Sucher erases 12-stroke gap to pull even
UAB senior chases down Georgia’s Mitchell
LEWISTON — Zack Sucher knew after completing his second round of the Porter Cup on Friday morning that somebody was going to make a charge. The players in the tournament were too talented to believe anything else. Plus, the conditions along Niagara Falls Country Club were simply ideal.
Sucher’s humble approach, not to mention his even-par 70, prevented him from making any bold predictions about being the one who would force his way to the front. At one point Friday, he was 12 shots behind leader Adam Mitchell. Common sense suggested he was in deep trouble, but he wasn’t about to pack up his clubs for home, either.
“It’s nice to be back,” Sucher said with a smile.
Yeah, he’s back. The 21-year-old from Mobile, Ala., stormed up the leader board over his final 21 holes, finishing tied for the lead going into the final round today. Sucher fired a 4-under par 66 and made up seven shots over his final 18 holes. He and Mitchell share a four-shot lead over Wesley Bryan. The trio tees off at 11:50 a. m. today.
Jonathan Hodge was five shots back at 206 for the tournament.
It should make for an interesting showdown in the final group between Sucher, a senior at the University of Alabama-Birmingham who is ranked 15th among world amateurs, and Mitchell, a second-team All-American from the University of Georgia. They have combined for the four lowest rounds of the tournament. Sucher shot 65 on Wednesday.
“I’m not going to say much for [today],” Sucher said. “I really wanted to be in the last
group. That was my main goal. At least then you know what’s going on. You can judge how you need to play, especially at the end.”
The Porter Cup included 36 holes Friday after rain wiped out play Thursday. Mitchell opened the tournament with an 8-under par 62, confirmed it wasn’t a fluke when he returned with a 66 in the morning round. He had medal honors in both rounds and a commanding lead midway through the tournament.
Only a slight breeze blew across the 6,759-yard layout during the morning before the winds picked up in the afternoon. The biggest problem was greens that Mother Nature left extremely soft in the morning. It made for receptive greens, but footprints left behind by previous groups made for a bumpy ride to many holes. They were more firm in the afternoon.
“It’s tough when you have four-and five-footers, and you have a minefield to putt through,” said University of Florida senior Billy Horschel, the third-ranked amateur in the world, who was in a group that was nine shots back. “There was no way, even if you put a good stroke on it, that it was going in the hole.”
East Amherst’s Raman Luthra shot 67 in the morning and 70 in the afternoon and was 10 shots back at 211 to lead the local contingent. Kenmore’s Peter Creighton (219), Silver Creek’s Jamie Miller (220), Jamestown’s Chris Stoddard (228), Lackawanna’s Liam Friedman (230), West Seneca’s Jeff Wolniewicz (231) and Lewiston’s Fred Silver (231) were well off the lead.
Sucher was rather unfortunate Thursday. He started the second round with three straight birdies before the rains came. Partial scores weren’t counted, so everybody started the second round from scratch Friday. The chore for Sucher was keeping Mitchell in his sights through the 36 holes.
Literally, it was quite manageable. They played both rounds together along with Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas. But the grouping also helped Sucher in a figurative sense. He could see exactly where he stood on the leader board and had the chance to chip away at Mitchell’s commanding advantage.
Sucher was merely trying to stay in the tournament after making a double bogey on No. 14 in his morning round. He began making his move two holes later, converting the first of three straight birdies after it appeared he was cooked. Finally, he gained the momentum he had been seeking going into the afternoon.
“I was just nibbling away,” Sucher said. “I just wanted to make some birdies and try to catch him. He was playing great for a while. He’s still hitting the ball good.”
Drawing within five shots going into today seemed reasonable, assuming Mitchell showed a little mercy. Starting the third round on the back nine, the swing that made Mitchell appear flawless in the first two rounds began to abandon him. He sprayed an iron shot off the tee behind a 30-foot pine tree on No. 14, forcing him to chip to safety and settle for bogey. Suddenly, those easy birdies became tough pars or worse.
Sucher made up one shot with an eagle on No. 11. He drew closer with a two-putt from 45 feet on No. 14. He made a slippery downhill putt on the 15th to trim the lead to four shots. He made a five-footer for birdie on No. 6. He caught Mitchell with a bogey on No. 9, their finishing hole after Mitchell hit a poor tee shot, a worse second shot and limped home with a double bogey and a third-round 73.
“It was a long day,” Mitchell said. “I was worn out, and my putter was ice cold. . . . I started hitting it a little wayward. I haven’t played that much golf in a while. I wasn’t ready for 36 holes. Then again, I’m right in there with a chance to win. It’s all you can ask for.”
