Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley to caddie for PGA Tour pro Andrew Novak in U.S. Open
It was inevitable that Jeff Hamley would reference Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery during his comments.
Hamley, a 2002 Cathedral Prep graduate, will caddie for Raleigh, North Carolina, native Andrew Novak during this week's U.S. Open at Brookline (Massachusetts) Country Club.
The same club where the 1913 U.S. Open was held.
The same 1913 U.S. Open when Francis Ouimet, an obscure 20-year old amateur who lived across the street from the course, won the tournament after an 18-hole playoff with British legends Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.
That upset victory by Ouimet, with the 10-year old Lowery as his caddie, was considered the flash point for participation in the sport throughout America's working class.
Hamley, whose interest in golf blossomed in his 20s, fell into that category. The former soccer player for the Ramblers, who later worked for Aerotek's plant in Harrisburg, took a leap of faith several years ago and made “looping” his full-time job.
His professional relationship with Novak, 27, took root three years ago.
“I'm hoping I can do as well as his (Ouimet's) caddie (this) week,” Hamley said.
Hamley spoke with the Erie Times-News news by phone Wednesday. That was the day before he and Novak were involved in the PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open at Toronto's St. George's Golf and Country Club.
Novak made the 36-hole cut with his cumulative score of even-par 140.
On Sunday night, the duo will take a brief flight to Boston for their inaugural appearances in one of golf's grand slam tournaments.
Third time's the charm
Novak and Hamley's partnership originated on the Korn Ferry Tour, which included an appearance in the 2019 LECOM Health Challenge at Peek'n Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York.
Novak's overall results finally paid off last fall. He was consistent enough on the PGA Tour's main feeder system to warrant a membership card to the big tour for its 2021-22 season.
Novak had started in 18 PGA events going into this weekend. He made the cut in eight of them and had accumulated more than $415,000 in prize money.
The best finish for Novak came in the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic in March. He finished in a tie for 11th place at 12-under 276.
Hamley said the novelty of carrying Novak's clubs, a task he called the easiest of his day-to-day responsibilities, has finally faded.
What hasn't faded is the job itself.
“It's a very unique in that requires a lot out of you,” Hamley said. “I'm challenged every day to do the best I can. But that's also very exciting for me.”
Caddie-golfer combo:Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley to caddie for new PGA Tour member Andrew Novak
Working to finally get Novak a U.S. Open berth was a prime example of what Hamley meant.
Novak, despite his current tour status, still had to make the cut for one of the Open's various qualifying tournaments in order to be part of field of 156 for Thursday's opening round at Brookline.
The U.S. Open is run by the United States Golf Association, not the PGA Tour. Novak didn't gain entry through any of the tournament's established exemptions, so he sought to become eligible through a May 23 qualifier.
That 36-hole tournament consisted of 18-hole rounds at Lakewood and Royal Oaks country clubs, located in suburban Dallas. The top 13 golfers made the the cut for Brookline.
Four golfers finished at 11-under overall. Novak was one back at 10-under.
Novak said the reason he qualified this time, as opposed to his previous two attempts, was the same reason that determines how weekend hackers regularly fare.
“I was making putts this time and I felt comfortable,” Novak said. “It was 36 holes, but honestly, by about my sixth or seventh hole, I had a feeling I was going to qualify. Everything felt locked in.”
Hamley, as that day progressed, also experienced growing good vibes about booking reservations for Brookline.
“The first year (we tried qualifying), we weren't ready for that challenge,” he said. “Last year, we missed by three strokes, but we knew we were getting close. This year, we went into it thinking, 'This is ours.'
“We learned that when it's 36 holes (in a day), patience is the utmost importance. After two years, Andrew finally had it.”
No summer vacation
The Canadian Open and U.S. Open are the first two of five straight events Hamley is scheduled to caddie for Novak.
The duo will remain in New England for next week's Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. They'll then head to the Midwest for the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois, and the Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville, Kentucky.
Hamley, though, doesn't want to ponder what happens beyond this week.
That's understandable, given he and Novak are about to appear in a U.S. Open, a historic tournament that will take place on an equally historic course.
“I know we're ready to compete,” Hamley said. “Getting through that Open qualifier was a great step, but we want to contend.”
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley to caddie in U.S. Open
