PAGE 34 THE STAR-LEDGER MondAy, JunE 3, 2013 Confident Kuchar FIRST TEE captures Memorial YOUR weeklY GUIDe TO jeRseY’s lOCAl GOlF sCeNe 2013 ahead of U.S. Open

By Doug Ferguson wound up with the second- aSSociated preSS highest tournament score in DUBLIN, Ohio — Most of the his career at 8-over 296. perks from winning the Me- “It happens. It happens to morial were evident to Matt us all,” Woods said. “Go home Kuchar soon after his 20-foot next week and practice.” birdie putt tumbled into the fi- Not having Woods around nal hole yesterday. didn’t make the task any easier He looked just beyond the for Kuchar. 18th green to where 3-year- Right when he thought the old son Carson was giving a tournament was in hand, high-five to tournament host Chappell birdied three of his Jack Nicklaus. He had the first last four holes. Two shots be- multiple-win season of his PGA hind going to the 18th, Chap- Tour career. Kuchar went to a pell stuffed his approach to career-best No. 4 in the world tap-in range for birdie. Kuchar ranking. He is all but assured needed only two putts from 20 of returning to Muirfield Vil- feet for the win, and instead he lage in October as part of the rolled the birdie putt into the Presidents Cup team. hole and thrust his fist into the “To walk off the green and air as he smiled. to greet Mr. Nicklaus and have He’s always smiling, and he him congratulate me, that’s had good reason on this day. something I’ll certainly never He joined Woods has the only forget,” he said. players to win more than once Perhaps the greatest benefit this year on tour — Kuchar also was one only Kuchar could feel won the Match Play Champi- — confidence. onship in February — and his And that’s a big deal with the game is peaking heading into U.S. Open approaching in 10 a summer of majors, the one days. missing piece for the 35-year- Kuchar missed only one fair- old American. way and held off a hard-charg- Chappell, who missed four ing Kevin Chappell over the birdie attempts inside 10 feet Tony KurdzuK/The STar-Ledger last three holes to close with a on the front nine, still closed Above, Ryan McCormick became the first player to win three local amatuers in the same season in 2012. Below, dad 4-under 68 for a two-shot vic- with a 68. He played his last 25 Mark, a 2012 U.S. Open qualifier, hugs Ryan after the son won the NJSGA Amateur at Batusrol Golf Club in June. tory. The win came one week holes without a bogey. after he was runner-up by one Kyle Stanley ran off four shot at the Colonial. birdies in a five-hole stretch “Great golf breeds more to end the front nine and pull great golf,” Kuchar said. “Win- within one shot, but he fell Like father, like son ning tournaments breeds win- back with a bogey on the par-5 ning more tournaments. Any- 11th and never caught up. Stan- time you can get comfortable ley fell out of a tie for second on playing in that final group, fin- the 17th hole. He closed with a ishing off a tournament, win- 71 and finished alone in third, in McCormick family ning a tournament is a huge which will move him to just in- amount of confidence. Head- side the top 60. ing into Merion, I’ll have a lot The top 60 after next week of confidence.” are exempt to the U.S. Open. Dad Mark’s U.S. Open bid Muirfield Village was such “Mentally, I’m pretty drained overshadowed son Ryan’s COURse OF lOCAl CAleNDAR a demanding test that Tiger right now,” Stanley said. “I Woods had two triple bogeys would have shot a million this record season in 2012 THe week OF eveNTs in the same tournament for week if I didn’t make putts. So MeRCeR OAKS GOLf Today the first time since 1997 and I’m really happy about that.” By Brendan Prunty Star-Ledger Staff (eAST COURSe) •U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, Old Last year, Ryan McCormick blew West Windsor Oaks C.C./Century C.C. (Purchase, away the field at Baltusrol Golf Club, (609) 936-1383 N.Y.) winning the 111th NJSGA Amateur golfmercercounty.com •NJ PGA Assistant Event, Championship. He set all sorts of re- Crestmont C.C. (West Orange) 18 Holes: $48 Weekend: $54 cords — like lowest 72-hole score since Cart: $16 the event went to stroke play in 1971 — •NJSGA Member Golf Day, Trump National-Philadelphia (Pine Hill) in winning his first state major cham- FRONT NINE pionship and yet, he barely made a HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tomorrow blip at the dinner table. Normally, such PAR 4 5 4 4 3 4 5 3 4 an accomplishment for a 20-year old •NJSGA Amateur Championship, YARDS 415 580 360 430 165 465 540 225 412 Canoe Brook C.C. (Summit) would merit celebration. PAR:36 OUT: 3,592 Instead, it just earned him a ticket in Wednesday line. BACK NINE That week his younger brother was HOLE 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 •NJSGA Amateur Championship, Canoe Brook C.C. (Summit) graduating high school. The next week, PAR 4 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 5 his dad Mark was preparing to play YARDS 435 395 192 555 318 455 195 425 620 Thursday in the U.S. Open in San Francisco. So, IN: 3,590 TOTAL: 7,182 PAR:36 TOTAL PAR: 72 yeah, even a big win like that one took •NJSGA Amateur Championship, a backseat. Canoe Brook C.C. (Summit) “To be honest, I didn’t really step •NJ PGA Pro Am, Trump National- back and say, ‘Oh wow, that was awe- Bedminster (Bedminster) some,’” McCormick said. “The next week we were in San Francisco. It was like I wasn’t even ‘State Am Champ.’ It was, ‘Great — but we’re going to San Francisco and my dad is playing in the his ticket into the field at the Olympic U.S. Open.’ It was super hectic for a Club. while and to be honest, I never really But even before that, when the sec- hung out one day and was like, ‘Wow, tional used to be held following the old hunTer MarTin/geTTy iMageS that was awesome.’” Buick Open and attract a large field Karrie Webb overcomes a five-stroke deficit to win the Shop- He admitted that it finally set in for filled with PGA Tour pros, Ryan would Rite LPGA Classic yesterday in Galloway Township. him sometime over the winter after roam Canoe Brook’s grounds watching his white-hot 2012 season finally died the best in the world play. down and things returned to normal. “I’m pretty familiar with the golf Webb wins ShopRite Classic Last season, McCormick peppered course,” he said. “I just feel comfort- the top of leaderboards all over the John MunSon/The STar-Ledger able with it. I feel comfortable with my for seriously ill grandmother state and metropolitan area. He nearly game. That’s really where I’m at. I just became the third golfer in the 106-year last year, but it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to feel good about it.” roundup ‘I’ve never really even had a history of the Metropolitan Golf Asso- win this year now.’ I’m just going in and That might be a scary thought for the shot to win here,’ ” Webb said. ciation to win both the Met Amateur trying to win this year and not trying to rest of the field: Those were the same aSSociated preSS “So when I got off to that and Met Open. He also became the first repeat.” things that McCormick said all of last Ending a two-year drought on start, I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ player in history to win the NYC Ama- The senior-to-be at St. John’s, and summer. Still, he insists that last year the LPGA Tour wasn’t on Karrie Well, when she started to teur, Met Amateur and NJSGA Ama- son of the longtime head pro at Sub- is last year and means nothing once he Webb’s mind in the ShopRite make a turn for the better, my teurs in the same season. urban Golf Club in Union, once again tees off tomorrow afternoon. The Ryan LPGA Classic in Galloway Town- dad said, ‘Look, she’s going to But it was his performance at Bal- feels at home. McCormick of 2012 who set records ship. Winning one for her seri- make it, so the pressure is off, tusrol over three picture-perfect days Much like Baltusrol — which he was and won nearly every amateur event ously ill grandmother was. you know. last June that began last summer’s run. so intimately familiar with and posted in site has been put to rest. But that Webb, who nearly returned “He felt for me after she told And starting tomorrow at Canoe Brook a 12-under final score in a five-shot win doesn’t mean he wants the 2013 ver- home to Australia last week me I had to win it for her. But Country Club in Summit at the 112th — Canoe Brook offers a similar stage sion to be any less. when her parents informed her you know, I was in contention NJSGA Amateur, he’d like to do the for comfort. He has played it dozens of “It’s a different course and a whole that her grandmother was near and in the lead today. same thing. times before practice rounds this past new ball game,” he said. “The only death, delivered some welcome “I was like, ‘Wow, I might “It’s really cool to be defending week, not only in junior events, but thing I can really do is worry about my- medicine yesterday, rallying from actually be able to do this for champ and all — I’ve enjoyed it,” Mc- also in countless Sectional Qualifying self. My game just feels good. I feel that five shots down for a two-stroke her.’ ” Cormick said. “But the way I’m looking rounds for the U.S. Open. He played if I play good, I’ve got a good chance.” victory and her 39th career tour Webb won by shooting a at it is, it’s this year’s State Am and I’m in last year’s sectional on the North Brendan Prunty: win — the most among active magnificent 3-under 68 to just trying to win. It’s nice that I won Course and watched as his dad earned [email protected] players. finish with a 4-under 209 total, “She talked to me on the tying the highest winning score phone and said she didn’t want at the course. me to come home, and that Champions Tour: In Des nEwS & nOTES I had to win one for her,” the Moines, Iowa, Russ Cochran teary-eyed Webb said after won the Principal Charity Clas- Three players earned their way into the field for the 68th U.S. Cherello (Spring Brook G.C.). ... At the NJ PGA’s Pro-Am at Morris digging deep to overcome the sic, closing with a 5-under 67 Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., last County G.C., Sam Kang (Farmstead G. & C.C.) took first place blustery conditions that derailed for a one-stroke victory over Jay Thursday in Sectional Qualifying held at Edgewood C.C. in River over Brooklake’s Frank Esposito. ... At the NJ PGA’s Senior-Ju- almost everyone in the field on Don Blake at Wakonda Club. Vale. Amateurs Brooke Henderson of Ontario and Annie Park nior Championship held at Suburban G.C., the team of Mark Mc- wind-whipped Bay Course at the European Tour: In Stock- of Levittown, N.Y., were medalists. Kendra Little of Oregon also Cormick (Suburban) and Ken Pridgen (Suneagles G.C.), edged Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf holm, Sweden, Mikko Ilonen of qualified. ... At Sectional Qualifying for the MGA’s Ike Champion- out Mark Yannotta (Essex Driving Range) and Paul Lejeune Club. Finland won the Nordea Masters ship last Tuesday at Trump National-Colts Neck, Howell High (Suburban). ... The NJSGA’s second Member Golf Day of the 2013 Webb knew winning wasn’t by three shots for his first tour sophomore Dawson Jones (MGA eClub), took home medal- season will be held on June 24 at Raritan Valley C.C. and will be a going to be easy. Although she victory since 2007. ist honors. Among those also qualifying were Brandon Davis Individual Stroke Play Net (Stableford scoring) format. Entry fee has had occasional good rounds Web.com Tour: In Potomac, (Bayonne G.C.), Ethan Wall (Manasquan River G.C.) and Michael is $125 and the deadline to enter is June 17. on the Bay Course, she has never Md., Michael Putnam won his contended on the final day. second straight tour title, closing “I was like, this isn’t the one with a 2-under 68 for a two- that you tell me that I have to stroke victory in the Mid-Atlantic win for you because I was like, Championship.