes in his first U.S. Open.
"For my first U.S. Open to be at Pebble Beach … is just amazing," said McCarthy, who punctuated his performance by holing out a 98-yard approach shot for an eagle-2 at the 15th hole.
Monday's swirling winds on Canoe Brook's tight, tree-lined fairways didn't seem to affect McCarthy, who lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., during the winter.
"This is like a calm day in West Palm," said McCarthy, who turned pro in 2007 after twice earning honorable-mention Division II All-American honors at Lemoyne. "I felt comfortable out here."
Curran, a quarterfinalist at the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur, turned pro last June after four years at Vanderbilt and has been bouncing around several minor-league circuits, including the eGolf Tour and Hooters Tour. His U.S. Open moment came when MacLachlin, a former UCLA standout who plays on the PGA Tour, missed a 4-foot par putt at the first playoff hole. The 23-year-old Curran then composed himself to knock in his 3-foot par putt for a trip to Pebble Beach.
"It hasn't quite sunk in yet," said a smiling Curran after returning to the clubhouse. "I've played [Pebble Beach] a lot of times on Nintendo Wii. It will be good [to play it for real]. I'm pumped."
This was Curran's third trip to sectionals. Four years ago at Canoe Brook, he missed making the field at Winged Foot by two strokes. Now a bit more mature and longer, thanks to work with instructor Jim McLean, Curran felt in much better position this time.
"I needed to get longer," said Curran, who also qualified for the 2006 and 2007 U.S. Amateur, making match play in the latter at The Olympic Club. "It's coming along slowly and it's taken three or four years. I needed to score better on a longer golf course like this."
NOTES: Peter Uihlein, a member of the victorious 2009 USA Walker Team, struggled to an 84 in the afternoon round following a first-round 70…Another amateur, 17-year-old Cameron Wilson, also went north in the afternoon (78) after a 69 in the morning that included an eagle-3 at the par-5 12th hole…PGA Tour member Kevin Stadler, the son of 1973 U.S. Amateur champion and 1983 Masters winner Craig Stadler, was a no-show…Beon Yeong Lee of Canada was the low amateur (76-68)…PGA Tour/Nationwide Tour players Len Mattiace and Jim McGovern missed by two and four shots, respectively. Mattiace lost a playoff with Mike Weir at the 2003 Masters. Both attracted large galleries at Canoe Brook…Tim Spitz, the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, was in contention with a first-round 71, but made two triples and a double bogey in round two en route to an 82.
David Shefter is a staff writer in Communications for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.