Herman & Bernstein Win Women's Four-ball Championship

Sherry Herman of Colts Neck, one of the state’s most prolific women’s golfers, teamed with Helen Bernstein of the WGA of NJ for a 4-under-par 68 to win the NJSGA 2nd Women’s Four-Ball Championship by four strokes on Thursday, August 14, at the par-72, 5,405-yard Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne.

Herman, who has won five NJSGA Women’s Amateur champions and a U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, and Bernstein, with whom she has partnered in Garden State Women’s and WMGA events, carded four birdies and no bogeys. as a team.

They bested runners-up Fran Gacos of Copper Hill, winner of the recent NJSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur, and Sue DeKalb of Bella Vista, runner-up in the 2009 Women’s Amateur, who combined for an even-par 72. In third place was the team of Lori Bindler of Battleground and Donna Cortina of Cherry Valley, who carded a 73.

Herman and Bernstein were the second champions to be awarded the Anna Zorlas Trophy.

VIEW PHOTO GALLERY FINAL RESULTS

In the net division, first place went to Nancy Vasile of Paramus and Joan Goldman of Paramus (76-13-63), followed by Debbie Rodriguez of Berkshire Valley and Teena Rae of Peace Pipe (86-23-63, match of cards) and Kathy Villagio and Jane McGee of Galloping Hill (86-21-65, match of cards).

Vasile and Goldman received the Jean Gascoigne Trophy for their triumph.

“We didn’t want to give back a lot of shots. We haven’t played together much and I needed a lot of help, and I got it from Helen,” said Herman, a Middletown resident who will be playing in next month’s U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at nearby Hollywood.

“Helen got us going with a birdie on the first hole (the par-4 second hole), so then I knew we had a chance to do something as a team today. We got shut out of this last year, so we were among the first teams to enter this year,” Herman said.

Herman came through with two birdies, sinking a 12-footer on the par-3 eighth hole, and adding a 10-foot slider for a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole. Bernstein finished off the successful day with a birdie from three feet on the par-3 18th. The team parred No. 1 for its four-under performance.

“We know each other a long time, from the Garden State Women’s round robin and from playing together in a WMGA Pinehurst at Inwood,” said Bernstein, a resident of Tenafly and a 12-time club champion at Alpine. “We ham-and-egged it well today.”

“I’m very excited about the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at Hollywood. I know the course pretty well and I’ve seen all the renovations they’ve made there recently. This will be the first time I’ve played in a U.S.G.A. event where I don’t have to fly there and get a hotel room. It should be fun,” Herman said.

The highlight of the net team champions’ round came when Goldman chipped in from 30 feet off the green on the elevated 15th green. Vasile chimed in with a net eagle on the par-5 10th hole.

“We took turns helping each other out,” Vasile said.