2012 Amateur Champion Ryan McCormick sets sights on Travelers Championship
2012 NJSGA Amateur champion Ryan McCormick of Middletown, N.J., will play among the best golfers in the world beginning Thursday in the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
McCormick gained entry into his second career PGA Tour event – his first since the 2017 Puerto Rico Open – when he fired a six-under-par 66 in this past Monday’s Travelers Championship qualifier at Ellington Ridge Country Club in Ellington, Conn. His superb effort of 66 paced the field and included six birdies and no bogeys.
The former St. John’s University golfer, who the 2012 NJSGA Amateur at Baltusrol Golf Club and the 2012 MGA Amateur at Hollywood, qualified for his first PGA Tour event over two years ago, in March of 2017. That year, he shot a 7-under-par 65 in a Monday qualifier to play his way into the PGA Tour’s $3 million Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach Golf and Country Club. In that event, McCormick carded back-to-back rounds of 1-over-par 73, but failed to make the cut.
McCormick has been a regular at the Monday qualifiers on the Web.com tour and gained a spot in the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N.C. three weeks ago, but did not survive the cut after shooting 69-73.
“I’ve been playing great for a while, so I want to keep doing what I’m doing. Obviously, it’s a lot of fun to be here at the Travelers. I’m just trying to do my own thing. I’ll keep the blinders on. That’s my plan.”
McCormick said his game has evolved over the past year by working with coach Bernie Najar, the PGA Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland.
“I’ve put a lot of work in the gym this year and gained about 20 pounds. I’m hitting it more solidly and I’ve added length. My confidence level is as high as it’s ever been,” McCormick stated.
“I’m more mature, and I understand my game, what I do well, and how to manage it. I’ve just been doing the same things and staying patient on the greens. I’ve got some momentum with putter right now. I want to keep doing the things I do well – and just play my game. Only this week, it’s the PGA Tour and that makes it sweeter.”
At the Travelers, he is paired with Wes Roach and Seth Reeves, both members of the PGA Tour. The threesome will tee off at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and at 8:45 a.m. on Friday.
Last year, McCormick played in three Web.com Tour events, finishing 11th at the Savannah Golf Championship. He earned full-time status on the Asian Tour in 2017 and played on the Mackenzie Tour-Canada in 2014.
Ryan’s father is Mark McCormick, the long-time head professional at Suburban Golf Club in Union. The elder McCormick also played in a PGA Tour event while he was in California after playing in the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco.
At the Puerto Rico Open two years ago, McCormick was paired with PGA Tour pro Steve Alker of New Zealand and Californian Xander Schauffele, one of the hottest players on this year’s PGA Tour with two victories and a T-2 at The Masters.
Information and scoring for the Travelers Championship is available by clicking here.
