ENDICOTT, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – The first day of golf at En-Joie Golf Club for this year’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open took place Wednesday with the first day of the Pro-Am.
Action began with a shotgun start at 8:30 AM and continued throughout the day with a second shotgun start at 1:30.
The Pros were paired up with 4 amateurs to play with in the event, as they got the chance to play the course prior to the first official round of the tournament on Friday.
Participants of the Pro-Am included John Daly, Fred Funk and the local fan favorite Joey Sindelar.
The Horseheads native considers En-Joie a home course for him and says it was good to be back in the area with the people who have supported him for so long.
“This is the chance to see friends that have been apart of my golf life or my life, life for so long,” Sindelar said. “I mean, been I think my first tournament here was in ’82-’83. So I mean, we’re coming up on 40 years worth of people just being so in my corner, it’s awesome.”
Sindelar has found success on this course, winning the BC Open twice, once in 1985 and again 2 years later in ’87.
Another who hit the links on Wednesday is one of the newer members of the PGA Champions tour in David Duval.
Having not played on this course for a number of years, Duval took the opportunity to get a feel for the course once again.
“It’s a beautiful golf course,” Duval said. “It’s fairly narrow corridors off the tees within the trees that can certainly stand to be trimmed back a bit. But it’s just a nice place, just lucky to be able to play a course like this.”
Duval and the rest of the Pro-Am participants will have another go at it Thursday with Day 2.
Some new names being added to the pro category for Thursday.
World Golf Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer is scheduled to play as well as the reigning champ of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, Cameron Beckman.