ERIE — Breckin Taylor will have a chance at a major championship in some friendly confines.
Taylor, who just completed his junior season at the University of Dayton, shot a 3-under score of 69 to earn the top qualifying spot in the final WPGA Amateur Championship qualifying round at Lawrence Park Golf Club Thursday.
“Lately, I've been focusing on making as least amount of bogeys as possible, and I did that today,” said Taylor, a member at The Kahkwa Club in Erie. “I made just one bogey and four birdies and shot 69. I was just focusing on the good things, one shot at a time and just making sure I didn't miss in the wrong place.”
Taylor, who led Dayton’s team in scoring average this past season, benefitted from recent experiences in cold, damp college events on Thursday, as light rain and frigid temperatures added an extra level of difficulty to Lawrence Park.
“I definitely would say I have an edge on other guys in this field,” said Taylor, a Cathedral Prep graduate. “I’ve been playing in these conditions all year up until now, and I've had the practice and been wearing rain suits, raincoats, having the umbrella. I think it definitely helped with hedging the elements today.”
Carter Hassenplug finished with a 2-under score of 70, while Christopher Kupniewski shot a 1-under mark of 71. Kameron Kerle, Mike Wolfe and Isaac Allan were all even par. In total, 17 players earned a trip to the 126th WPGA Amateur Championship, set for June 8-9 at The Kahkwa Club.
For Taylor, an opportunity to compete on his home course for a major championship was enticing.
“There is legacy within this event,” he said. “There's a lot of great players that have won and gone on to win PGA events.
“So, I think it was a little bit of both, the fact that it is home grounds, and it'll be nice to play and sleep in my own bed and whatnot, but also the fact that there's history within the event.”
Taylor is one of four Kahkwa members who earned spots in the West Penn Am on Thursday, while a fifth, Ted Grassi, will be the top alternate from the 49-player field at Lawrence Park.
“Everybody knows everybody here, and it's always fun when you get paired with people you know,” said Taylor of seeing so many familiar faces at the only Erie-based qualifying event this year. You look forward to it the next day when you see the pairing.
“I just ate lunch with a bunch of my friends who I've grown up playing with, and it's just nice seeing that when I come home and get to play with all my friends.”
Now in its 126th year, the WPGA Amateur Championship dates back to the Association’s first year, 1899, and is one of the oldest regional amateur championships in the country.
The Kahkwa Club, which will host the West Penn Am, has also hosted several USGA national championships throughout its history.
Taylor believes his home course will provide an elite test for the region’s top amateur players next month.
“It depends on the weather, it really does at this time of year,” he said. “I know we have a couple weeks before then, but I would say definitely expect the greens to be pretty dang quick, and work on your speed control, because I think that's probably the biggest part out there.
“If you putt it well and have good speed, and you leave yourself tapping pars all over the place and make a few putts, I think that's going to be the win or lose in the event.”
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