After seven attempts, recent Binghamton University graduate and Williamsville native Jake Katz finally earned his spot in the United States Amateur Championship.
This years tournament is being played at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin. It was just a few weeks ago that this course was also selected to host the 2017 United States Open Championship. This year's amateur championship is being played at a record setting length of 7,760 yards. The par 72 course exceeded the old record length of 7,742 yards set at last year's championship at Chambers Bay.
Katz qualified for the tournament in Webster, NY at Webster Golf Club. He shot rounds of 73 and 71 for a two round total of 144 (E). Katz has had one of the best amateur careers in Western New York History. He is a two time Porter Cup participant where in 2010 he finished in the top 10. He was tied for the lead and in the final pairing on the final day before a round of 74 bumped him down a few spots. He still managed a top ten, besting some of the top amateurs in the world. While at Binghamton University, Katz excelled and broke the school's all time scoring record with a 73.6 average. He also set the school's lowest single round score of 66 (-6). During his junior year he finished second individually in all of the three school wins (Cornell T-2 of 79, Hal Sutton 2nd of 36, Lafayette T-2nd of 150). Katz is also a two time runner up in the New York State Men's Amateur Championship. Katz won the prestigious Lonnie Nielson Invitational at Crag Burn CC in 2009. He is a former Buffalo District Individual Champion as well as the men's match play champion.
Jake Katz, regarded here to some as the "next big thing" to come out of Buffalo in the sports world has a hard task ahead of him at the US Amatauer and things won't get any easier after that. Katz plans on turning pro after the US Am. Few in the past from Buffalo have tried to turn pro including Jamie Miller and David Patronik but neither have had the success that they would have hoped for. The odds stacked against someone to make it to the PGA Tour are next to zero and there is a reason why they call golf the most frustrating game alive. In one of my favorite pieces ever written in the Buffalo News by Bob DiCesare, he states a harsh reality about the odds of going pro.
"There are no roundabout ways to make it on tour. You don't get a job because you're 7-foot-1 and someone needs a backup center. You can't force your way to a card on kick coverage. There are no once-a-week putting specialists to come out of the bullpen and sink that 12-foot double-breaker with the tournament on the line." (DiCesare, 2011)"
Jake Katz will enjoy this week competing with the best amateur players in the world. He is in that category of the best amateurs in the world, and he has had to earn everything that he has achieved thus far. He is ranked no. 228 in the latest Scratch Amateur World Rankings and has climbed some 650 spots since the 2010 playing of the Porter Cup. This will not be the last time Katz competes against these guys, as these will be the same players he will be competing with to achieve his dream and goal of playing on the PGA Tour.
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