 By Karl Gilbert Lehighvalleylive.com Express-Times PhotoTerry Slater
Terry Slater came up short in Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying tournament at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. However, life is very good for the 34-year-old former Alpha resident.
Slater, who has served as an assistant golf professional at the upscale Pound Ridge Golf Club public facility in Westchester County, N.Y., since March 2008, shot a 6-over-par 70-78–148 to finish tied for 45th place in the 84-player field Monday at Canoe Brook. He was tied for 12th place through 27 holes but consecutive double-bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes ended Slater’s bid to earn one of the four spots available.
“I played pretty well,” said Slater, a 1996 Phillipsburg High School graduate. “I missed a couple of opportunities on the greens. Ball-striking wise, I played well through 27 holes. Endurance wise, it probably got to me. The back nine on the north course there is the toughest one they have, and that’s what I had left. I’m not used to playing 36 holes in one day and walking them. Next year, I’ll do some more conditioning before I play.”
Always a local golf fan favorite due to his pleasant personality and charismatic long-hitting style, Slater fondly remembers his regional amateur career. He won two Lehigh Valley Player of the Year awards and two Lehigh Valley Amateur titles in 1996 and 2000.
“The thing that really comes back into my head is the year after I graduated from college (Elon University) in 2000,” Slater said. “I think I won every tournament I entered, and I qualified for the U.S. Amateur. I played well my senior year in college, and it carried over. I really enjoyed it. That was a great time.”
Now residing in West Milford, N.J., with his wife Kristi and sons Terry Lee Slater III, 3, and Logan, 18 months, Slater began his journey in golf when his family relocated from Winfield, W.V., to Alpha when he was 13. He took his first lesson at Apple Mountain Golf Course when he was 14, and began to compete when he was 17 on the Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour.
“The junior career got me into the right direction in golf,” Slater said. “I didn’t have a high school golf team. That was my entry level into competitive golf. I learned how to play in tournaments. It was nice to see some success there, and get your mindset right. I remember my first tee shot in competition. I was 17 at Allentown Municipal. I birdied the first two holes. I thought I was going to shoot 66 or 67, and shot an 80. I learned not to count your score before you’re finished with your round.”
After spending 2001 as an assistant pro at Green Pond CC, Slater got married in 2003 and moved to Florida with an eye initially toward a career as a touring pro.
“Late in 2003, we moved to Florida,” Slater said. “The goal was to play some mini-tours. I played a year-and-a-half on the Golden Bear Tour. In 2004, I got a job as an assistant at Pipers Landings (Palm City, Fla.). I’m a Level 3 now, and I’ll be getting my Class A PGA status by the winter.”
Looking to relocate back north, with the goal of working and competing in the Metropolitan Section PGA in the greater New York region, Slater took a position at Bonnie Briar CC in Westchester County in 2007.
“The job opportunities kind of fell into my lap,” Slater said. “The head pro at Pipers got me in contact with the pro at Bonnie Briar. The Met Section is the place to be. The competition is great, and the ability to make a living is good. The Met Section has excellent competition and the courses are great.”
Although it is hard to find time to practice due to work and family commitments, Slater still plays quite well. He holds the Pound Ridge course record of 4-under 68 and won a Met Section event in 2009. As his club pro career progresses, Slater said he would like to focus more on the teaching aspect of the job.
“I’ve done a lot of research on the golf swing,” Slater said. “I’ve gained a lot of knowledge on the theory of the swing. I like the video swing analysis camera technology.”
