LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Poxabogue Golf Center is a public nine-hole track with six par-3s and a driving range that sits on the north side of Montauk Highway in the shadow of some of America’s most iconic golf courses — 7 miles from Shinnecock Hills, 9 miles from National Golf Links and Sebonack, 6 miles from Maidstone.
The par-30 nine holes run 1,583 yards and a weekend round will run you $28.
It is a marvelous little slice of blue collar in the heart of Hamptons’ blue blood … and it will be represented in the PGA Championship this week at Valhalla Country Club with its head teaching pro, journeyman mini-tour veteran Rob Corcoran, competing in his first major championship at age 38.
Corcoran, a native of South Windsor, Conn., who winters in Melbourne, Fla., and has taught for the last four summers at Poxabogue, teaches Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jake, as well as Fox News anchorman Bill Hemmer and scores of juniors all summer long.
All cool stuff, but nothing like the possibilities this week holds for Corcoran, who will tee it up in Thursday’s opening round with PGA Tour regulars Pat Perez and Brendan Steele. But he’s is not out here to star gaze.
“If I’m just out here just to watch the guys play golf, then I might as well be on the other side of the ropes,’’ Corcoran told The Post in between beating balls on the practice range late Monday afternoon. “In order to kind of change my life, I’d have to be in the top 10 or better. But the hard work is already done. I’m already here.’’
Indeed, Corcoran’s path to his first major was not an easy one. Ultimately, he got into the field by finishing in a tie for 12th at the National Club Pro Championship earlier this year at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach. But to get to Myrtle, he had to qualify through the New York Met Section, where he shot 73 in the first round at Rockland Country Club and followed that with a 61.
Corcoran has a close friend from Florida, Rob Sullivan, caddying for him this week. The 47-year-old Sullivan, who played in a handful of PGA Tour events and some Web.com tournaments, sounded serious about Corcoran’s chances of performing well this week, but he, too, appreciates how remarkable his friend’s story is.
“He’s ‘Tin Cup,’ man,’’ Sullivan said. “He’s out there teaching all the time — grunting it out with whatever Joe Blow who walks through the door … and now he’s off to a major championship. You don’t get to this spot very often, so you can take the approach that, ‘Hey, it’s nice to be here,’ but what that going to do for you at the end of the day?
“I used to play mini-tours with Shaun Micheel and he won this damn thing [the 2003 PGA Championship]. I know Rob plays every bit as well as [Micheel] did. I’m open to anything, I’m limiting nothing and I don’t want him to, either.’’
Steven Lee, the director of golf at Poxabogue, recalled asking Corcoran at the beginning of the season to give him a schedule of tournaments he would be playing in this season to he could plan accordingly.
“He emails it to me and it has the National Club Pro in June, and he also puts down: ‘August 4-10, PGA Championship at Valhalla,’ ’’ Lee said. “I figured he was either cocky or confident or both. I never said a word to him about it.’’
No words were needed.
“He’s played in a lot of tournaments; he’s well-seasoned,’’ Sullivan said. “Of course there will be a whole bunch of people following him around — probably more than he’s ever had in his life. But that’s my job, to keep him calm. If he gets a little jumpy that’s what I’m here for, to say, ‘Hey, we’re here, man. Let’s do what you came here to do — take advantage of this situation. You don’t get these opportunities very often.’ ’’