Danchenka, Perrotta, Ochoa Win 3rd South Jersey Cup at Atlantic City CC
NORTHFIELD, N.J. – Following a four-person playoff, Evan Danchenka came out victorious, winning the 3rd South Jersey Cup and earning an exemption into the 2022 State Amateur Championship, which will be held at Rockaway River Country Club. Danchenka, 29, shot a two-over par 72 on a gusty afternoon at Atlantic City Country Club. On the women’s side, Samantha Perrotta, 31, successfully defended her title by turning in a two-over par 72.
“I didn’t come in with many expectations,” said men's winner Danchenka. “I haven’t played competitively in a while, but I wanted to get back into tournament play, so I signed up for this event a few weeks ago. I didn’t start too strong with a double bogey right off the bat. Then I told myself, ‘I have nothing to lose’. I put some birdies together and held it together, now I’m standing here and I can’t believe it.”
Perrotta, of Bordentown carded five birdies. Her playing competitor Jessica Kelley won the net division with a score of three-over par 73.
In the men’s senior division, Carlos Ochoa of Little Mill Country Club turned in a three-over par 73. Ochoa recorded two birdies en route to his first NJSGA victory.
“I’ve been playing pretty good, played well at Trenton in the NJSGA Senior Amateur last week, even making a 10 to come in ninth place,” said Ochoa following his victory. “Today, I played really steady, played in a great group, all playing good in spots. On this course, any one hole can jump up and bite you, so I kind of steered away from the land mines, so that helped.”
Proceeds from the event will fund the Gail Reilly Scholarship Program which awards four, $1000 scholarships to two male and two female golfers that is attending college. Reilly was a former president of the defunct South Jersey Golf Association, which conducted tournaments in southern New Jersey from 1946-2018.
Since its inception, the South Jersey Cup has been played at Atlantic City Country Club.
