Philip Verlander carries family name at Dogwood

Scroll down the member roster at Druid Hills Golf Club, and the surname "Verlander" appears 14 times.

This week, however, only one is competing in the Dogwood Invitational as the family's standard-bearer: Philip. The 42-year-old Druid Hills member has played the course "thousands" of times since he picked up the game 34 years ago. Back then, he would walk a few streets from his home on Springdale Road to hit the links. But the course he knows so well looked nothing like itself Wednesday.

"I've never seen pins like that. None of them," said Verlander, who shot a 5-over 77 in the first round. "Not one of those pins had I seen before."

On Thursday, the pins were back in their normal position, but Verlander's game still eluded him, as he struggled with a 7-over-par round of 79. Verlander wasn't frustrated, though. Besides, it is hard to be angry when your wife and your 6-month-old son come to lend their support. Verlander's son became part of Thursday's round, as the phrase "Q Daddy" adorned his ball in honor of Quinn.

"That's one of the reasons I'm not as disappointed as I am with the round," he said of his wife's and son's presence. "I haven't played much this year, and I knew that going into it."

Verlander also knows his place in the scheme of the Dogwood Invitational. He's the middle-aged, "mid-am" insurance broker giving it a go against many players nearly half his age. And he's fine with that.

"I know my identity. I'm comfortable with it," he said. "I'm not going to go on [the PGA] tour, but I think if I can catch fire one weekend, I can do some damage in some of these amateur events. That's what I play for."

He plays for more than just the love of the game. At least that's what Chad O'Dell, the head golf professional at the course, said of his "good friend."

"He loves the social element about as much or more than anyone else you'll run into," O'Dell said. "Being around the game over a beer upstairs following a round of golf — he loves that stuff. It's almost like if it came down to golf in a sterile environment — as tournament play can be nowadays — I think he wouldn't enjoy that near as much as going out with three of his friends and [just playing]."

Verlander hopes to turn things around Friday to make the cut, which includes the top 40 players and ties. That's Verlander's goal every year: the cutline. He'll tackle Friday's comeback bid with the same person who has been on his bag at the Dogwood the past five years — his nephew, Ben. The 17-year-old said he would continue to caddie for his uncle until he qualifies for the Dogwood himself.

And who knows? In the future, Ben and Philip could compete against Quinn at the Dogwood. That's the plan, anyway.

"I hope to play in tournaments with [Quinn]," Verlander said. "That's what I look forward to."