7/27/2013 11:05:00 AM | Men's Golf
LEWISTON, N.Y. – Reigning Mid-American Conference Men's Golfer of the Year and championship medalist Taylor Pendrith added to his impressive résumé by winning the Porter Cup on Saturday (July 27), which is among the nation's most prestigious amateur tournaments.
Pendrith finished five strokes ahead of his closest competitor with a 16-under, 264 (68-66-63-67), which is the third-lowest score in the 55-year history of the tournament.
"I am just elated that Taylor came away with this victory," Kent State director of golf/men's head coach Herb Page said. "Not only did he win, but he won by five shots. That just doesn't happen in that kind of field."
Pendrith, who enters his senior year at Kent State this fall, held a narrow one-stroke lead heading into Saturday's final round after matching the low round of the tournament with a 63 on Friday. Despite opening with pars on his first four holes, he managed to increase his lead by a stroke. Pendrith then made his move, recording birdies on Nos. 5-7 to take a six-stroke lead. He shot even the rest of the way for a 3-under, 67.
The key to victory was consistency and limiting mistakes. After failing to shoot par on four of his first nine holes to open the tournament, Pendrith settled in and recorded just four bogeys over his final 63 holes. He was nearly flawless for much of the tournament. His bogey on No. 9 in the final round was his first since the first hole of the second round, a stretch of 43 holes.
"In all, he made 25 birdies in 72 holes," Page added. "Think about that. That means he birdied every third hole he played. He kept hitting it inside 10 feet and made them all. But that's Taylor. He is explosive."
Pendrith's victory snaps a 28-drought for Canadian amateurs at the tournament. He joins a list that includes Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Scott Verplank and Ben Crenshaw as golfers who have captured the Porter Cup. Having spent much of the couple of months playing with Team Canada, he will have a rare week off before concluding his summer at the Canadian Amateur on Aug. 6-9 at Royal Colwood Golf Club and Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria, B.C.
