North Shore Golf Blog

By Gary Larrabee

It’s been a long, arduous journey to get this far, but Andover’s Rob Oppenheim has finally taken a major step forward in his career as a playing professional. By placing 64th at the 2009 PGA Tour Qualifying School, Oppenheim gained full playing privileges on the 2010 Nationwide Tour, the PGA Tour’s version of Triple A baseball.

“I’m closer to fulfilling my dream of getting on the PGA Tour,” Oppenheim told North Shore Golf magazine after finishing 15-under over three rounds to cash the $8,500 winner’s check in the first event on the 2010 Hooters’ Tour in chilly Florida, a tuneup for the Nationwide inaugural January 28-31 at the New Zealand Open.

“It’s the one direct route for playing my way onto the PGA Tour.”

If Oppenheim, who turns 30 on January 12, can finish among the top 25 money winners in 2010, as Massachusetts-bred 40-somethings Kevin Johnson (13th, $266,000) and Fran Quinn (25th, $191,000) did in 2009, he’ll punch his ticket onto the Big Show, Tiger Woods or no Tiger Woods.

“After bouncing around on the Canadian Tour and assorted mini-tours the last several years, this is where I need to be to find out how good I can be,” said Oppenheim, who grew up just off the fairways at Indian Ridge, and whoworks with Andover CC pro Mike Menery.

“This is my first chance on the Nationwide. The opportunity is there. It’s up to me to take advantage.”

Oppenheim, the son of a prominent local golfing clan that include father Jim and his late uncle, Peter, has the game, most observers agree. The former Rollins College standout has had moderate success in his professional travels, including victory in the 2009 Massachusetts Open at Belmont. That made him one of only five players, including Johnson and Francis Ouimet, to win both the Mass. Open and Mass. Amateur (2002 at Winchester). But now he faces the ultimate challenge of his career. It wasn’t easy getting there. He’d never reached the third and final stage of Q-School until December. He’d been to the second stage five times and never made it to the climactic 108-hole finale. Oppenheim was in fact in great shape to earn his PGA Tour card last month after middle rounds of 69 and 67 placed him seven under after four rounds. But he slipped to 75 and 73 finishing up.

“Even with that finish, I was encouraged,” Oppenheim said, when I finished one-under for the last three holes, knowing I was shooting for as high a slot in the Nationwide Tour pecking order as I could attain.” He also got to play the last two rounds in what was considered the “headline” pairing with Rickie Fowler, considered by some as the next Rory McElroy. Fowler finished strong and earned his PGA Tour card. “That was a good experience,” Rob said.“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt,” said Oppenheim, who was given a rousing sendoff by family and friends at Long Meadow Golf Club in Lowell, one of his former stomping grounds.

“I’ll have no excuses if I don’t make the most of this opportunity.”

Oppenheim, who also works with Tom Garner at Bay Hill in Orlando, Rob’s southern base, plans to play in most every one of the 29 events scheduled. One he’ll miss is the Mexico Open the end of June so that he can attend his sister Jill’s wedding in Aruba.

“I’ve been very fortunate over the years,” Rob, Salem-born, said. “I’ve had every chance to make the most of my game thanks to my parents, above everyone else, and the many people who’ve supported me from the Greater Andover area. Now it’s my turn to return that support with the best season of my life.”

Quinn, Johnson and James Driscoll, the Bay State’s standard bearers on the PGA Tour in 2010, are anxious to welcome Oppenheim to their exclusive club.

A good read off the greens

Journalistic drivel amuses even me. So if you want some for a chuckle, read Jaime Diaz’ analysis of “What Happened” to Tiger Woods in the February 2010 issue of Golf Digest. Sad stuff for the leading publication in the game/industry (along with sister pub Golf World) to compound its inadvertent mistake from the January cover featuring Tiger and President Obama and giving Diaz, Woods’ foremost apologist, a chance to shed more tears for the Disgraced One in his eighth annual assessment of Tiger’s career. Yecch.As I have blogged previously, Tiger remains at the top of the heap as a golfer, but he has dropped to the bottom of the bottomless pit of horrendous role models. Moreover, he has done irreparable damage to the game; the game many of us consider the greatest of all games, where character and integrity count more than one’s final score and money earnings. Letters to the editor in the February Digest ran 10-2 harshly critical of Woods from several different perspectives. ‘Nuff said — for now. Hey, Tiger, come out, come out, wherever you are.

Business was booming at The Meadow in 2009

Congrats to the City of Peabody, Peter Cronan, manager and course professional, and Dick Duggan, course superintendent at The Meadow, the city-owned municipal course which saw an increase of 800 rounds in 2009 from 2008. Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon, the Beverly City Council and the Golf and Tennis Commission should consult with their Peabody counterparts for insight in running a successful public golf club. Granted, they are two different circumstances, but the fact remains Beverly has every bit as fine a golf facility, plus an historic clubhouse, both of which deserve a greater financial commitment from the Garden City’s politicians. Hopefully they’ll see fit to keep Manny Barros and Bass River Golf Management in charge, regardless of the monetary concessions the city might have to make. They’ve got the right team in place; don’t screw it up.And fix up the landmark club house.

MGA Champions Award Dinner

Nice North Shore flavor to the 15th annual Massachusetts Golf Association Salute to Champions Awards dinner at Wellesley Country Club. St. John’s Prep sophomore Nick McLaughlin, playing out of Far Corner, was cited as MGA Junior champion and recipient of the Christopher Cutler Rich MGA Junior Player of the Year award. The honor is named for a former Hamilton junior golfer who died after a freak automobile accident several years ago.

Salem CC’s Stephen DiLisio was introduced as winner, at the age of 11, of the MGA Junior Boys’ division title last summer, and Indian Ridge’s Jim Oppenheim, a member of the well-known North Shore golfing clan originally based at Kernwood, stood in for son Rob, who won the Massachusetts Open in June at Belmont. That made Rob one of only six players to win both the Mass. Open and Mass. Amateur. The others? Francis Ouimet, Jesse Guilford, Ould Newbury product Charles Volpone, Jim Hallet and Kevin Johnson, of whom the latter’s parents hailed from Salem and Peabody.

Old friend Jim Gaquin, who ran the 1984 United States Women’s Open at Salem with wife Lois and the club’s Ollie Cook, received the MGA’s Frank Sellman Distinguished Service Award. Salem’s DiLisio clan, as well as new president Bill Leaver, club GM Greg Cincotta and long-time member and MGA Commiteeman George DeMerritt were in attendance to add their accolades.

Lastly, former Danvers resident and ex-Bradford member Bill Drohen was honored for capturing the 2009 Amateur at The Country Club, the same place brother Andy copped the coveted title in 2003 and against the same opponent, Frank Vana. Frank was honored as the MGA Player of the Decade… Frank’s wife, Boxford native Becky Blaeser, the MGA’s communications director, drew plaudits all around for producing another stellar program…It was great to see North Shore amateur standout Ken Whalley in attendance at the MGA dinner. He looked fit and trim after dealing with a serious heart condition in 2009. Looks like he’ll be ready to take on his competitive brethren in a few months.

That championship feeling …

The 2010 MGA schedule features three North Shore venues. Ipswich Country Club and Turner Hill will share the stage for the Four-Ball Championship May 10 and 11 and Myopia will host the 102nd Amateur July 12-16. Wellesley will host the Open for the third time June 21-23.

Congrats to Rich Gagnon, long time former assistant superintendent to Kip Tyler at Salem, on being named recipient of the 2010 Excellence in Government Relations Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Gagnon, the head superintendent at Segregansett in Taunton, will receive the award at the annual GCSAA Education Conference February 9 in San Diego. Gagnon’s award comes in the compliance category after he hired high school students to work on his grounds crew. But not before he researched Massachusetts child labor lawsto determine their applicability to golf course operations. The data Gagnon compiled after working with the fair Labor Division in the Office of the Attorney General has been shared with other golf course superintendents across the state.

They will be missed

Our condolences on the passing of local golfers Linda Robbin, Kinky White, Arthur Fiste, Jim McNamara, J. Hilary Rockett and Charlie Sagan.