HAMBURG, N.Y. — Amateur golfers from across New York State teed off in Hamburg, competing for a trophy named after a local founder.
Tuesday began the New York State Men’s Amateur Championship, held at Wanakah Country Club.
162 golfers look to secure a spot in the national tournament, but also for the Ganson Depew Cup.
If the name Depew sounds familiar, it should.
“Ganson Depew was actually a member here at Wanakah Country Club,” said Andrew Hickey, the Assistant Executive Director of the New York State Golfers Association or NYSGA. “He donated the men’s amateur trophy in 1923. So, his name is adorned on there and it's pretty cool to bring it back to his home club.”
The NYGSA states Depew was a founding member of the organization and one of its first Vice President.
His father, Chauncey Depew served as a lawyer for the New York Central Railroad and was a New York State senator from 1899 to 1911 as noted by the U.S. Senate website.
The Depew name is listed on streets, the train station, and even the Western New York village of Depew, according to the Amtrack and Village websites.
The winner of the tournament holds the Cup for a year, but for the Wanakah Chair of the Event, Jim Murrett, it’s a privilege that lasts through the lifetime of the club.
“It’s a special honor for us to have one of the founding fathers of the NYSGA, men’s amateur, to also be part of the Wanakah founding family,” said Murrett.
Wanakah Country Club is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and the NYSGA is celebrating its 101st.
The tournament ends on July 11 and is similar to a PGA-styled 72-hole event.
