The memory of the late Open Champion Kel Nagle lives on in his grandson, Jake Nagle.

The 35-year old Jake Nagle teed up earlier today (THUR) on day one of the NSW Open at the Stonecutters Ridge course in outer Sydney looking to be handed a trophy bearing his grandfather’s name – the Kel Nagle Cup.

Kel Nagle, who passed away aged 90 in early 2015, won the NSW Open on three occasions – 1951, 1957 and 1968.

Jake, who is the resident pro in Queanbeyan, and located close to the national capital in Canberra, had hit opening drive in the event a year ago, and

Jake Nagle with the NSW Open trophy bearing the name of his late grandfather – Kel Nagle.

“Last year they changed the name of the trophy to the Kel Nagle Cup so I got invited to hit the opening tee shot and play in the event last year,” he said in an interview with David Polkinghorne, a sports reporter at The Canberra Times.

“And then I got another invitation this year to play as well. It was unbelievable, good for the whole family and most of my family came up and watched.

“It was very nerve-racking hitting the first tee shot, but it was good – I smashed it down the middle.”

Kel Nagle holding the Claret Jug he won in winning the 1960 Centenary Open Championship at St. Andrews. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

Kel Nagle, and then aged 39, had denied the now late Arnold Palmer in capturing the Centenary Open Championship at St. Andrews but then Palmer exacted revenge a year later in 1961 and with Nagle runner-up.  He also lost an 18-hole play-off to Gary Player for the 1965 U.S. Open.

But as Polkinghorne points out Jake’s father never spoke much about his own father’s golfing achievements which is a pity and even though Jake says that is not a burden.

“No, not at all, it’s never been a burden. Everyone’s always asked questions and it’s never put any pressure on me,” Nagle said.

“I haven’t been a mad golfer as far as playing tournament after tournament so I haven’t gone around and have people ask too much.

“Because it skipped a generation as far as me, it’s probably not as much pressure as my uncle would have had as a pro golfer.”

Nagle received his invitation for this week’s $AUD 400,000 event and set himself the goal of firstly making the halfway cut.

“First one is to make the cut. I haven’t played too much golf in the last six months obviously with the weather down in Canberra being so wet it hasn’t been easy to get out and have a hit,” Nagle said.

“I got the invite about a month ago, I got the heads up, so I’ve been playing a little bit since then and practising.”