Caliendo Winter Golf League Crowns Champions
It was one of the roughest winters on record for members of the John Caliendo Winter Golf League, yet it was somehow fitting that the weather had finally broken to a balmy 62 degrees on the day of the Caliendo Championship for 2014-15, played at Forsgate Country Club (Banks Course) in Monroe.
Champions were crowned in the categories of low amateur and low net – each earning pro shop credits for $750 – and for low professional, who won the pot of $1,100. Also, a senior amateur champions for gross (Larry Powell 85) and net (Boyd Bryson 71) were also crowned, each earning $250 in golf shop credit.
Also, Players of the Year were named in each of the three categories based on cumulative points. They each received $250 in golf-shop credit.
The Championship winners for 2014-15 were Low Gross, Lou Fulgoni, 76; Low Net, Greg Jacobsen 86-18-68, and Low Pro, Ken Pridgen, 75. For Pridgen, the head pro at Suneagles, it was his third Caliendo pro championship since 2011. Fulgoni, 46, of Toms River , also won low gross in 2006 and also won the low net championship in 2009. George Wall of Sea Girt was runner-up in both amateur gross (77) and net (69). Stu Blasius was runner-up in the low-pro competition at 77.
This year, a total of 18 events were conducted, the three that had been postponed on the regular Thursdays were played on consecutive Mondays. Only amateur Mike Friedman of Marlboro had played in all 18 events in this, the 54th year of the league. It was the fourth year in a row that Friedman played in every event.
“The worst of all the days was January 8, ironically enough, right here at Forsgate,” said Marc O’Such, the Caliendo League’s tournament director. “There was snow in the area, it was five degrees with a wind chill of minus nine, and we just thought it was dangerous to play for health reasons.
“Normally, we can get in the tournaments by moving them to the southern part of the state, but we couldn’t even do that this year,” O’Such said.
“It’s very rewarding to have such a beautiful day for the championship. A lot of guys are happy to be playing at such a renowned place like the Banks Course at Forsgate, even though the wind is blowing at 30 miles per hour.”
Danny Melchionna of Galloping Hill in Union made it a point to wear shorts at the 17 Caliendo events in which he competed this winter.
“I’m in front of a pizza oven all day, so I’m hot all the time, but this was one of the worst winters I’ve experienced for the winter league,” said Melchionna, in its 21styear in the Caliendo, who owns Padonna’s Pizzeria in Union.
“I try to play every week and Sundays, too, weather permitting, to try and stay sharp,” said Melchionna, a two-time club champion at Galloping Hill.
