James Blackwell, the 2011 NYSGA Junior Amateur champion, the 2012 International Junior Masters runner-up and a committed scholarship athlete at Ball State University, received an invitation to the 2012 Porter Cup invitational golf tournament at Niagara Falls country club. Blackwell missed out on a reserved spot in the open qualifier on Monday, June 25th. He three-putted the 18th green to first miss qualifying outright, then enter a playoff for the final five spots in the tournament proper.
Steve Denn, the tournament director in charge of player invitations and tournament administration, extended the invitation to Blackwell after his IJM championship-match loss to Joey Savoie on June 29th.
