Knickerbocker C.C. Hosts 113th Amateur Championship
The 113th New Jersey State Golf Association Amateur Championship will be hosted by the Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly for the first time when it hosts a field of 108 golfers, beginning Tuesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 5.
Knickerbocker, which hosted the first State Open in 1923, is celebrating its 100thanniversary. The field includes six former champions, including defending champion Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake, the 2011 NJSGA Amateur Player of the Year. The event will take place over Knickerbocker’s par-71, 6,726-yard course.
The six former champions are Stamberger (2013), Brian Komline of Black Oak (2010), Michael Deo of Black Oak (2009), Tom Gramigna of Tavistock (2008), Mark McGowan of Darlington (2006), Allan Small of Fairmount (2004), and Michael Hyland of Little Mill (1998).
Ryan McCormick of Suburban, who won in 2012, made his professional debut on the PGA Tour Canada this weekend at the PC Financial Open in Vancouver.
The last golfer to win back-to-back Amateur titles was the late Jeff Thomas of Plainfield West who did it in 1990 and ’91. In all, Thomas won a record eight Amateurs.
In 2013, Stamberger’s victory went down to the final putt as the 41-year-old bested 19-year-old Jimmy Dengler of Rumson.
Stamberger shot a four-round total of three-over par 291, including a 6-over-par 78 on his final round, for a one-stroke victory over Dengler after leading by as many as eight shots late in his third round to claim the Edwin M. Wild Championship Trophy. Dengler, with a 74 in the final round, shaved four shots off Stamberger’s lead, but never tied him.
Defending champion McCormick made a late rally with a 75 and finished third. With his victory, Stamberger became the first to win the NJSGA Amateur and Mid-Amateur and the Met Amateur. Stamberger's opening round of 6-under-66 set a State Amateur record for lowest round vs. par. Stamberger was runner-up to Brian Komline of Black Oak in the 2012 Mid-Amateur.
Knickerbocker Country Club is one of the top classic courses in America.
Founded on December 1, 1914, Knickerbocker is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and having the 113th New Jersey State Golf Association Amateur Championship contested here – for the first time ever - may well be the highlight of the summer.
In Golfweek’s 2014 ranking of America’s 200 best classic courses (those built before 1960), Knickerbocker came in at No. 144, up 31 spots from its 2013 ranking.
In its century of existence, Knickerbocker remains a family club with its classic Donald Ross golf course as the centerpiece.
“We wanted to do something special for the Centennial anniversary, and couldn’t think of a better way than having the State Amateur here,” said Ed Whitman, who has served Knickerbocker for 31 years, first as a head professional and currently as Director of Golf.
“Knickerbocker is a very user friendly course. It is always in tip-top condition. It’s not one of those 7,500-yard courses. All the par fours can be reached in two by our members. The real body of our course is the greens designed by Donald Ross. There are false fronts and the hole locations are paramount,” Whitman said.
While Knickerbocker is hosting the NJSGA Amateur for the first time, it did host the first State Open in 1921. The championship was only 36 holes then, and it was won by Peter O’Hara of Shackamaxon Golf & Country Club with a 148 total, three strokes better than amateur Frank Dyer. Three years ago, Knickerbocker hosted its second NJSGA event, the Four-Ball Championship won by the Mercer Oaks team of Anthony Aloi and Michael DiMeglio.
Knickerbocker also will host the New Jersey PGA Championship September 15-18. It hosted the tournament one other time, in 1963, when Wes Ellis won it for his third of four consecutive NJPGA titles.
