Dekalb Claims Women's Senior Am And First State Title

By Fred Behringer

Susan DeKalb of Bamm Hollow Country Club rallied on the second nine of the second round to move past first-round leader Mary Eichhorn of Spring Lake Golf Club and earn the 42nd NJSGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship October 3-4 at Deal Golf & Country Club.

DeKalb recorded two rounds of 80 to total 160 in the 36-hole stroke-play competition for women age 50 and older, while Eichhorn slipped to 85 after a first-round 78.

Fran Gacos of Copper Hill (86-81—167) finished third, while Joy Passalacqua of Pinch Brook (85-84—169) and Kathleen Maloney of Montclair (85-85—170) completed the top five.

DeKalb and Eichhorn, playing in the final twosome, were tied for the lead after the first nine holes of the second round when Eichhorn parred the 10th and 11th and DeKalb bogeyed them, putting Eichhorn ahead by two. That margin held until the par-5 14th, where Eichhorn took an adventurous route through trees, rough and sand, eventually three-putting for a nine and turning the lead over to DeKalb.

“I just had a really bad hole,” Eichhorn said. “Those bad shots add up quickly. I just didn’t play as well as yesterday. It’s golf.”

After Eichhorn also found trouble on the 15th, DeKalb knew she could take a conservative approach to playing the final holes. “On 17 and 18, I knew I was up four, and I just had to be steady. I didn’t have to make any heroic shots. I knew [the other leaders] had to shoot 75 today,” DeKalb said, “and I heard through the grapevine they were struggling and no one would shoot 75.”

Players battled strong winds during the final round. “The wind made the course play a lot longer today,” DeKalb noted, “and on the two par 3s where the wind was behind us, I hit long on both of them. On 17, which is a very long hole, it was hard to get on the green in two.”

DeKalb has played at Deal frequently. “I know the course very well,” she said. I thought it was in great shape for all the rain and the hurricanes and everything. It was amazing that the greens and fairways were in such good shape. It was spectacular.” The par 73 course played to 5,579 yards for the championship.

Overall, DeKalb was pleased with her game. “I was very steady today,” she said. “I wasn’t magnificent, but I didn’t leave myself in the rough as much. Yesterday I was in the rough a lot, and it penalized me.”

The Women’s Senior Amateur is the first state championship for DeKalb. “When you become a senior, your goals don’t change even though your age does, so I’m very happy to win a senior championship,” she commented. “I’ve come close in the State Am [second place], but I’ve never won a state championship so this is kind of exciting for me.”