WOODSTOCK — Jamie Sindelar made sure he gave his dad a big hug on Father’s Day. After all, he’s the reason why Jamie has been at Woodstock Country Club this week.
As the 29-year-old son of Joey Sindelar, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour and an active competitor on the Champions Tour, Jamie grew up around golf. It’s no surprise, then, that he followed his father into the family business — even attended the same university — although health issues have slowed the younger Sindelar’s progress.
Things have gone swimmingly of late. Taking advantage of the New England state open circuit for the first time, Jamie tied for fifth at the New England Open on Quechee Highlands two weeks ago and followed that up with a fourth-place finish at last week’s Massachusetts Open.
He’s in the hunt for the Jeff Julian Memorial Vermont Open as well, Sindelar’s last stop in the region before he truly starts concentrating on getting back to where he wants to be.
“I love this style of golf,” Sindelar said after posting a 4-under 66 in Monday’s first round at Woodstock Country Club. “I grew up in upstate New York, so this feels familiar to me. Nice to be back on some bentgrass.
“If you’re not playing on the Web.com Tour, these are honestly the best events you can go to, the most bang for your buck, so to speak. Good purses, good players, great golf courses, the weather’s perfect. What’s not to like about being up here right now?”
Sindelar shot 67 in Tuesday’s second round. His two-day total of 7-under 133 leaves him four shots off the pace for Wednesday’s finale.
Growing up in golf, Jamie regularly hovered in his father’s orbit on tour. He and his younger brother, Ryan, would average five or six trips per season to any particular tour stop where Joey was playing.
It’s ultimately why Jamie decided on the touring life. But not because Dad insisted.
“I really didn’t choose this path; it chose me,” said Sindelar, who occasionally caddied for his father during the latter’s transition from the PGA Tour to the Champs Tour. “Being around the Bernhard Langers and the Scott McCarrons and the Joey Sindelars, it gives you a good appreciation: A) for what they do, and B) how good you have to be to get there. The expectation of knowing what to do to get there, that’s been the biggest part of it.”
Joey Sindelar won 10 tournaments and was a two-time first-team All-American at Ohio State, so it stood to reason that his oldest son would follow his footsteps to Columbus. Jamie wasn’t as victorious as his father while with the Buckeyes, but he still earned three varsity letters and was a regular on the Big Ten’s all-academic teams.
Jamie earned status on the Web.com Tour in 2014 and ’15, but not enough to get into more than one tournament each season. He was starting to experience back pain toward the end of 2015, and that cost him about a year of touring time, Jamie said.
Those ailments have gone away, and the results show it. After an event in Pittsburgh, Sindelar said he’d be returning home to Florida for some minor-league events before beginning preparations for Web.com Tour qualifying school.
The golfing Sindelars connected last weekend before each headed in different golfing directions, Jamie to Vermont, Joey to this week’s Champs event in Wisconsin.
“When we get a chance to be together,” Jamie said, “it’s the greatest.”
Bradley tourney in doubt: It’s looking increasingly likely that Woodstock native Keegan Bradley won’t be able to host his annual charity tournament at his former home course this summer.
Bradley, the four-time PGA Tour winner and former Woodstock High athlete, has been holding a tourney at Woodstock CC since 2012, usually in late August, to benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital and University of Vermont Cancer Center in Burlington. The event coincided with the week of the tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs stop in suburban Boston, but that tournament was cut as part of a rearrangement of the tour’s calendar last year. That left this week’s Travelers Championship south of Hartford, Conn., as Bradley’s only incursion into New England this season.
Matt Closter, Woodstock’s director of golf, said all sides involved in hosting the tournament are working for a solution, although he admitted the potential for not being able to do so this year was possible. If it were to become more likely, Closter said he’d find a date for it.
Return of the native: Jacques Celestino once called the Upper Valley home. He came back this week, both to visit family and compete in the Vermont Open as an amateur.
Celestino lived in Norwich until he was 10, when his family made the move to Florida. His older brother, Nick, competed regionally in American Junior Golf Association events as a teen, eventually earning a spot on the men’s golf team at Rhode Island. He later transferred to South Florida but didn’t continue his collegiate playing career, his brother said.
“Honestly, I haven’t really played all that well,” Celestino added after Monday’s opening round. “I’m just giving it a shot. … Just want to get some experience, have some fun.”
In Jacques’ case, playing at Woodstock this week marks the start of a new chapter. He recently graduated from the University of Tampa with an accounting degree. The 22-year-old competed for the Spartans in all four years, leading the squad this past season with a team-low 76.55 strokes average in 10 events.
Celestino was among the 14 amateurs making the cut for Wednesday’s final round.
Second-round wrapup: Former UConn golfer Chris Wiatr came within a shot of Woodstock Country Club’s new course record on Tuesday and grabbed a share of the 36-hole Vermont Open lead with the person who set the new mark on Monday.
Wiatr posted a 7-under 63 to tie Pennsylvania’s David Denlinger at 11-under 129 entering Wednesday’s final round. Wiatr carved up Woodstock’s back nine, recording six birdies and no bogeys to thrust himself into the championship conversation.
Denlinger shot a 3-under 67 to retain a piece of the lead. The PGA Tour Latinoamerica golfer reached 14 under at one point on Tuesday, but a bogey-double bogey misadventure on 16 and 17 brought him back to the field. Denlinger’s 62 on Monday broke the Woodstock course record by a shot.
Early first-round leader Bill Gaffney (64-67-131) is alone in third, with former New Hampshire high school standout Connor Greenleaf in fourth (69-63-132). Sindelar is in a group of four at 133 with Toronto native Lucas Kim, Massachusetts’ Ian Thimble and New York’s Daniel Yustin.
Lebanon’s Patrick Pelletier (70-67-137) was the only Upper Valley golfer to make the cut of 4-over 144. He leads the aateur crowd by a shot on Carey Binn and two on John Kim, a junior-to-be on the Columbia University men’s golf team.
The final round begins at 7:30 a.m. The lead group of Wiatr, Denlinger and Gaffney heads out at 11:20 a.m.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.