![]() ![]() Justin Hearley, head pro at Burden Lake CC and the reigning NENY PGA Player of the Year, is another strong competitor among the pros, along with Eagle Crest GC owner Scott Battiste, AJ Cavotta of AndersMattsonGolf, Andrew Daily of Albany CC and former Broadalbin-Perth standout Brad Lusenhop. Philo, whose father was a longtime local club pro and whose sister, Laura Diaz, played on the LPGA Tour, is now living in Vero Beach, Florida. Open local qualifier, which has a field of 84 players competing for five sectional berths and two alternate spots, is loaded with quality pros and amateurs from the Capital Region and beyond.Īlso making a homecoming will be Scotia native Ron Philo, 57, who won the prestigious PGA Professional Championship at The Turning Stone Resort. His father, a five-time Schenectady Classic champion, will be on the bag as his caddie on Monday. He’s just missed getting his PGA Tour on several occasions. There are days when my swing is bad and I hit some shots that surprise me, but that’s golf.”īigley, whose brother, Robby, was also an area standout with three Schenectady Classic triumphs, said he’s thinking about trying the PGA Tour Qualifying School again in the fall, just like he did a year ago. I understand my golf swing better now, and I know how to fix it when something goes wrong. ![]() My game might not be the sharpest or the best, but I have a little advantage in experience. “But I’ve got 15 years of experience to draw upon as a pro that helps me in smaller mini tour events. It’s tough to hit a 6- or 7-iron when other guys are hitting a 9-iron. Now, there are 26 guys over 180, and the average is 171. In 2014, there were only two guys on tour with a clubhead speed over 180 mph and the average speed was 167 mph. My driving distance is about the same, but everyone else is longer now. It’s not that I’ve gotten any shorter with my drives. It would be nice to pick up another 10-15 yards. “I’m also trying to pick up some clubhead speed. “I’ve been doing a lot of short-game stuff and going to the gym a little getting ready to play,” he said. Then he won several pro events on the mini tours. As an amateur, he won the CRAGA Stroke Play Championship with a tournament-record score at Wolferts Roost CC, captured two Schenectady Classic (then called the Gazette County Amateur) titles and was the MAAC Player of the Year while at Siena College. Although it’s not necessarily my favorite course, it’s nice not having to learn a new golf course before a competitive round.”īigley has won his share of golf events over the last couple of decades. “I grew up playing a lot of tournaments at the CC of Troy. I don’t see them as much as I used to now that I’m living on the West Coast,” he noted. “I’ve always enjoyed playing in the qualifier, but I usually come home just to see my family. Open local qualifier has always been special for Bigley, who qualified for sectional play - the next level before the prestigious U.S. I didn’t play terrible, but it just shows how low you have to go these days.” ![]() I played the Southern California Open recently, and the winner shot 23- or 24-under par for three days. It’s not the highest level, but you still have to shoot some low scores to win. But it’s a good way of getting my feet back into competing. “I was leading one tournament on the first day, and then I fell apart. “I’ve played in some of the bigger events of that tour with some elevated purses, but I haven’t done much yet,” Bigley said. Bigley’s main source of competition now is the Asher Tour. ![]()
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