Dave Bunker reached the semifinals in last week's U.S. Senior Amateur
One week following his run to the semifinals at U.S. Senior Amateur, Canadian
Dave Bunker headlines an impressive assortment of competitors who will be on hand this week for the 32nd edition of the Senior Porter Cup, a 54-hole medal play event which gets underway on Wednesday at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, New York.
It will mark the first time the event has been contested in two years -- the tournament was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tournament organizers are expecting a field of 80 players, one that is likely to include some of the top-ranked senior competitors in America.
The tournament will feature four divisions including Seniors (ages 55-64), Super Seniors (65-69), Legends (70-74), and Super Legends (75 and up).
Doug Hanzel, who won this tournament for the second time two years ago, will not be defending. But there will be an abundance of talent on hand nonetheless.
Bunker, a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, comes into the event listed seventh on the Amateurgolf.com Senior Points List. In addition to reaching the semifinals of the recent U.S. Senior Amateur, he also won the Gateway Senior Invitational and Florida State Golf Association Senior Amateur, tied for seventh at the Jones Cup Senior, and recorded a solo seventh-place effort at the Timuquana Cup Senior.
Bunker has played in five USGA championships, including three U.S. Mid-Amateurs and two U.S. Senior Opens (2015, 2016). He advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2009 Mid-Amateur.
Allen Peake (Macon, GA), is currently stands 11th on the points list. His last eight tournament starts have all resulted in top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the Hesler, a tie for fourth at the Golfweek Senior Amateur, and a third-place effort at the Low Country.
Seventeenth-ranked
Brian Keenan (Tampa, Fla.) comes to upstate New York having win the Gasparilla Senior in February. His resume also includes a tie for third at the Gateway Senior Invitational, as well as a tie for seventh at the Golfweek POY Classic, a tie for eighth at the North and South Senior, and a tie for ninth at the Gasparilla Invitational.
Steve Maddalena (Jackson, Mich.) who is currently ranked 22nd, won the Trans-Mississippi Senior title this past May. He also tied for third at the Society of Seniors Spring Classic.
John Valuck (Oklahoma City), who is currently tied for 28th in the rankings, placed second at the U.S. Senior Challenge and tied for second at the Senior Masters.
Rich Bruckner (Hobe Sound, Fla.) who is currently ranked 39th, tied for second at the Dave King Invitational. He also tied for eighth at both the Hesler and the Florida Azalea Senior.
Jerry Slagle (Southlake, Texas) is currently tied for 45th in the rankings off a second-place finish at the Moot Thomas Senior Memorial and a tie for fourth at the Golfweek Senior Amateur.
The Senior Porter Cup was first contested in 1978. It was discontinued after 1980 but was resumed in 1992 and has been an annual fixture since.
ABOUT THE
Senior Porter Cup
The Senior Porter Cup is an invitational
amateur
event conducted at stroke play over 54 holes.
The
Tournament Committee reserves the right to
invite players of national and international
reputation to participate. Contestants are
selected
on the basis of their competitive record and
accomplishments in major amateur and senior
amateur tournaments. Players must be at least
55
years of age prior to beginning of tournament.
The Senior division was added to the annual
Porter Cup Invitational in 1992 and has been
played as as a separate tournament since
2008.
View Complete Tournament Information