NYSGA News

Glens Falls N.Y. – A steady stream of showers coated the course at Glens Falls Country Club in the final round of the 26^th Mid-Amateur Championship on Sunday. Kenneth Riter, of the Park Club, handled the inclement weather with yet another round of consistent play and avoided a potential four-man playoff with a birdie at the 18^th hole in front of a gallery of spectators for the victorious three-day total of 218.

The leaderboard fluctuated throughout the day as several names floated to the top at one point or another. After all ten groups had made the turn, there were ten individuals within two shots of the lead. A playoff atmosphere was brewing with four individuals sharing a tie of the lead at 6-over-par with four holes to play.

Jim Roy, who began the day three shots back of the lead, played the final round at even-par and waited as the leader in the clubhouse with three groups still left to finish. John Vaccaro also found himself in the mix of the playoff buzz following a 1-over-par performance that pitted him at 6-over-par 219 for the championship. Finally, Dennis Lynch, who started five shots back, turned up the heat with six birdies to close his round and fired the lowest total of the three-day event with a 69 to put the pressure on Riter.

But it was Riter who controlled his own destiny as he stepped to the 18^th tee with a 53-hole total of 216, and one more left to play. “I was really peaceful at mind,” says Riter, on his mindset at the 18^th tee. “I was focused on a strong shot to make a birdie putt.”

It turns out that the 36-hole leader and fellow final group player Kevin VandenBerg provided an epiphany of sorts in the mind frame of Riter. “When I missed the putt on 17, VandenBerg looks at me and said are you trying to win this tournament or what.” “It woke me up because it made me realize that I have this in my hands and all I have to do is birdie this last hole.”

VandenBerg would later help Riter even more at the next green since his tee-shot landed behind Riter’s ball, creating a perfect read for Riter on the most important stroke of his day. “VandenBerg’s ball was behind mine with the same line,” says Riter. “Mine was about eight feet and his was around 20 feet so I got a great read from him. And it was a real easy putt. I mean nothing is easy but when you play these greens you don’t get too many straight putts in a day and that was probably the straightest putt I had all day.”

On Saturday, Riter nearly put the finishing touches on a round of 1-under-par 70 but carded three straight bogeys to close his second round at 73. He atoned for his bogey barrage at the end of Saturday’s second round on those same final three holes with two clutch birdies; one on the 16^th to give him a share of the lead, and one at the par-3 18^th to seal his first victory in state competition. “After yesterday’s finish, bogey-bogey-bogey, I was trying to fix that one,” says Riter.

With three-day totals of 219 already turned in by Lynch, Roy, and Vaccaro, the Park Club’s Riter strived to avoid a playoff scenario, based on his previous luck with them this season. “I didn’t want to go to a playoff,” says Riter. “I’ve had a rough year with a couple playoffs so I tried hard to hit a good iron shot into the last hole.” Earlier this season, Riter lost in a playoff at his club championship (The Park Club).

Riter entered the final round trailing Saturday’s second round leader Kevin VandenBerg by one stroke. Despite the added pressure of competing in the last group, Riter was able to put together his lowest round of the event at 1-over-par 72. “Playing in the final group can get a little overwhelming but with all the rain there weren’t a lot of carts or a lot of people so it was easy to settle down,” says Riter.

“It was a really relaxing round,” says Riter. “I walked – because I just needed to be within myself. It’s something I like to do. You really got to manage yourself and organize yourself which is really important.”

At the par-5 16^th, Riter returned to 6-over-par and was back in the hunt with three holes to play. He pulled driver on his first shot and then hit a 6-iron to where he could land a wedge shot close to reach the green in three strokes. Riter’s wedge shot ran about eight feet past the hole where he then made a right-to-left curling putt for birdie.

This year’s Mid-Amateur Championship marks the first state victory for Riter, who has competed in numerous state events over the years. Prior to this year, Riter’s best finish at the state level was 10^th, which was three years ago at another Mid-Am event.

“It’s just surreal and I’m looking forward to enjoying it,” says Riter.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Glens Falls, N.Y. – Another day, another Bellevue C.C. member in the running for the 26^th Mid-Amateur Championship crown. Kevin VandenBerg, of Bellevue C.C., fired only the second round under-par at Glens Falls this week to lead all competitors with a two-day total of 145.

Jim Roy, who has collected an NYSGA record four State Mid-Amateur victories, represented Bellevue C.C. on Friday with a 1-over-par 72 performance. In the second round, fellow Syracuse resident and Bellevue member, VandenBerg, found his name atop the leaderboard after leaping four spots from his Friday finish.

With a 36-hole score of 145, VandenBerg holds a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round. He credits his lower second round total to more accurate shots from the iron department of his game. “Yesterday my iron game was horrible,” says VandenBerg. “I think I only hit eight greens and today I hit 14. I played really solid today. There were a couple bad shots though. It could have been a 68 or 69 but I’m very pleased with a 70 so we’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”

The 43-year-old VandenBerg, who won the SDGA Gerry Ashe Memorial Tournament in June, began his second round with a par on the opening par-5. He then knocked down a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-4 second, which played as the most difficult hole on the course with only nine birdies recorded the entire day.  

VandenBerg, who didn’t pull driver on any hole yesterday, featured a slightly more aggressive style to his game on Saturday. “I opened it up a little bit more today,” says VandenBerg. “I felt a little more comfortable out there.” As a result, he was able to card birdies on shorter par-4’such as the fifth hole after landing his tee shots close enough to hit wedge to within a few feet. At the par-4 fifth, Vandenberg pulled driver and found the right rough with 50 yards in to the green. He flipped a wedge shot onto the middle of the green and it slowly rolled down the slope and came to rest three-feet away from the flagstick which was situated close to the left edge. He drained the putt and moved to 2-under through five holes. For the second straight day, VandenBerg struggled at the par-4 sixth hole and carded bogey. He almost made amends on the short par-4 that followed but missed a four-foot birdie opportunity. He made his third birdie on the front nine at the par-4 eighth and made the turn at 2-under-par.

As the day progressed, and the wind picked up, players struggled to find the same success on the back side as they did on Friday. Vandenberg’s experience there was no different as he made three bogeys in comparison to only two on Friday. He committed consecutive bogeys on the par-4 11^th and the par-3 12^th which brought his score back to even.

However, VandenBerg remained confident that he could find birdies in the last few holes for a strong finish. “You just have to stay with it,” says Vandenberg. “The good thing about this course is that you can make a mistake and there are still some birdies out there where you can get that mistake back.” He bogeyed the 394-yard 15^th hole before tallying birdies on Nos. 16 and 18. VandenBerg used a 9-iron for his final tee shot of the day at the 18^th and landed it five feet from the pin which set up his fifth birdie in round two.

Meanwhile, players like Kenneth Riter and Michael Wheeler didn’t improve upon their Friday total but still remain only one shot behind the leader, VandenBerg, following 36 holes of play. Riter and Wheeler each fired consistent 73’s on Friday and Saturday and will compete in the final pairing on Sunday with VandenBerg.

Wheeler’s second round score of 73 may appear to be an even-keel performance at 2-over-par. However, his round was highly unorthodox considering his style of play as he only carded eight pars with the remainder ranging anywhere between birdie – to - double-bogey on the spectrum. “Usually I’m a 13 or 14 par kind of guy with a couple birdies and a couple bogeys,” says Wheeler. The 32-year-old Schenectady resident started birdie-double-birdie-par-birdie for a 1-under-par start through five holes.

At the par-4 seventh, Wheeler was unable to maintain his 1-under start after he plugged his tee-shot into the front bunker and made bogey. He then ran into a stretch of bogeys that started at the par-3 ninth. Wheeler’s shot missed long on the 146-yard par-3 and he was forced to chip back to the hole but ran his shot over the green setting up a difficult uphill putt which took him three tries for a double-bogey.

He bogeyed back-to-back par-4’s at the 10^th and 11^th holes and risked raising his total to 5-over-par for the day but was able to sink a clutch putt on the subsequent par-3. “I had about a 15-foot par putt on 12 to avoid going 5-over and then I just really finished strong,” says Wheeler.

On the par-5 16^th hole, Wheeler ran his tee-shot down to the bottom of the steep hill. With 200 yards left, he wrapped his second shot around the corner with a 4-iron and almost knocked it in for eagle. He made the four-foot putt coming back for birdie. He stuck his 9-iron tee-shot on the 18^th green and rolled in the 20-footer with five feet of break to finish the back nine in even-par fashion.

The Park Club’s Kenneth Riter also remains one-shot shy of the lead following his two-day total of 146. Riter was three holes away from putting the finishing touches on a round of 1-under-par like VandenBerg, but bogeyed the final three holes and carded 73 for the second straight day.

“I had a bad start and a bad finish, but everything in-between was fine,” says Riter. He credits his success throughout the two rounds to solid ball striking and decent putting. “It’s been staying out of trouble, hitting greens, and not three-putting.”

Riter, who has worked at an architect firm in downtown Buffalo for the past twenty-five years, started with bogeys on the first two holes but birdied the fifth and sixth to make the turn at even-par. “I drove it well and hit a couple close irons shots in there for some short birdie putts,” says Riter. He hit his drive on the par-4 fifth to within 70 yards and knocked his wedge shot to four feet for a birdie putt.

Starting with the par-4 seventh, he notched seven straight pars before moving to 1-under after a birdie on the 368-yard par-4 14^th. Riter’s round was compounded by bogeys on the last three holes, including a three-putt on the 18^th green from a tee-shot that landed above the hole.

“I’m looking forward to a better start, better finish, and trying to keep the ball in front of me and not get into any driving wars out here,” says Riter, on his strategy for Sunday’s final round.

Thirty players survived the final cut on Saturday which means that ten groups of three will begin the final 18 holes left in the Mid-Amateur Championship starting at 8:00 a.m. The lead group will tee it up at 9:30 a.m.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Glens Falls, N.Y. – The course at Glens Falls C.C. held its own against the field of 128 competitors during round one of the 26^th Mid-Amateur Championship on Friday. Crag Burn G.C.’s Raman Luthra and Richard Rivanera, of the Traditions at the Glen, were the only players to avoid posting a round over par as they paced the field with scores of 71. Jim Roy, of Bellevue C.C., approached the scoring table near the end of the evening with the next best score of the day at 1-over-par 72.

Luthra and Rivanera each found success on the back side at Glens Falls which plays to a par of 35. Both players finished with totals of 38 on the front side and 33 on the back, despite starting off different sides of the course.

To begin the day, Luthra went bogey-bogey for a 2-over start through two holes of play, but finished the rest of the day at 2-under as he returned to even-par. Luthra’s early struggle on the opening par-5 and the subsequent par-4 was compounded by gusty wind conditions that faced players throughout the early morning. “Typically, I have a pretty flat ball flight so I hope the wind blows even harder,” says Luthra. “The greens are soft enough where they are receptive to holding shots from a lower ball flight.”

At the turn, Luthra was 2-over but quickly fired birdies in two of the next three holes, the par-4 10^th and the par-3 12^th. He landed his approach on the 10^th hole six feet away and sank the birdie putt. Two holes later, Luthra hit a 3-iron at the 196-yard par-3 and knocked in the birdie putt; just the second individual to accomplish this feat in the morning round. “My putt went up the slope with some good speed and it curled right in,” says Luthra. He found the front right bunker on his tee shot at the par-3 18^th, but was able to get up and down as he directed his par putt into the back left pin location. “I didn’t want to give one away there, especially with the way I started. I’m thrilled with a 71 and I hope to keep improving tomorrow.”

“There are some holes you can try to score on late in the round between 15, 16, and 17,” says Luthra. “You get short clubs in your hand but with the way the wind was swirling you had to keep going back to your bag. Fortunately, I was able to stick to my strategy and hit some greens.”

Luthra was unable to drop his score below even-par through the stretch of Nos. 15, 16, and 17. However, he extended his streak of carding consecutive pars, which started at the 13^th, to finish strong at even-par. “Any Donald Ross golf course you have to see it a lot. It’s not that there’s local knowledge, but you pick different lines, you see how greens react, and I’m looking forward to getting on the golf course tomorrow. I like the layout and I think if you hit good golf shots you get rewarded.”

Meanwhile, Rivanera collected a similar score on the back side as Luthra, with a 33 that included birdies at the par-4 15^th and the par-5 16^th. Rivanera, who started off the back nine, made the turn at 2-under-par after a strong start that included three birdies through the first seven holes. “When I played yesterday (practice round), the back nine was the harder side for me, but today it just clicked where everything worked in my favor,” says Rivanera.

On the front side, Rivanera began with a par on the dogleg par-5 and then bogeyed the par-4 second, which played as the most difficult hole on the course for the morning wave with almost a 2:1 bogey to par ratio. Rivanera almost aced the 180-yard par-3 third hole as he hit a 5-iron beyond the hole but spun it back to within six inches for a tap-in birdie. The 52-year-old Binghamton resident employed a unique putting approach throughout his round as he altered his grip depending on the type of putt. “One thing I did today which was unorthodox was putting with my left-hand low and other times I would go conventional,” says Rivanera. “It was whatever flavor would suit me. Sometimes under pressure when I get like a three-footer, the ones that should be automatic, I get a little tentative so I tried something different with my grip.”

On a day when the temperatures failed to reach sixty degrees, the wave of afternoon competitors faced no real advantage in terms of weather conditions since the wind only died down slightly as the day progressed. As a result, the afternoon wave failed to produce a score better than even-par. Syracuse resident Jim Roy registered a round of 1-over-par and trails the leaders after round one, Luthra and Rivanera, by one stroke. Roy started off the front nine and made par on the first three holes. He then carded consecutive birdies at the par-5 fourth hole and the par-4 fifth hole. On the drive-able par-4 seventh hole, Roy hit a 4-iron off the tee and managed to hit a pitching wedge close on his second shot. He buried the birdie putt and maintained his 3-under-par status through the turn, which was the lowest front nine total of the day (33). “I decided to just keep the ball in play,” says Roy, on his success through the front side. “I didn’t hit driver at all on the front nine. I hit the ball down the fairway and was being patient and took what the course gave me. I made a couple putts and all of a sudden I’m a couple under par.”

Roy’s first bogey of the day came at the par-3 12^th hole where he missed a six-footer for par. He committed a mental mistake on the next hole, the par-4 13^th, as he planned to attack the hole as if it were the 15^th hole, which features a bunker in the middle of the fairway. “I played the wrong hole to be honest with you,” says Roy. As a result, he hit a utility club off the tee to avoid the fairway bunker and left himself a much longer approach than he would have liked. Despite the mishap, Roy was able to save par and head to the 14^th tee at 2-under-par. He notched another par on the 14^th hole but struggled through his finish on the final four holes.

 “The wheels kind of fell off,” says Roy. “I was a couple under par going into the par-5 and I had only about 105-yards for my third shot and it landed on the front of the green but spun back about 50 yards into the fairway and I ended up making six.” At this point, Roy, who was once at 3-under-par through the turn, found himself back to even-par with two holes still slated to play. On the par-4 17^th hole, Roy recorded another six after landing his tee shot in the middle of the fairway. He finished with a solid shot off the 18^th tee to set up an eight-foot birdie putt from the middle of the green which he drained.

 “I knew the conditions were tough and turning at 3-under-par, I thought I was really playing well,” says Roy. “Three shots today kind of turned me negative as far as the round is concerned. But I’m still certainly within reach and there are two more rounds and hopefully I can play well tomorrow.”

The cut following Friday’s first round fell at 79 which means that 66 players will vie to extend their stay at Glens Falls one more day. There will be a cut to the low 30 players and ties following round two action.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Glens Falls, N.Y. – The course at Glens Falls C.C. held its own against the morning wave of 59 competitors on Friday. Crag Burn G.C.’s Raman Luthra and Richard Rivanera, of the Traditions at the Glen, currently lead the field with scores of even par 71.

Luthra and Rivanera each found success on the back side at Glens Falls which plays to a par of 35. To begin the day, Luthra went bogey-bogey for a 2-over start through two holes of play, but finished the rest of the day at 2-under as he returned to even-par. Luthra’s early struggle on the opening par-5 and the subsequent par-4 was compounded by gusty wind conditions that faced players throughout the early morning. “Typically, I have a pretty flat ball flight so I hope the wind blows even harder,” says Luthra. “The greens are soft enough where they are receptive to holding shots from a lower ball flight.”

At the turn, Luthra was 2-over but quickly fired birdies in two of the next three holes, the par-4 10^th and the par-3 12^th. He landed his approach on the 10^th hole six feet away and sank the birdie putt. Two holes later, Luthra hit a 3-iron at the 196-yard par-3 and knocked in the birdie putt; just the second individual to accomplish this feat in the morning round. “My putt went up the slope with some good speed and it curled right in,” says Luthra. He found the front right bunker on his tee shot at the par-3 18^th, but was able to get up and down as he directed his par putt into the back left pin location. “I didn’t want to give one away there, especially with the way I started. I’m thrilled with a 71 and I hope to keep improving tomorrow.”

“There are some holes you can try to score on late in the round between 15, 16, and 17,” says Luthra. “You get short clubs in your hand but with the way the wind was swirling you had to keep going back to your bag. Fortunately, I was able to stick to my strategy and hit some greens.”

Luthra was unable to drop his score under even-par through the stretch of Nos. 15, 16, and 17. However, he extended his streak of carding consecutive pars, which started at the 13^th, to finish strong at even-par. Meanwhile, Rivanera collected a similar score on the back side as Luthra, with a 33 that included birdies at the par-4 15^th and the par-5 16^th.  

Rivanera, who started off the back nine, made the turn at 2-under-par after a strong start that included three birdies through the first seven holes. “When I played yesterday (practice round), the back nine was the harder side for me, but today it just clicked where everything worked in my favor,” says Rivanera.

On the front side, Rivanera began with a par on the dogleg par-5 and then bogeyed the par-4 second, which has played as the most difficult hole on the course thus far with almost a 2:1 bogey to par ratio. Rivanera almost aced the 180-yard par-3 third hole as he hit a 5-iron beyond the hole but spun it back to within six inches for a tap-in birdie.

Four individuals, including last year’s state senior champion Chuck Connolly, turned in a 2-over-par 73 in the morning round. The afternoon wave, which includes several exempt players, began at 12:15 p.m. with tee times running every nine minutes until 1:54 p.m. A full recap will be available after all the action is complete this evening.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

The 2009 USGA Men’s State Team Championship began with first round action from the Country Club of St. Albans (Lewis and Clark Course) on Wednesday. Jeff Wolniewicz, John Ervasti, and Albert Rabil, all newcomers to the biennial event, represented the state of New York with a first round total of 146.

Wolniewicz, the 2008 State Men’s Amateur champion, registered a hole-in-one on the first par-3 he saw at the Lewis and Clark course Wednesday morning. The 23-year-old used a 9-iron on the 144-yard 12th hole to record the championship’s first ace. He started off the back nine and began his round with consecutive pars before inking a “1″ on his scorecard at the par-3 12th hole. Wolniewicz, who resides in West Seneca, was one of 19 players to shoot under-par on the day by contributing a 1-under-par 70 effort. Out of 153 competitors, Wolniewicz is tied at 12th on the leaderboard for individual stroke play scores.   

The second score that was counted towards the state’s team total on Wednesday belongs to John Ervasti. He started off the back nine and birdied the same par-3 12th hole that teammate Wolniewicz aced. Ervasti finished his first nine holes at 5-over-par but managed to play the front nine in even-par fashion for a first round total of 76.

All three New York competitors will begin the second round off the first tee this afternoon. Second round action from St. Louis will continue throughout the day and another recap will be posted after today’s round.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Auburn N.Y. — Forty-seven registered participants took aim at Highland Park G.C. on Monday for the final NYSGA State Days Tournament of the season. Warm and windy conditions were present throughout the day, which changed the landscape of the par-71 course as the general consensus among players was that the greens played relatively firmer and faster than they expected.

The low gross total in the men’s division belonged to A.P. Jandial who carded an 83 in his third State Days bout this season. Jandial, who resides in New Hartford, posted consistent scores of 41-42 on the front nine and back nine, respectively. He birdied the13th after landing his tee shot to within a couple feet on the par-3 hole. On the previous hole, Jandial chipped in from 80 feet away to save par. His net total of 4-under-par (67) led his 11-17 course handicap flight by a five-stroke margin over Donald Myers, who was the next closest competitor with a 1-over-par 72 net total.

 “My strategy today was if I’m in trouble, then get out of the trouble and not make it more complicated,” says Jandial. He applied that approach on the first hole when he decided to chip his tee shot which found the rough back into the fairway, instead of making matters worse and trying to compensate for his errant tee shot. His only double bogey came on that opening hole as the next eight holes were comprised of pars and bogeys. Jandial, who plays out of Yahundasis G.C., tallied five pars on a front side that troubled many players throughout the day.

“I enjoyed it and the other three guys were very friendly and I enjoyed their company,” says Jandial. At 71 years old, Jandial looks forward to another season of net events from the NYSGA.

The low handicap flight of 0-10 staged a battle between two Binghamton residents for the low net total. Stan Jones and Ron Phelps shared more than a city of residence in common on Monday as both participants fired a net total of 77. The tiebreaker came down to the lowest back nine total which gave the edge to Stan Jones who played the final nine holes at a gross total of 40. Jones, who possessed a course handicap of nine, beat out Phelps who owns a course handicap of seven but played the back nine two strokes higher (42). Phelps was still a prizewinner as he earned second place in his flight.

The winner of the men’s 18-over course handicap flight was John Nolander who posted a 2-under-par net total. He played the back nine seven strokes better than the front with totals of 51 and 44, respectively. Local Auburn resident Jack Kearse nearly grabbed second place honors in the 18-over flight following his net total performance at even-par. Kearse survived a dismal opening hole where he carded a 16 after hitting four balls out of bounds. However, he rebounded with three birdies, including two on the front nine which came at the par-4 fifth hole and the par-3 ninth. “I’ve played a lot of golf in my life and I knew it would come around if I just relaxed and I started swinging better,” says Kearse.  “When that fifth ball landed in bounds, that’s when I began to put it back together which is why I’m tied for second place.”

“With these greens today and the pin placements, if you didn’t make it real close on your first putt, you were in real danger of three-putting, especially on the 14^th,” says Kearse. His short-game allowed him to slowly improve his score as he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eleventh hole. Kearse lost the tiebreaker in his flight to Rick Washik who used consistent play on the front and back nine (45-45) to earn the runner-up prize in the 18-over course handicap flight.

It took until the final pairing of the day came through to produce a winner in the women’s division as Jody Conroe’s net total of 73 was the best among the eleven competitors in her flight. Despite challenging greens, Conroe needed just one putt on the par-3 ninth hole as she fired her lone birdie of the day at that location. “The greens were very tough today,” says Conroe. “If you could make the ball stop, you were lucky. But that birdie on the ninth hole really set up the rest of the round for me.” Conroe, who plays out of Skaneateles C.C., was pleased with a number of factors in her first State Days Tournament. “The management was great and everybody came in, we took off, and had a good time.”

Fayetteville resident Patine Ryu recorded the lowest gross total for 18 holes of play in her division. She notched four pars on the front side en route to a gross total of 93.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Stafford, N.Y. – Matthew Haefele posted an even-par 72 at his home course, Stafford C.C., on Thursday in front of family and friends for an inspiring seven shot victory at the 53^rd State Senior Championship; a win that was dedicated to Dad. Photo Gallery

Haefele dedicated his three-day, 1-over-par, performance to his father, Donald, who passed away from lung cancer ten years ago. Donald was a member at Stafford C.C. for eleven years before he motivated his son, this year’s state senior champion, to join the club. Haefele’s father was a principal at numerous schools such as Greece Athena for a period of 30 years. He also played an instrumental role in the founding of the Travis society.

The 59-year-old Haefele played the final nine holes in front of his wife, Kathy, who was able to witness her husband tally two bogeys, six pars, and a birdie en route to finishing the back nine at 1-over-par. Haefele’s brother, Steve, took time off from his illustration firm to attend the final round, despite not being able to watch after his brother Matthew carded three consecutive bogeys in front of him on Wednesday. Finally, Haefele’s father seemed certainly to be with him as an inspiration throughout the championship. On Wednesday, Haefele mentioned, “Anything that happens tomorrow, it’s for him.”

In the award ceremony that followed Thursday’s final round, Haefele hoisted the NYSGA Bill Stark Trophy in front of the scoring pavilion as he honored his father who first motivated him to become interested in the game of golf at the age of 10 years old. “I just thank him because everything that I’ve done here at Stafford, becoming a member, I owe it to him because I never would have done it if he hadn’t talked me into it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself in my whole life.”

Haefele has now amassed a state senior title and three senior club championships in his 20-year tenure at Stafford C.C. “There’s no comparison,” says Haefele in weighing how this win ranks in his list of accomplishments. “This is huge. I still can’t even imagine it. I thought I’d be really happy to be in the top ten given this field of some national caliber players.”

From his friends at Stafford to the competitors in the field, Haefele was the talk of the tournament all week as he led the three-day event from day one. Haefele entered the final round with a lead of three strokes over Alan “Doc” Foster. He cemented the idea of capturing the title in the minds of his friends after an impressive start on Thursday that included eight pars and a birdie for a front nine total of 35 which extended his lead over Foster to five shots.

Haefele opened his round with five straight pars and then notched a birdie at the par-4 sixth hole. With 130 yards in, he landed his approach to the tip of the front fringe where he drained an uphill 25-footer for birdie. From there he continued his even-keel stretch with three pars before making the turn. At the tenth, Haefele made his first bogey of the day and returned back to even. He pulled his drive left in front of a tree on the par-4 11^th and was forced to carry his approach to the right side of the green. It was here that Haefele registered his first three-putt of the day on the tricky and undulating green. Six holes went by where Haefele made par until he stepped to the 18^th tee and lined up the drive-able 271-yard par-4, a hole which he birdied the previous two days. With a five stroke lead, Haefele continued to stick to his game plan and play aggressive as he hit his drive into the left greenside bunker, setting up an optimum birdie opportunity with the flagstick at the back-right edge of the green. He spun the ball to within three feet of the hole and gently tapped in his 217^th stroke over the three days to the content of the crowd.

With an impressive 1-under-par start on the front nine, Haefele was able to fend off any last minute charge by competitors like Robert DeWitt, who turned in a scorecard ridden with circles from his round of 71 that included eight birdies. DeWitt, who plays out of Transit Valley CC, began the day in a tied for sixth position as he trailed Haefele by eight strokes. However, he catapulted to a runner-up finish along with Alan Foster after he birdied four of the first seven holes and turned in a 33 on the front nine.

Haefele’s seven-stroke victory wasn’t the only runaway performance at the 53^rd State Senior Championship. Alan Foster, who played in the final pairing with Haefele, recorded a four-over-par showing in the final round to become a six-stroke winner in the Super Senior Championship. “It’s certainly nice to win and it’s enjoyable,” says Foster. “I would have rather won the other one but Matt played well. I needed to swing well and make a few putts to put some pressure on him but Matt played very solid. I would have needed to play very well to beat him.”

With his victory, Foster becomes the first individual in NYSGA history to win all four adult male championships at the state level (Men’s Amateur, 1975; Men’s Mid-Amateur, 1992 & 1995; Men’s Senior, 2002; Men’s Super-Senior, 2009). The feat is an impressive one considering the Mid-Amateur has only been around since 1984.

Foster started Thursday’s final round three shots behind the leader but took a double bogey on the opening par-4 to fall behind by five strokes. He responded with a birdie at the par-3 fourth following a tee shot that landed six feet below the hole. Foster fired six straight pars until he went bogey-bogey through the tough stretch of Nos. 11 and 12. On the par-3 12^th, Foster missed short of the green but was able to chip to within six feet. Yet he ran his par putt over the right edge for a bogey. He was able to cut the lead down to four shots with three holes to play following a birdie at the par-5 15^th hole. Foster stuck his third shot from 60 yards in to about ten feet below the hole and buried the birdie putt in front of the audience gathered nearby since the clubhouse was in close proximity to the 15^th green.

Over the course of the next three holes, Foster hit errant tee shots that carried left of the fairways on Nos. 16 and 17. He rebounded from his pulled tee shot on No. 16 that pitted him next to a tree and at the base of a hill by firing a second shot that ran pin-high but off to the right fringe. He was able to save par by getting up-and-down from the right fringe. At the 17^th, Foster again pulled his drive and couldn’t reach the 393-yard par-4 green in two strokes. He two-putted his way to bogey, forcing the lead to revert back to five strokes in favor of Haefele. Foster ended his round with a bogey for the first time in three days at Stafford C.C. His six-stroke win in the super senior division resulted from rounds of 76-72-76 where he notched Wednesday’s low-round.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern

Stafford, N.Y. – The overall leader from round one and local Stafford C.C. member, Matthew Haefele, shot a 3-over-par 75 at his home course on Wednesday to extend his lead to three shots heading into tomorrow’s final round at the 53^rd State Senior Championship.

Haefele, who played through windy conditions in the afternoon wave, carded the third best score of the day. He overcame a barrage of bogeys on the first three holes only to play the rest of his round at even-par and maintain his position atop the leaderboard. Haefele mentioned that he is pleased with his performance in this tournament, especially given the conditions and the fact that he shot 70 yesterday. “I’m just psyched to be in this position,” says Haefele in review of his tournament standing. “This is the first time I’ve ever played the state seniors and all the guys I’ve met out here have just been great. It’s really been a blast.”

Two days ago, Haefele received putting advice from fellow competitor Alan Foster, who happens to sit in second place, as he played his way to a 2-under-par 70. On Wednesday, Haefele continued to exhibit confidence in his putting stroke as he used his 75^th stroke to drain a 20-foot birdie putt in front of the crowd gathered at the clubhouse as they cheered for the local resident. “When a player of that caliber tells you something, I’m taking it to heart,” says Haefele.

The overall leader wasn’t overwhelmed with his 3-over-par start after the first three holes. “I usually don’t start that good because I have to get my focus going,” says Haefele, whose brother and stepmother were in attendance. He made amends for his 3-over start on the par-5’s where he posted birdies at the fifth and seventh. At the par-5 fifth hole, Haefele smoked his drive down to the 250-yard marker and then hit a 3-wood for his second shot into the bunker. He chipped up from there to about 12-feet and made the birdie putt. Following another bogey at the sixth, Haefele carried a drive over 300-yards at the seventh to allow him to hit a 4-iron into the green which landed 20 feet below the hole. He left his uphill eagle putt a little short but was able to tap in for birdie.

 Beginning with the par-3 eighth hole, Haefele played consistently on par through the next par-3 he faced at No. 12. He wasn’t able to continue his streak of pars and carded consecutive bogeys at Nos. 13 and 14. The par-5 15^th played downwind and allowed Haefele to bomb another drive inside the 200-yard marker. He pulled his second shot with a 4-iron a little left to give himself a 20-foot downhill putt for eagle, but it just grazed the cup for another tap-in birdie. Haefele turned in a score of 1-over-par on the back nine to complement his 2-over total on the front for a 75.

Alan “Doc” Foster, who plays out of Bellevue C.C., posted Wednesday’s low round with an even-par 72 effort at Stafford C.C. He started off the back nine with consecutive pars at the 10^th and 11^th holes before making a bogey on the following par-3. Foster, who remains three shots behind the leader Haefele, made birdies on three of his next five holes as he fired a 1-under 35 on the back nine. For the second straight day, Foster birdied Nos. 17 and 18, two par-4 holes that have been played nearly under-par throughout the day. He buried a 25-foot putt at the 17^th green and hit a solid approach on No. 18 that ran six feet past the flagstick, which sat towards the back left section of the green, and made the putt for back-to-back birdies.  “If you have a good chip shot, you should have a reasonably good birdie putt,” says Foster in review of the 18^th hole.

Yesterday, Foster advised the overall leader Matthew Haefele (2-under 70) on his mental approach to putting. This morning, however, Foster proved his wisdom in putting is rooted in more than just words as he consistently relied on a strong short-game to offset errant tee shots. “I got sloppy and hit a lot of poor shots but I chipped and putted great so I saved par most of the time,” says Foster, referring to the front nine at Stafford. “I was in the rough all day long, but I was in a position where I could play out of it because the rough isn’t that bad.” Despite finding the rough off his tee shots, Foster carded only one bogey and eight pars on the front nine. The “Doc” plans to hit the practice range before Thursday’s final round in the hopes of finding a cure for his ball striking troubles on the front nine. “I’m just going to go out to the range and figure out what’s happened to my swing,” says Foster. “Hopefully I keep putting well because I need to hit it better.”

Stephen Hinman, who led the super-senior field heading into today’s action, began his round with a triple bogey but did not falter from his shaky start and went on to play a round of 1-over-par for the remaining 17 holes at Stafford C.C. His 36-hole total adds up to 151 as he trails Foster by a three stroke margin in the super senior field and remains six shots behind the leader Haefele in the overall championship.

“When you’re a golfer, it helps to have amnesia,” says Hinman. “That way you can forget what happened like on the first hole I tried to forget what happened and it worked.” Hinman is referring to the birdie he posted on the very next hole, a par-4 dogleg left, which followed his triple on the opening par-4. He hit a rescue club to about six feet on the second hole and sank the putt for birdie.

The Ravenwood G.C. member made the turn at 4-over-par and registered another bogey at the par-4 11^th to raise his second round total to 5-over-par. However, he carded six straight pars and a birdie at the par-4 18^th for a strong finish. On the 18^th, he stuck his 30-yard approach from the middle of the fairway to about six feet from the hole and made his birdie putt for an even 36 on the back nine.

Hinman, who competed in Tuesday’s afternoon wave, has played consistent first and second rounds of 75-76 in very different weather conditions after a patch of light rain greeted players this morning. Hinman attributed two main factors to playing well in this year’s event; ball striking accuracy and consistent putting. “Driving the ball,” says Hinman, on his key to success. “I keep the ball in play all the time and I avoided three-putting. I didn’t have a three-putt either day. Those two things make life a lot easier for a golfer.”

Besides the aforementioned scores, the rest of the field struggled to play well in the wet and windy conditions. Joe Quillinan, who notched an even-par total on Tuesday, began his first four holes (Nos. 10-13) at 5-over par but played an even front nine for a second round score of 6-over-par 78. Quillinan, who plays out of the Country Club of Troy, will round out the final pairing on Thursday with Haefele and Foster at 9:30 a.m.

Players will start off both tees in Thursday’s final round between 8:00 and 9:30 a.m.

By Kevin Solan

NSYGA Media Intern

Stafford, N.Y. — Alan “Doc” Foster, who plays out of Bellevue C.C., posted the morning’s low round with an even-par 72 effort at Stafford C.C. on Wednesday. The next best score in Wednesday’s first wave came from Stephen Hinman, the super-senior leader after round one, who shot a 4-over-par 76.

Foster started off the back nine with consecutive pars at the 10^th and 11^th holes before making a bogey on the following par-3. He made birdies on three of the next five holes as he fired a 1-under 35 on the back nine. For the second straight day, Foster birdied Nos. 17 and 18, two par-4 holes that have been played nearly under-par throughout the day. He buried a 25-foot putt at the 17^th green and hit a solid approach on No. 18 that ran six feet past the flagstick, which sits towards the back left section of the green, and made the putt for back-to-back birdies.  “If you have a good chip shot, you should have a reasonably good birdie putt,” says Foster in review of the 18^th hole.

Yesterday, Foster advised the overall leader Matthew Haefele (2-under 70) on his mental approach to putting. This morning, however, Foster proved his wisdom in putting is rooted in more than just words as he consistently relied on a strong short-game to offset errant tee shots. “I got sloppy and hit a lot of poor shots but I chipped and putted great so I saved par most of the time,” says Foster, referring to the front nine at Stafford. “I was in the rough all day long, but I was in a position where I could play out of it because the rough isn’t that bad.” Despite finding the rough on his tee shots, Foster carded only one bogey and eight pars on the front nine. The “Doc” plans to hit the practice range before Thursday’s final round in the hopes of finding a cure for his ball striking troubles on the front nine. “I’m just going to go out to the range and figure out what’s happened to my swing,” says Foster. “Hopefully I keep putting well because I need to hit it better.”

Stephen Hinman, who led the super-senior field heading into today’s action, began his round with a triple bogey but did not falter from his shaky start and went on to play a round of 1-over-par for the remaining 17 holes at Stafford C.C. His 36-hole total adds up to 151 as he trails Foster by a three stroke margin in the super senior field.

“When you’re a golfer, it helps to have amnesia,” says Hinman. “That way you can forget what happened like on the first hole I tried to forget what happened and it worked.” Hinman is referring to the birdie he posted on the very next hole, a par-4 dogleg left, which followed his triple on the opening par-4. He hit a rescue club to about six feet on the second hole and sank the putt for birdie.

Hinman relied on his short-game to avoid posting a big number in the wet and cool conditions that faced players during the morning round.  “I missed a lot of greens, but got it up and down from almost everywhere,” says Hinman.

The Ravenwood G.C. member made the turn at 4-over-par and registered another bogey at the par-4 11^th to raise his second round total to 5-over-par. However, he carded six straight pars and a birdie at the par-4 18^th for a strong finish. On the 18^th, he stuck his 30-yard approach from the middle of the fairway to about six feet from the hole and made his birdie putt for an even 36 on the back nine.

Hinman, who competed in Tuesday’s afternoon wave, has played consistent first and second rounds of 75-76 in very different weather conditions after a patch of light rain met greeted players this morning. Hinman attributed two main factors to playing well in this year’s event; ball striking accuracy and consistent putting. “Driving the ball,” says Hinman, on his key to success. “I keep the ball in play all the time and I avoided three-putting. I didn’t have a three-putt either day. Those two things make life a lot easier for a golfer.”

Besides the aforementioned scores, the rest of the field struggled to play well in the wet and windy conditions. Joe Quillinan, who notched an even-par total on Tuesday, began his first four holes (Nos. 10-13) at 5-over par but played an even front nine for a second round score of 6-over-par 78.

Tuesday’s top two players in the overall field, Matthew Haefele (70) and James Burns (72), have started off the front nine in the afternoon flight and will finish up later this evening. A full recap will be posted once the final groups complete their round later today.

By Kevin Solan

NSYGA Media Intern

Stafford, N.Y. – Matthew Haefele’s  local course knowledge paid dividends on Tuesday as he fired a 2-under-par 70 to acquire a two-shot lead over the rest of the field at his home course, Stafford C.C., during the 53^rd Senior Men’s Championship.

Haefele, who began his round off the back nine, used an eagle at the par-5 seventh hole to finish the final five holes in 3-under-par fashion. He pumped a drive right down the middle to give himself 220 yards to the pin on No. 7. On his next shot, Haefele said, “I hit a smooth hybrid right on the stick and the markers were up there clapping. They said it almost went in the hole.” Haefele ran his second shot just barely over the right edge of the hole, but was able to sink his five foot eagle putt to close at 2-under-par.

To start his round, Haefele rattled off three straight pars before carding bogeys at Nos. 13 and 16. He then went birdie-birdie after the par-4 16th for an even-par finish through nine holes of play. Haefele pulled his tee shot at the par-4 17^th into the left rough but flushed an 8-iron from 150 yards pin-high to set himself up with a 15-foot birdie putt which he made. On the short par-4 at No. 18, he drove the left greenside bunker and flopped his second shot out for an eight-foot birdie putt.

Haefele was grateful for starting at the 10^th tee as the first two holes at Stafford C.C. can be difficult starting holes. “Those first two holes are usually ones that I take my bogeys on,” says Haefele. “It usually takes me a few holes to get warmed up.” With nine holes underway to get warmed up, Haefele went par-par on the first and second holes. He his lone bogey on the front side came at the par-4 third hole, where he flared his tee shot behind a tree on the right side. Haefele then chipped out and hit a lob wedge to within 15 feet on his third shot before missing his putt to save par.  

At the fifth, Haefele hit a driver down the middle but the distance remaining on his next shot made him choose to make it a three-shot approach to reach the green at the 526-yard par-5. “It was a little out of my range at about 270 even though it was a touch downwind,” says Haefele. “With the front pin the way it was, it’s a tough chip if you’re 20-30 yards short. You have to hit it just perfect to get it right up on that shelf and make it stay.” Haefele’s third shot involved a gap wedge that he stuck 15 feet right of the hole which he followed up by burying the putt.

Haefele used a newfound approach to his putting mentality compliments of a fellow participant to drain the uphill birdie putt at the par-5 fifth hole.  “I got a little putting lesson from Doc Foster (Alan Foster) last night,” says Haefele. “He told me to stop feeling like I have to make every putt within 10 feet. That’s usually the trouble, you get within 10 feet and you feel like you have to make those close putts. I just rolled them up there and happened to make a couple today.”

 The local Stafford member set himself up with numerous birdie opportunities throughout the day. “My short-game was pretty good today,” says Haefele “If I had a wedge or 9-iron, I had birdie putts. But my middle irons weren’t great; thankfully I didn’t have to hit many of them today. Hopefully I can build the confidence in making some putts like I did today. They were in the 15 foot-range which was nice because those are ones you really like to make.”

The next best score of the day was even-par which was tallied by three individuals, including James Burns, who caught the contagious spell of playing well in Haefele’s group. Burns, who plays out of Wild Wood CC, started off the back nine and was 1-under-par as he made the turn following birdies at Nos. 10, 15, and 18. He played more consistently on the front nine as he posted seven straight pars before a bogey at the par-3 eighth hole to finish at even-par for the day. Burns was the only individual to finish at even-par in the morning wave as he battled windy conditions that gave way to sunny skies in the afternoon.

The conditions in the afternoon round brightened up for the second flight of players, but the results occurring on the back nine didn’t seem to change. “The back nine was kind of a rollercoaster,” says Joe Quillinan. He turned in an 18-hole score of even-par, including a colorful scorecard of even-par 36 with four birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey on the final nine holes. Quillinan continued the day’s trend of ending on a hot streak as he birdied Nos. 15, 17, & 18 to offset a double-bogey at the par-4 16^th.

His drive on the par-4 18^th found the greenside bunker and landed up against the back wall. “I had to blast it out sideways to the middle of the green and I made it from about 30 feet,” says Quillinan. On the previous hole, Quillinan chipped in from about 15 feet. Quillinan, who plays out of the Country Club of Troy, traded a bogey at the par-4 second hole with a birdie at the sixth to accompany seven pars on the front nine to finish the day at even-par, the best score of the afternoon which remains two strokes behind the leader Haefele.

The third individual to record an even-par 72 on Tuesday was Robert Zeman, who plays out of Sodus Bay Heights GC. Beginning on the back nine, Zeman turned in a scorecard of even par on both the front and back nine. On the par-5 13^th, Zeman hit his wedge to 15-feet and made the uphill putt for birdie. He nearly reached the par-5 fifth hole in two strokes as he found the fringe on his approach. From there, Zeman two-putted his way to another birdie. On the next par-5, Zeman’s second shot missed left of the green but he was able to get up and down to make birdie and close out at even par.

Zeman was most pleased with his putting during the opening round and credited his success to his short-game play. “I don’t think I missed anything from inside of seven feet,” says Zeman. “The speed of the greens was a bit on the slow side, but I was stroking the ball well, particularly with the short putts.”

In the super senior division, Stephen Hinman holds a one-shot lead over the field following his 3-over-par 75 effort. Hinman, who plays out of Ravenwood GC, struggled with the back side as he played Nos. 12-17 in 4-over-par style. However, he registered consecutive birdies at the par-4 18^th and the first hole to gain some momentum through the turn. Similar to the overall senior field, there is a three-way tie for second-place in the super senior division. Joseph DeVita, Alan Foster, and Bill Kent all carded 76’s and remain a stroke behind Hinman for the super senior lead and six shots back of Haefele for the overall championship.

There will be a cut to the low 50% and ties in each age group following Wednesday’s second round. You can follow results throughout the day from the leaderboard section at the left-hand side of the NYSGA homepage.

By Kevin Solan

NYSGA Media Intern