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A Taste Of The Big Time

For Trevor Murphy, keeping an eye on his ball Monday, qualifying for the U.S. Open will be a honeymoon in paradise for more than just one reason. (John Mummert/USGA)

By David Shefter, USGA

Purchase, N.Y. – Less than two weeks ago, Trevor Murphy was exchanging vows.

In less than a week, he’ll be exchanging pleasantries with the world’s best golfers at Bethpage State Park.

Two life-changing experiences, except the reception at the latter will have plenty more guests.

Talk about a honeymoon in paradise.

“U.S. Open, Bethpage,” said an ecstatic Murphy after punching one of four available 2009 tickets on June 8 during a sectional qualifier at Old Oaks and Century Country Clubs. (Click here for qualifying results).

The 25-year-old Murphy, a 2008 University of North Carolina-Charlotte graduate, was one of three golfers to post 3-under-par 138, a shot behind current Charlotte resident Kevin Silva. Silva also was the medalist last year in Purchase when only Old Oaks C.C. was used.

Michael Welch, a 27-year-old Hooters Tour player who grew up in North Quincy, Mass., and now resides in Orlando, Fla., and Sean Farren, 39, the head professional at The Creek Club in Locust Valley, N.Y., were the other two qualifiers.

The U.S. Open at Bethpage Black officially begins June 15 with practice rounds.

For Murphy, a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., it’s been a whirlwind three weeks. He advanced from his local qualifier in Massachusetts, got married to his girlfriend of 18 months, flew back to his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., to prepare for sectionals, and then flew to New York, arriving at his hotel in the wee hours of Saturday morning, June 6.

Needless to say, Murphy told his caddie, Blake Gianniny, that he wasn’t concerned about playing well. Starting on No. 10 at Old Oaks, he bogeyed 10 and 12, then recovered from the shaky start to shoot a 70. After downing a burger and some chicken at lunch, Murphy got rolling early at Century C.C., which played to a par of 71 (Old Oaks is a par 70) and offers an additional par 5. He was five under through 16 holes before bogeys on 17 and 18 dropped him to a 3-under 68.

“I felt more comfortable this afternoon than I did in the first round,” said Murphy, a former ski racer who turned to golf full-time after tearing his ACL in high school. “I hit a bad chip on 17 [in the afternoon], but otherwise, I didn’t hit any bad shots [at Century C.C.].”

Last year, Murphy got a taste of big-time pro golf when he Monday-qualified for the Wachovia Championship as a college senior. He played alongside big-hitting Dustin Johnson, a 2007 USA Walker Cup participant, and 2001 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Chez Reavie. But he knows the U.S. Open will be much different.

“It will be wild,” said Murphy, who shot a 60 while winning a Gateway Tour event last year. “I’m sure I’ll be shaking like a baby on the first tee.”

Silva, the only golfer to break par in last year’s Purchase, N.Y., sectional, posted the day’s best round with a 4-under 67 at Century in the afternoon. He was poised to break par at Old Oaks in the morning, only to close with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9.

The third-year eGolf Tour member (formerly the Tar Heel Tour) birdied the second hole and closed strong with a birdie and three pars, including a bunker save at 16.

“I’m a better player now than I was last year,” said Silva, who carded rounds of 80-76 at Torrey Pines. “It was a learning experience. My game is better because of it.”

A two-time winner on the Hooters Tour, Welch was making his fourth appearance at sectionals. Last year, he called his good friend Silva (they roomed together in Florida a couple of years ago) to congratulate him on the accomplishment. This year, they both can share a U.S. Open moment, although Welch almost frittered the opportunity away. Like Murphy, he reached the 5-under plateau at Old Oaks in the afternoon, but bogeyed 13 and 16. His final score proved to be good enough.

“I’m so pumped,” said Welch, who was a weekend spectator at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage. “I was just talking to my mom [in Massachusetts] and we both cried. It’s unbelievable.”

The 39-year-old Farren has witnessed two U.S. Opens up close. He worked in a scoring tent in 1983 at Oakmont and was an assistant professional at the venerable Pittsburgh-area club in 1994. Farren grew up as a caddie at Oakmont and progressed through various golf-associated jobs before becoming an assistant pro in 1992. A two-time PGA Championship qualifier (he missed the cut in 2004 and ’05), Farren will have a short 17-mile drive from his home in Locust Valley to Bethpage.

“I got more nervous as the holes started to run out,” said Farren, who bogeyed two of his last three at Old Oaks. “I would have been very disappointed had I missed the way I finished.”

NOTES: PGA Tour players Brad Faxon, Mathias Gronberg and Michael Allen failed to qualify. Allen recently won the Senior PGA Championship and Gronberg won last week’s Nationwide Tour event in Virginia … Andrew Svoboda of Larchmont, N.Y., was first alternate for a second straight year. Last year, he got into the U.S. Open field and made the cut … Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, shot 72-71 to fall five shots short … Also failing to make it out of sectional play at Purchase was George “Buddy” Marucci, Jr., the reigning USGA Senior Amateur champion and captain of the 2009 Walker Cup, to be contested this fall on his home course, Merion Golf Club. ... Twelve other sectional qualifiers were played.

David Shefter is a USGA Digitial Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.

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