NIAGARA FALLS — “It had been an amazing afternoon for Phil Mickelson. In fact, it was a complete turnaround from just 24 hours earlier when the Arizona State All-America knew he might have shot himself out of any opportunity to win the 32nd annual Porter Cup.

He had come into the tournament as one of the favorites, just as he had the year before, and why not. He was named a first team All-America for the second time in the spring of 1990 and had won the NCAA individual championship in 1989 and 1990. He was familiar with the Niagara Falls Country Club course, having finished tied for second with Jeff Lee, chasing the record-setting pace of Pac-10 rival Robert Gamez of the University of Arizona the year before. He had already shaken the golf world in 1990 when he won the Tucson Open on a sponsor’s exemption, the rare feat of an amateur upstaging the pros.”

That’s an excerpt from the opening chapter of a new book detailing the drama and excitement of the Porter Cup golf tournament. “Porter Cup — Fifty Years: The Story of one of America’s Great Amateur Golf Tournaments” was written by former Niagara Gazette sports editor Bill McGrath, who covered the event for more than 40 years. In an effort that took more than a year to research and write, McGrath weaves an interesting tale about the great tournaments, the players who often found fame later in the professional ranks and those men who started the tournament and nurtured it into one of the top attractions in Western New York sports.

The tournament’s history is marked by some unforgettable people — organizers and players — who left an indelible mark.

Richard H. “Dick” Harvey, the man acknowledged as the tournament’s founder, is just one of them. “Grumpy Grampaw” as the players fondly nicknamed him, is compared to a show’s producer, fussing about every detail while earning the love and respect of the players he recruited.

Another chapter is dedicated to Harvey’s right-hand man and successor, Dr. William McMahon, popularly known as “Doc.” Like Harvey, he patrolled the course in a cart, favoring a multi-hole view on the front nine that today is known as “Doc’s Corner.” McMahon’s reign as director was marked by a mild protest in the mid-’70s by some Niagara Falls Country Club members who complained the tournament was monopolizing the course for virtually the entire week. McGrath explains how the situation was defused and the event marched on without interruption.

The book is filled with dramatic moments, like Mickelson’s final-round rally in 1990 punctuated by a spectacular birdie putt at 17, and John Cook’s comeback on the final holes in 1979 playing against Bobby Clampett and Gary Hallberg in a matchup of college golf’s big three.

The story digs into the start of the tournament in 1959, a trip to Pennsylvania that helped lay the groundwork, and the eventual naming of the event as the Porter Cup.

One of the keys to bringing the tournament instant credibility  in the early days was the presence of Western New York stars John Konsek and Ward Wettlaufer. The chapter entitled “The Rivalry” details the competition these two enjoyed from their days in the junior ranks on up to what became a best-of-three in the Porter Cup. Konsek is remembered for his days at Purdue when he prevailed against Ohio State phenom Jack Nicklaus in the Big Ten, not once but twice. Wettalufer is the only player from Western New York to play in the Walker Cup and was paired with Nicklaus in a victory over Great Britain/Ireland in 1959.

The 1983 tournament — the silver anniversary — saw NFCC members Mike Slipko and Fred Silver in the final threesome with Scott Verplank in an exciting battle down to the final holes. The account of that tournament not only puts the reader in the middle of the mob scene on the final day but provides an insight into the emotions of the three players.

There’s a chapter on Jay Sigel, “Mr. Amateur,” who played in 28 Porter Cup tournaments and is regarded as the best player in the first 50 years with his three titles and 22 top 10 finishes. Sigel’s golf career almost ended before it started when he suffered a serious injury in college. The story continued after his Porter Cup days when he turned pro, a decision that was one of the toughest in his life, but made a bit easier by some advice from one of the game’s greatest players.

Tournament directors bring you inside into what it takes to recruit the best players each year. They look for more than golf skills when scouting the candidates..

Records were set and fell along the way, several tournaments ended in playoffs during the first 50 years and readers can relive those events as well.

The book is available at the Niagara Falls Country Club, the Niagara Frontier Country Club in Youngstown and at the Book Corner in Niagara Falls.