Will eighth time be charm for Bigley?
A sweet 16 of pro and amateur golfers from New York State will tee it up in just over a week on what’s been dubbed
“the longest day in golf,” the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying. That’s 36-holes to determine the final field of the national championship. Among those is Rotterdam’s Bryan Bigley who is back for an eighth try.
“As a golfer, it’s probably the pinnacle of a tournament you could get into for being a nobody,” Bigley told me while warming up at Shaker Ridge CC last week. He had flown in the day before to compete and then was catching a flight back that night so he could tee it up in the Web. com Tour’s BMW event in Greer, S.C. A Schalmont High School and Siena College graduate, he’s been on a professional path for years now and been in the local U.S. Open qual- ifier for 15 years. Getting through 18 holes is one thing, but getting through a 36-hole grind is quite another. I asked him what drives him to keep coming back at age 32.
“The largest purse in golf history this year, twomillion to the champion,” Bigley said with a smile, adding, “It’s a USGA event, it’s a major and anyone who’s played a USGA event knows how special they are and how well run they are and it’s something you can always look back on.”
His strategy is solid. The lanky 6-foot-5 righty likes his odds on an upstate track against golfers who may not have played much over the winter.
“It’s my job and it’s what I have to do and it was worth coming up here to play,” he explained. “These guys haven’t been playing much more than a month versus staying down in the Carolinas or Florida or Texas and having to shoot 67 to get through. Come up here and shoot even par and move on and if you get to the next round you don’t know what could happen.”
He shot even-par 71 to secure one of the four slots. He will play the Sectional at Canoe Brook in Summit, N. J. on Monday, June 5, where he has come close before. Craig Thomas, a pro from White Plains, and amateur Art Griffin of Lake Placid (2015 Troy Invitational winner) each shot 70 while Matthew Campbell, a pro whose dad lives in Clifton Park, also qualified. Campbell rolled in a 30-foot putt on the fourth hole of the four-man playoff over the likes of NENY PGA sixtime Player of the Year Scott Berliner and amateur Jim Gifford of Clifton Park.
“I’m an accountant by trade so I work at a desk all day but the opportunity to go out and play with the guys you see on TV is awesome and hopefully I can one day make it there,” Gifford said of the dream of making it to Erin Hills, Wisc., this year.
By the way, he and Chad Stoffer of Niskayuna are paired up for this weekend’s USGA Four-Ball event in Pinehurst, N.C. Best wishes to them.
As for Bigley, he caught that flight and wound up shooting 69- 68- 68 in a tie for 44th place. He’s earned $6,987 this year. Last year, he had two top10 finishes on the Web.com Tour and earned $59,318, good for 77th place. Let’s hope that the eighth time is the charm for Bigley in just over a week to get him into the U.S. Open.
TWO ACES
Congratulations to Mark Landolfo, who I used to play regularly with in a league at Van Patten. On May 17 at Eagle Crest Golf Club, he had his first hole-in- one. It came on No. 17 from the blue tees with a 3-wood. Witnesses were Doug Hopkins & Alex Thornburn.
The first ace for Rich Brash — and for the season at Mill Road Acres in Latham — came May
1. A member of the DPS League, he found the cup at the 15th hole from 115 yards with an 8-iron. It was witnessed by Bob Burke, Craig Henry and Jim Mitchell.
NENY PGA
Marc Lesvesque, head pro at Columbia Golf & CC, led his team on home turf in the Pro & 3 Lady event on Monday. H and Beth Gavin, Cricket Coleman and Kim Baker shot 133 to win by two over Catskill Golf Club. Justin Hearley, assistant pro at Normanside CC, won the individual professional di- vision.
CALLING ALL WOMEN
The deadline to register for International Women’s Golf Day at Mill Road Acres is Tuesday, May 30. Kay McMahon of eduKaytion golf and Eloise Trainor, founder of the Futures Tour, host the event sponsored by Roland J. Graves Construction at Mill Road Acres Tuesday, June 6, 4-8 p.m. The fee is $25 per person and includes two hours of instruction on the golf swing and short game, followed by dinner, networking and speakers on the “Value of Golf for Women.” To register go to: womensgolfday.com/locations/. Click on New York State on the map and then click on Mill Road. Or call 518- 669-1551 or Kay@edukaytiongolf. com. It’s for both golfers and non-golfers who might like to try the game.