John Kemp and Stephen Creed proudly carry England’s banner at the US Senior Amateur

John Kemp and Stephen Creed proudly carry England’s banner at the US Senior Amateur

John Kemp (left) and Stephen Creed (photo by Paul Payne)

Story courtesy of Paul Payne

Having enjoyed a distinguished golfing career in England, John Kemp is used to dealing with pressure and the Woburn Golf Club member knows what it takes to perform at his best when the stakes are highest.

Kemp won the English Senior Men’s Open Championship this year and finished fourth in the British Senior Amateur Championship last month after finishing second in the event last year.

But as daunting as it may be to compete at such a high level of success, the outcome of these events was about much more than just building a resume that would allow entry into the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship taking place this week at The Honors Course.

Instead, there was a more crucial piece of the puzzle related to Kemp’s qualifications, and fortunately he was able to fulfill his wife Mandy’s request.

“I had to attend this event because my wife loves Elvis Presley,” Kemp said. “We knew it was going to be here (in the Honors Course), so I went online and Googled it. After I told her she was in Tennessee, she said, ‘I want to go to Memphis.’ So that was my goal.”

The Kemps arrived early from England, realizing that the golf tournament was now secondary to their itinerary. They spent three nights in Nashville and then headed west to Memphis.

“She loves country and western music, so she liked Nashville,” Kemp said. “Then we went to Graceland and it was worth the trip. She just doesn’t care about golf. When I compete, she’s much more focused on the wildlife she sees on the course than on how well I play.”

While his wife may not have been paying much attention to Kemp’s play in the final round of stroke play on Sunday, the rest of the field certainly was. Kemp shot an impressive 2-under-par 70 – the best round of the day and of stroke play – to finish joint medalist with Roger Newsom of Virginia Beach, Virginia, at 2-under-par 142.

Kemp opened on hole 10 and turned things around in 34 shots with birdies on holes 11, 15 and 17, offset by a bogey on hole 18. Two more birdies to start his back nine on holes 1 and 2 dropped him to 4 under par, but bogeys on holes 4 and 8 moved him back into shared first place.

The adjustment to the terrain and grass required for links golf in England presented an additional challenge for Kemp and fellow countryman Stephen Creed on their first visit to the Honors Course. But both will get the chance to improve their understanding of the course by advancing to the match play portion of the tournament on Monday.

“It was a shock to me because I don’t put spin on the ball,” said Creed, who shot 80 to secure a spot and finished tied for 49th at 12 over 156. “I’m not kidding – the amount of work my caddie and I had to do on that short game area to understand how to put spin on the ball was incredible. I’d never experienced anything like it.”

Kemp competed in the Anderson Memorial at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, so he had a taste of what to expect before arriving at the Honors Course.

“In terms of difficulty, this course is just like Winged Foot,” said Kemp, who has previously competed in two U.S. Mid-Amateurs and the British Senior Open. “The greens here remind me of when I played there, and I’ve never played on anything like it.”

There is also uncertainty about how to deal with the dense Bermuda rough, which serves as additional defence at The Honors and does not exist in England.

“The ball stays really deep here and we’re used to hitting the ball in the rough, which isn’t possible here,” Creed said. “And then there’s the elephant grass, which you can only hack the ball out of. This type of golf course is completely foreign to me.”

After winning the English Senior Men’s Amateur last year, Creed found his own motivation, which led him on a personal golf odyssey across Europe in the hopes of making it to the US Amateur.

Creed is accompanied on his journey to America by Peter, his brother who is 17 years older.

“My brother had to leave home because there was no place for him, so I never really got to know him,” said Stephen. “When he was younger, he was a little bit of a rebel.”

After many years of separation, Peter Creed decided to reconnect with his little brother, whom he barely knew 26 years ago.

“I was a hippie and a free spirit,” Peter said. “I retired at 51 after 36 years as a student nurse and called him. I asked him, ‘Stephen, can I meet you and play a round of golf with you?'”

Peter, 76, had no interest in playing golf with his little brother, but wanted to accompany him on many of his trips, which allowed the brothers to relive the lost years.

“The relationship would have ended a long time ago if I hadn’t enjoyed his comfort,” said Stephen. “He has some wonderful stories that I’ve heard many times. Once you get to know him, he’s a lovely man. I dust him off in April and he’s at most of my shows through September.”

Peter is smartly dressed in his elegant wardrobe at The Honors, wowing the others with his inimitable charm, while Stephen is working on the golf course, following the action on his phone while entertaining others near the clubhouse.

“I’ve never played golf in my life,” said Peter. “I know the game, but he sees it differently. But I’ve learned to tolerate him. We’ve been on this incredible journey together for the last 26 years.”

Although he is a successful amateur in England, qualifying for the US Amateur represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Stephen.

“For me, this is the pinnacle. I don’t think I can achieve any more than what I have achieved now,” said Stephen. “Since I stopped playing cricket at 35, I have been pushing my game forward and to be here has exceeded my expectations.”

“This place took me out of my comfort zone. You either run away or you dig in. And the first nine holes were tough, but eventually I fought through and shot par on the second nine holes.”

Stephen forwent the opportunity to use a golf cart during the competition to control the rhythm of his game and shared his thoughts on his experiences on the Honors Course in a blog with his followers at home.

“This place can literally test you and only the best will prevail,” said Stephen. “I wrote on my blog, ‘Imagine this is the golf course you want to play in your life. And I believe it is.'”

You can reach Paul Payne at [email protected].