Fantastic Finishes Highlighted NJSGA Championship Action
By Rebecca Gaona, NJSGA P.J. Boatwright Intern
NJSGA/NJPGA Senior Open Championship, May 27, Metuchen Golf and Country Club
In a battle of sudden death, Jim McGovern, the 1993 Shell Houston Open champ sank a 25-foot putt on the third playoff hole at Metuchen Golf and Country Club to defeat Chris Dachisen. Just turning 50 and eligible for the first time to play in the NJSGA/NJPGA Senior Open Championship, McGovern overcame multiple close calls during the playoff, but ultimately outlasted Dachisen.
VIDEO: JIM McGOVERN'S 25-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT ON THIRD PLAYOFF HOLE
114th Amateur Championship, June 4, Morris County Golf Club, Convent Station, N.J.
After a strong 36- holes by Vanderbilt rising senior John Voetsch of Baltusrol, who held the lead heading into the third and fourth round at Morris County Golf Club for the 114th Amateur Championship. Voetsch, carded a bogey and double bogey coming down the stretch, which ultimately put him in a tight spot. Max Greyserman of Crestmont rallied from a six-shot deficit entering the final 18 holes to win the Amateur Championship, carding a total of nine birdies. On the final hole, the Duke rising junior sank an impressive 25-foot birdie putt to secure at least a playoff. In the group behind, Voetsch had a birdie putt opportunity on the 18th hole to force the playoff. Unfortunately, that putt was missed, giving Greyserman a storybook ending. The win led to Greyserman becoming not only an Open Champion from the previous year, but now a record-breaking Amateur Champion and the first to win both NJSGA majors within a year since Billy Ziobro did it in 1970.
VIDEO: MAX GREYSERMAN'S LONG BIRDIE PUTT ON 18TH HOLE
61st Junior Girls’ Championship, July 8, Bella Vista Country Club, Marlboro, N.J.
A personal best of 68 on Day One of the 36-hole championship by Madeline Jin of Royce Brook set the bar high for the rest of the field at the Junior Girl’s Championship at Bella Vista Country Club. Although an amazing start for Jin, 15 year-old Ami Gianchandani of Rock Spring was looking for a lower round the second day and found it. A round of one-over-par 71 set her up for a playoff with Jin on the final day at Bella Vista. A par on the final hole would have secured a victory for Gianchandani but an eventual bogey led both players to a playoff on the same hole. Worried about repeating a three-putt on playoff 18th hole, Gianchandani rallied on the first playoff hole to make a birdie, sinking a 15-foot downhill putt, fortifying the playoff victory.
VIDEO: AMI GIANCHANDANI 15-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT IN PLAYOFF
95th Open Championship, July 16, Rockaway River Country Club, Denville, N.J.
A seven-stroke victory for Tyler Hall of Upper Montclair, with all three rounds in the 60s, secured the win for the professional at the 95th Open Championship at Rockaway River Country Club. Defending champion, amateur Max Greyserman of Crestmont, was determined to catch up to Hall, but could not match his back-to-back-to-back under par rounds. An impressive birdie run by Hall on the back nine had second round leaders like Ryan Snouffer of Panther Valley, Greyserman, and John McCarthy of Morris County out of contention through the back nine. McCarthy completed his last three holes at five over, ending his major run, while Snouffer carded an eight birdies and three bogeys. In the lead, Hall carded just six bogeys total throughout the 54-hole span and a total of 17 birdies. Hall set up a historic show for himself and the crowd at the 95th Open Championship.
94th Junior Championship, July 29, Rumson Country Club
One day of qualifying at the 94th Junior Championship at Rumson Country Club determined who would make it into match play the following day. Eventually, the fourth and seventh seeds would battle it out in the final. After a late pair of won holes, Jake Mayer of Plainfield was one up with one hole to play. While fellow competitor Dylan Stein of Copper Hill had an opportunity as his ball sat in the fairway, Mayer mis-hit one into the fairway bunker, potentially losing his lead on the last hole. Throwing darts at the pin, this time Stein flew the pin into a greenside bunker with only a few feet to work with. Mayer answered with his fairway bunker shot, leaving him within fighting distance for a birdie. In order for Stein to win the hole and force extra holes, he would have had to chip in from the bunker and have Mayer miss his birdie putt. Stein made an up-and-down par from the bunker while Mayer managed to secure the par and, most importantly, win the Junior Championship.
90th Women’s Amateur Championship, August 4, The Bedens Brook Club, Skillman, N.J.
Defending Women’s Amateur Champion Taylor Totland of Hollywood did it again. Not only the medalist, but on her way to becoming a two-time champion, she took down every obstacle that came her way at The Bedens Brook Club in Skillman. All five of her matches did not exceed more than 17 holes, which is impressive. The Furman University rising junior went on to the final to defeat Kansas State rising senior and former Amateur champion Scotland Preston of Echo Lake, 3 and 1, to defend her title. Through the first nine holes, Totland held control of the entire match leaving Preston to work harder on the back nine. Preston did so and rallied to win holes 10 and 15, leaving Totland no room for error in the last few holes. But Totland regained her momentum and won the 17th hole to take the match. The almost flawless run for Totland continued as she made it into match-play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur the following week.
