Published: July 22, 2008 11:49 pm            

PORTER CUP: A night for champions at NFCC

LEWISTON — Jay Sigel doesn’t understand the fuss.

If you’re playing percentages, Sigel’s .111 average wouldn’t be good enough to crack the eighth spot in a baseball lineup. Yet that same stat, figured in with his longevity and statesmanship, makes him the most accomplished Porter Cup participant of all time, the storied event’s only three-time champ.

Sigel returned on Tuesday for the Porter Cup champions dinner, a gathering of some of the winners and friends throughout the 50 years of the tournament, which is considered one of the most prestigious in amateur golf.

“I played in this thing 27 times,” he snickered. “So I won it three. Big deal, right?”

Sigel accepted an award during the festivities, but he wasn’t the only former champ on hand.

Seung-Su Han, the 2006 champ, was another of the former titleholders to return. Also on hand was Gene Elliott, who won the 1998 event and Gary Cowan, the winner in 1969.

Former tournament director John Hoffmann said having so many former players and friends of the tournament at one event made the night a truly special one.

“I don’t think I realized how much I’ve missed being around this the last five years or so until I got into a room with all these faces,” Hoffmann said. “There are a lot of old friends here.”

One for Hoffmann was Sigel, to whom he opened his home a dozen times. Sigel didn’t turn pro until he reached the Senior Tour, which has since been renamed the Champions Tour, so he consistently cleared his schedule to play at Niagara Falls Country Club.

On Tuesday, Sigel and Hoffmann met a few hours before the dinner to catch up on old times.

“The first time I met Jay, I was 14 and caddying for a guy who was his rival competitor,” Hoffmann said. “It’s always great to see him, and all the rest of these guys.”

Jerry Wolfgang, the 1985 Porter Cup chairman, said players like Sigel exemplified the best in amateur golf.

“You get a guy like (Sigel), and he’s not just a great golfer, but a great personality,” Wolfgang said. “He’s been a super ambassador for this tournament. And he won it three times, but he could have won five or six times. He’s always been good.”



50th Porter Cup

• WHAT: Many of world’s top amateurs meet at Niagara Falls Country Club for the four-round test. Included in the field is the world’s second-ranked amateur, Billy Horschel, and the 2006 champ, Seung-Su Han. Other notables include Kevin Tway, the son of PGA pro Bob Tway, and Tim Mickelson, the brother of Phil Mickelson.

• WHEN: Starts today, first tee time at 8 a.m.

• COST: Free, with $5 parking

• INSIDE: Some of the best from years past congregated at the Porter Cup champions dinner. See 1B.



Today’s tee times at Niagara Falls Country Club

8:30 a.m. — Rick LaRose, Fred Silver, Mike Slipko

8:40 a.m. — Bill Hadden, Jonathan Mathias, Tripp Davis

8:50 a.m. — Liam Friedman, Brad Revell, Bank Vongvanij

9:00 a.m. — Chris Stoddard, Michael Mulieri, Scott Harvey

9:10 a.m. — Campbell Gordon, Travis Wadkins, Jamie Miller

9:20 a.m. — Jeff Wolniewicz, Matt Hill, David Chung

9:30 a.m. — Samuel Cyr, Peter Creighton, Charlie Holland

9:40 a.m. — Jonathan Hodge, Raman Luthra, Jason Scrivener

9:50 a.m. — John Hahn, Christopher Ross, Matt Jager

10 a.m. — David Markle, Harris English, Matt Giles

10:10 a.m. — Dan Woltman, Jeff Manza, Matt Savage

10:20 a.m. — Julian Etulain, Jhonattan Vegas, Lucas Lee

10:30 a.m. — Victor Dubuisson, Ferdinand Aunzo, Ray Beaufils

10:40 a.m. — Alexandre Kaleka, Jude Eustaquio, Michael Foster

10:50 a.m. — Zack Sucher, Chesson Hadley, Mike Van Sickle

11 a.m. — Buddy Marucci, Mike McCoy, Philip Francis

11:10 a.m. — Kevin Tway, Bud Cauley, Danny Lee

11:20 a.m. — Drew Kittleson, Cameron Tringale, Adam Mitchell

11:30 a.m. — Billy Horschel, Erik Flores, Tim Mickelson

11:40 a.m. — Tim Stewart, Drew Weaver, Aaron Goldberg

11:50 a.m. — Nathan Smith, Trent Leon, Russell Henley

Noon — Matthew Galloway, Seung-su Han, Skip Berkmeyer

12:10 p.m. — Michael Jensen, Eddie Olson, James Gill

12:20 p.m. — Josh Younger, Peter Uihlein, Gene Elliott

12:30 p.m. — Matthew Griffin, Morgan Hoffmann, Wesley Bryan

12:40 p.m. — Rohan Blizard, Brendan Gielow, George Bryan IV

12:50 p.m. — Kevin Foley, Robert Rohanna, Justin Roach

1 p.m. — Scott Arnold Caringbah, Thomas Smith, Jon McLean.

        

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