Egermayer Ousts Defending Champion; Cappetti Advances

Zach Egermayer of White Beeches birdied his final three holes to close out his high school teammate and defending champion Ryan Rose of Ridgewood, 3 and 1, to advance to the semifinals of the 92ndNJSGA Billy Y. Dear Junior Championship on Tuesday, July 23, at the 6,554-yard Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater.

In the other Junior quarterfinal matches, 17-year-old Nick Cappetti of Burlington defeated medalist John Edler of Rumson, 3 and 2, Duke-bound Max Greyserman of Crestmont edged Sam Goldenring of Brooklake, 2 and 1, and Nick Rencis of Ballyowen defeated Danny Syring of Alpine, 1 up.

Both the Juniors and Boys will play semifinal matches on Wednesday morning and return for 18-hole championship final matches in the afternoon.

BRACKETS FOR JUNIOR & BOYS SEMIFINALS VIEW PHOTO GALLERY

Egermayer and Rose have been teammates at Bergen Catholic and Egermayer will return next season while Rose will join the golf team at Rutgers University.

“I was excited to play Ryan. We’re friends and we play together at Ridgewood, where he is a member and where I see my swing coach, Michael Harger. Beating him lets me know that maybe I can someday play Division 1 golf as well,” Egermayer said. “I knew the only way to beat him was by making birdies.”

The match was even after 14 holes. On the par 3 15thhole, Egermayer took the lead by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt. He went 2 up at the par-4 16th hole when he hit an 8 iron to 10 feet and sank the putt for another birdie.

At the par 4 17th hole, he lofted a gap wedge to 10 feet and drained the putt for the 3 and 1 victory.

“I came here looking to qualify. I wasn’t playing well and now, my putter has gotten hot,” Egermayer said. “I’m striking it well and making things easier for myself.”

Egermayer will face 16-year-old Nick Rencis of Ballyowen, a junior at Blair Academy. Rencis ousted Danny Syring of Alpine, 1 up in the quarterfinals when he claimed a par victory on the par-4 17thhole and sank a 15-footer for a birdie and a victory on the par-4 18th hole.

“I’m halfway there. I played well this morning but struggled in the afternoon,” said Greyserman, one of three Americans who will compete next month in the British Boys at Royal Liverpool, the site of next year’s British Open. “Any time you have a chance to win a state title, it’s a good thing.”

Cappetti, who won the Burlington County Open for scholastic golfers this spring and was runner-up in the 250-player Carl Arena Tournament at Valleybrook Country Club, drained a 35-foot putt on the 16th hole to claim his victory over Edler, who shot 5-under-par 67 to earn the medal on Monday.

Cappetti and Edler were even through nine. Cappetti went 1 up with a par victory on the par-3 10th. The players halved 11 and 12 with pars until Cappetti went 2 up on the par-4 13th hole with a birdie after sinking a 15 footer. Rose lipped out on a birdie opportunity at the par 4 14th as the players halved. They did so again with pars at No. 15 before Cappetti connected on his 35-foot birdie putt. That came after he duck-hooked his drive and then rifled a 6-iron from 210 onto the edge of the green.

“Things started going well for me after I sank a 30-foot birdie putt on top of Ryan’s 60-footer for par on the third hole,” said Cappetti, who will be a senior at Burlington Township High School. “I didn’t have a single bogey and was five-under on the day. I haven’t gotten past the first round of match-play in this tournament the last two years. I couldn’t hit my driver for about two weeks until last week when I shot a 66 at Princeton Country Club and won the Mercer County Future Champions Tour event.”

Cappetti advances to face Greyserman, who is playing in the NJSGA Juniors for the first time. Greyserman, a second-team Rolex Junior All-American who played in the prestigious Wyndham Cup last summer in Rancho Santa Fe, carded four birdies in his quarterfinal triumph. His birdie at No. 14 put him 2 up, but Goldenring won No. 15. Greyserman took No. 16 with a par to go 2 up once again.

In the 43rd Boys Championship, medalist Justin Chae of New Jersey National, who attends Pingry School, edged Reid Bedell of Manasquan River, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals. He needed a birdie to go 2 up on No. 16, then halved No. 17 with a par for the triumph.

He will face Tommy Hussong of Mercer Oaks, a 3 and 1 victor over Chris Gotterup of Rumson, in the semifinals.

“I just want to continue my good play,” Chae stated. “I’ve only missed two fairways the whole tournament. I want to improve my iron play a little bit.”

In the other Boys semifinal, Steve Weingroff of White Beeches, who is also on the Bergen Catholic team, meets Andrew Bowyer of Canoe Brook.