Collins, Guy claim medalist honors in Four-Ball Qualifying
Playing together for the first time, Tom Collins of Essex County and Thomas Guy of Eligo Club carded a four-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors in the first of two qualifying rounds for the 87th NJSGA Four-Ball Championship on Monday, April 15, at the par-71, 6,499-yard Stanton Ridge Golf & Country Club in Whitehouse Station.
Chester Patterson of NJSGA E-Club and Peter Jaeckle of Hamilton Farm finished one stroke behind at three-under-par 68. Tied for third at even-par 71 was the tandem of Matt Lejeune of Orchard Hills and Brian Wilcox of Pinch Brook, and the team of Glenn Prokopik of Stanton Ridge and Glenn Stephenson of Hamilton Farm.
The 20 teams that finished at 77 or better in the field of 54 teams qualified for Four-Ball Championship May 6-8 at Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield. The second of two qualifiers is set for this Wednesday, April 17, at Knob Hill Golf Club in Manalapan.
Tee times were delayed by three-and-a-half hours due to torrential overnight and early-morning rain. Conditions on the course were blustery and cold.
“Tom (Guy) set the tone for us, leading us off the tee on every hole,” said Collins, who carded two birdies. “We did a good job of getting birdies on different holes.”
Guy added three birdies, but his bogey on the par-3 No. 17 prevented an even lower round. “I was playing blind, having never seen the course, so I relied on my partner. There’s plenty of room out there and the course played fair,” said Guy, a native of the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom.
Over the past two years, Guy and Collins have each played with other partners in the International Four-Ball Championship in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“We hit it off pretty well and decided to play together when we got home,” Collins said. “Today, for as wet as it was, the greens were dry and in great shape,” Collins said.
On Tuesday, Collins and Guy are two of the 12 players on the NJSGA Compher Cup team, playing against a team representing the Golf Association of Philadelphia.
A year ago, Collins qualified for the NJSGA Amateur and was a quarterfinalist at NJSGA Mid-Amateur. Guy qualified for the NJSGA Open and NJSGA Amateur and advanced to match play at the NJSGA Mid-Amateur.
