Blumenfeld Tops Small To Win 56th Senior Amateur At Deal
Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge, a two-time runner-up, earned his first NJSGA Senior Amateur Championship on Tuesday, July 29.
Blumenfeld, the first-round leader with a 2-under-par 69, added a 4-over-par 75 for a 144 total to give him a two-shot victory over defending and five-time champion Allan Small of Fairmount who shot 72-74-146 for the title in the 56th NJSGA Senior Amateur Championship at the 6,370-yard Deal Golf and Country Club.
Three players came in at 147, with Bill Snouffer of Panther Valley (73-74-147) earning third place on a match of cards. Also at 147 were Jon Tingley of Stanton Ridge (73-74) and Billy Charpek of Navesink (72-75).
SENOR LEADERBOARD PHOTO GALLERY
“I finally beat Allan,” kidded Blumenfeld, who has known Small since high school days. “It’s very rewarding to win this. Any time you follow in Allan’s footsteps, it’s a good thing. Allan is a great buddy and a great champion. It’s great to win both the Met Senior Amateur and the State Senior Amateur in the same year.”
A two-time NJSGA Amateur Player of the Year in 2006 and 2009, Blumenfeld , 62,is a 23-time club champion at Mountain Ridge.
In 2013, Blumenfeld was runner-up to Small, who won for a third straight time. In 2010, he was second to Tom DiiCinti of Centerton. Blumenfeld won the Met Senior Amateur for a second time this past May. He also participated in the U.S. Senior Amateur at Mountain Ridge in 2012.
Jay Green, 67, of Alpine won the Super Senior Championship in a one-hole playoff over Ned Steiner of Mountain Ridge. Green shot 76-77-153 while Steiner came in with the same score. Tied for third were Byron Miller of Plainfield at 74-81-155 and first-round leader Jim Byer of Springdale at 73-82-155.
Green drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole, the par-4 10th hole. Green a retired financial executive, has won club championships in three states, at Alpine, at Manhattan Woods in New York and at Citrus Club in California.
Blumenfeld was even par and seemingly had the championship wrapped up before recording a double bogey on the par-4 15th hole.
He hit a three-wood on his second shot that found a water hazard. “I made a bad decision there. I tried for the green and ended up in the hazard,” he said.
He added another bogey on the par-4 16th due to a three putt, but parred the par-4 17th hole to remain 3-over-par. Another three-putt, on the par-3 finishing hole put him at 4-over-par for the day but only two-over for the championship.
“It’s always fun to play a sporty course that’s in excellent shape. I feel great about winning the championship, but not about the way I was limping home,” said Blumenfeld, who will this weekend play in his eighth British Senior Amateur. His best finish was third place in 2008.
Blumenfeld is a three-time NJSGA Tournament of Club Champions victor, including last year, and a former runner-up in the State Amateur.
“I hit a lot of good shots out there,” he said. “I putted poorly compared to yesterday. The course played harder today and with the wind similar to yesterday afteroon, it played very difficult.”
Green was fourth in the 2013 Super Senior, won by Jim Noe of Manasquan River. His best finish in the Senior Amateur was third.
“For me to win is a big honor,” said Green, who winters in LaQuinta, Calif. “I had a little trouble with the greens, but they were perfect. I didn’t putt as well as I wanted, but I putted well on the playoff hole.”
