Fairlee
Employing the first three talents, Peter French became the latter on Wednesday. A largely mistake-free final round netted the Franklin, Mass., native the Jeff Julian Memorial Vermont Open title for his first professional golf victory.
On a day when no one could make a serious charge, French did enough to extinguish hope. Tied for the tournament lead at the day’s start, the former Johnson & Wales University golfer recorded two early birdies, made two key mid-round par saves and capitalized on a superb bunker shot for his final birdie, carding a 3-under-par 67 for the day and a 9-under-par 201 (64-70-67) for the three-day tourney.
French earned $7,000 for the win.
“I’ve always felt very comfortable out in front, definitely,” French said. “Being this my first wire-to-wire, leading it from day one to day three, it’s definitely nice. I had a great junior career, and I learned how to win when I was young; in college, same thing. … I definitely think I’ve just got to continue to learn how to win and keep building.”
Joseph Harney, the 2015 Massachusetts Open champion, and Braden Shattuck, a second-year pro out of Philadelphia, finished four shots back. Recent James Madison University graduate Ryan Cole, part of the final threesome with French and Buffalo, N.Y.-area native Bill Gaffney, was fourth, six shots in arrears.
“He played really well; he played solid, made only one bogey, so that was really good out there,” Cole said. “There’s a lot of short holes, but the pins were really tough and the greens got really firm. It was really hard to hold anything, and making putts was challenging. It was not easy out there at all.”
The 6-foot-2 French, 23, came to Lake Morey with an impressive amateur resume. He amassed six tournament wins during his time at JWU, a small-school golf power situated in North Miami, Fla., winning last year’s Jack Nicklaus Award as the top NAIA golfer in the country. A 2016 graduate, French’s senior campaign included three victories, three additional top-five finishes, 11 total top-10s and new school scoring marks for a round (63) and 54 holes (202). He also played in three U.S. Amateurs, turning pro after last summer’s tourney at Oakland Hills in Michigan.
French wants to continue employing the same habits he used as an amateur to push forward his professional future. He displayed that at Lake Morey by making few mistakes and blocking out all distractions. When the wind blew pine needles onto the greens, French meticulously slapped them away with his towel. When Cole and Gaffney verbally got down on themselves, French stepped away so as not to hear.
“I wanted to continue to make myself mistake-free, which was huge because that puts a lot of pressure on the other guys whether I’m leading or not,” French said. “You can tell. You can see where other players will push, and you see the frustration in body language. When I’m out in front, I try to stay as level as possible, no matter what I do.”
Some golfers play their way into contention. Others talk their way out of it.
Sharing the 36-hole lead with Gaffney at 6 under, French gained some distance early. He assumed the lead for good when Gaffney bogeyed the 232-yard, par-3 opening hole, extended it with a birdie on the par-5 second and stretched it as Gaffney seemingly berated himself with every presumed misplay.
Cole, one shot off the lead entering Wednesday, inherited the primary challenger role as Gaffney lost five shots to par in his first six holes. But when Cole looked ready to attack, chipping in from off the green for a birdie on the par-3 seventh, French immediately answered with a 12-foot birdie putt of his own.
French recorded good up-and-down pars on 9 and 12 to maintain a three-shot lead on Cole and Shattuck until essentially winning the tourney on 13. French and Cole both tried to reach the downhill par-5 in two, but both landed in the greenside sand trap. Cole blasted his bunker shot 25 feet past the pin and three-putted for bogey; French plopped his ball a foot from the stick for a birdie and an insurmountable lead.
“I never really felt I was in great position,” Cole said. “I had a couple of chances early on — I had a chance on 3, and then 4 — but then I didn’t have many opportunities until 10. Beyond that, I made a bad bogey on 13, and that was that.”
Shattuck, two shots back at day’s start, rallied from an opening bogey and reached 5 under at the turn. Like the rest of the field, however, he never could string enough opportunities together to make French sweat.
“I couldn’t get anything going,” said the former University of Delaware golfer, who shot a final-round 69. “I didn’t really hit any bad putts today. I just had a couple of 6-footers, 5-footers that just didn’t go in. I had a 4-footer on the first hole that didn’t go in, either, so that’s not the best way to start your round.”
French has had plenty on his mind in the past year. In addition to closing a strong college career and trying to establish himself on a professional circuit, he’s had to watch his father, Mike, work his way back from stage IV non-Hodgkins lymphoma of the brain. Dad is now cancer-free, and French is employing everything he’s learned — on the course, and off — to becoming the golfer he believes he can be.
“To come here and win is not unexpected, but I just need to continue as before,” French said. “If I put myself in position, all that other stuff goes away.”
Chip Shots: On-course distraction took on a new meaning prior to the final hole for Shattuck. Walking to the 18th tee, he was intercepted by a female admirer who pulled her car over, stopped him and chatted him up, all to the glee of Shattuck’s playing partners. Shattuck had just missed a short birdie putt on 17, and one on 18 would have given him solo second place. The fit and tanned 22-year-old took it in stride: “She had to introduce herself because I was such a handsome guy,” Shattuck said. “She asked me if I was single and gave me her number. So next time I come up here, I guess I’m hanging out with Jasmine.” … Harney shot a 67 to match French and New York’s Matthew Campbell for the day’s low round. … French finished third at the Cape Cod Open three weeks ago and was in the field for the New England Open at the Quechee Club when the latter tourney was cancelled by rain two weeks back. … Cole, playing in his first pro event, turned 22 on Wednesday. … Quechee assistant Curt Goldsberry shot 72-69-71—212 to tie for 27th place. Dartmouth College golf coach Rich Parker had a final-round 77 and tied for 12th among amateurs at 14-over 224. … Former Hartford High hockey goaltender Aaron Mullen is working as the Vermont Golf Association’s intern this summer. … The final groups reached the 18th green with the sound of bagpipe music playing in the distance.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.