PITTSFORD, NY (July 23, 2024) – The 83rd Monroe Invitational kicked off on Tuesday with a pro-am style “Blitz”, along with a clinic featuring five tournament players and 14 aspiring young area golfers of the Rochester Boys and Girls Club.
The Blitz paired xx tournament players of the Monroe Invitational field with the rest of the paying participants.
The five players that volunteered their time for the clinic were Nicholas Prieto (Arizona State), Ben Carpenter (Yale), Jake Griffin (Penn State), Patrick Sheehan (Penn State), and Luke Wells (Rutgers).
Clinic participants received instruction at two separate stations, one focusing on the golf swing and technique, and the other targeting putting stroke. At the end, the Boys and Girls Club attendees had a question and answer session with the players. The questions ranged from asking the players their favorite snack, to wondering how many tournaments each player had won in their lifetime.
For Patrick Sheehan, it was an easy decision to take part in the clinic instruction. “It was kind of a no-brainer when I got asked to do it,” said Sheehan. “It’s nice to give back to the kids and to see people that have an interest in golf at a young age because when I was growing up, it seemed like there wasn’t as much interest. It seems like it’s becoming more of a popular sport (golf) and I hope it does because it’s something that has brought a lot into my life, so I hope it does with others.”
Sheehan, who is making a third appearance at the Monroe Invitational, is relishing the opportunity to play in the tournament one last time. He has formed a special connection with his host family, the Finkbeiner family, which was a logical pairing from the start bonded by a common love for Penn State. The Finkbeiner’s have four daughters, three of which have attended, or are currently attending Penn State, while Sheehan just recently graduated from there.
Sheehan plans to turn pro at the end of the summer but wanted to play the Monroe Invitational one last time. Said Sheehan, “Being that this is my last year as an amateur, I wanted to play this event especially — it was one of the reasons I stayed an amateur, to play an event like this.”
The Monroe Invitational Committee seized the opportunity to help grow the game of golf by partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester. Boys and Girls of Rochester, a non-profit, has a mission “to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring community members.
The Boys and Girls Club partners with First Tee and other Rochester courses throughout the summer to offer chances to play/learn more about the game. Said Boys and Girls Club Director of Marketing, Caleb McGuire, “It’s great to get the kids out to a nice golf course like this and see these top amateurs.” “The kids get a chance to see what practicing hard and putting a lot of time into the game can do. It also helps them learn golf technique and etiquette.”
Tournament format
The Monroe Invitational is a 72-hole stroke play tournament played on the par 70 Monroe Golf Club championship layout. Tee times begin at 7 a.m. each of the four days. There will be a cut to the top 45 players and ties after the third round (54 holes) on Friday. The awards ceremony will take place following completion of play on Saturday at approximately 1 p.m. The schedule will be as follows:
Wednesday, July 24 – Round 1
Thursday, July 25 – Round 2
Friday, July 26 – Round 3
Saturday, July 27 – Round 4
Admission is free and open to the public!