Published: July 23, 2008 09:44 pm            

PORTER CUP: Past champions lead off 50th tournament

LEWISTON — It’s been 49 years since the first Porter Cup. For Bill Harvey, it felt like it had been almost that long since he last hit a golf ball.

“I hadn’t hit a ball in more than three years until today,” the 1963 tournament champion said with a chuckle. “You just want to make contact.”

Harvey was joined by fellow past winners John Konsek (1959, 1961) and Ward Wettlaufer (1960, 1965) for an honorary starters ceremony on the first tee at Niagara Falls Country Club early Wednesday morning. The trio was welcomed with the sound of bagpipes and the applause of fans who surrounded the tee box.

“I remember watching Konsek and Walter Andzel battle for a district championship in the ’50s,” 78-year-old Lackawanna resident Matthew Antonik said. “I got to know Ward a little through other local tournaments and I remember Harvey too, so that’s why I came out. I’ve really enjoyed watching them through the years.”

For the trio of champions, it was an opportunity to reminisce on the early days of the event.

“(Former tournament directors) Dick Harvey and Dr. (William) McMahon came down south and said they needed some players to come up north to the Porter Cup, so in 1959 I brought up six and from then on it kept growing,” said Harvey, a resident of Greensboro, N.C.

Konsek added, “When this tournament started it was basically a local tournament with players from New York and Canada.”

Wettlaufer, who still resides in Buffalo, has been impressed with the growth of the tournament.

“It started as just a local tournament but it grew very, very quickly with a lot of fine amateur players from around the country and it continued to where now it’s an international tournament,” he said. “It was interesting (Tuesday) to see all the people from Australia that came over to be a part of it. It continues to grow, which is really terrific.”

Konsek echoed those sentiments.

“With the great group of people that started this tournament from Dick Harvey to Ed Rozek to Doc McMahon — it doesn’t surprise me at all how it has developed,” the Appleton, Wisc. resident said. “They do a great job getting the members and community involved and that’s the key.”

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.

        

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