Columnist Peter Benton: Las Vegan makes it to U.S. Senior Open

Peter Benton

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 | 9:02 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

If you were one of the hundreds of "rabbits" pursuing a life on any of the professional golf tours, you would be guaranteed to face a harrowing, frustrating, and at times, incredibly challenging lifestyle.

Such is the case with local Las Vegan Pat Laverty, who is trying so desperately hard to find his niche on the PGA Champions Tour.

Week after week, Laverty travels to the various qualifying sites endeavoring to capture one of the two available spots which are open to those Monday qualifiers. That's two spots from an average field of 120 hopefuls -- an unenviable position, to be sure.

However, last week everything gelled for our aspiring Tour player, as Laverty garnered one of the two available qualifying berths for the upcoming $2,600,000 U.S. Senior Open scheduled for July 25-31 at the NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio.

Playing the par-72 Rio Bravo Country Club in Bakersfield, Calif, the personable Laverty fired a 4-under 68 to gain admission into the most prestigious tournament on the Champions Tour.

Since his early retirement a few years ago, Laverty has devoted his time to this fascinating yet humbling game, and any success he may receive will come purely from the desire, hard work and positive attitude he has always displayed.

The patience and perseverance this affable fellow has put into his game appears to have finally paid off, and I, along with so many of his fans, friends and family, am looking for him to put his best foot forward, making next week's Open cut, and prove to one and all that the Tour and its precarious lifestyle is where he belongs.

Go get 'em, Pat.

With a 2-under, 69, Gary Montrel, (Black Mountain,) won last week's qualifying tournament for the Southwest Section of the PGA's Match Play Championship.

This event, played at the TPC Canyons, saw Dale Akridge, (SouthShore,) Kim Doland, (Sienna) and Mike Davis, (Walters Golf) share second place with 70's. Travis Long and Wes Weston, also of SouthShore, along with Angel Park's Tom Carlson and Jerry Roberts (Walters Golf) followed with even par 71's.

With the conclusion of this event, the field for next week's 2005 Las Vegas Chapter PGA Match Play Championship, which gets underway on Monday at the TPC Canyons, is as follows:

Kim Doland, Dale Akridge, Todd Hajduk, Donny Long, Pat Duty, Mike Stewart, Troy Helseth, Gary Knapp, Cory Harlickson, Jim Neighbors, Chris Eastman, John Skaggs, Carl Seelman, Josh Nichols, Derrick Hunter, Matt Oakley, Doug Castalleri, Chris Paul, Jerry Roberts, Paul Mowry, Byron Cone, Tom Blinkinsop, Dan Hammell, Matt Kilgariff, Ron Glennie, Jeremy Hayman, Jerry Mead, John Kelley, David Owens, Dick Ryan, Dave Barnhardt and Tony Emmes.