Lewis, Blumenfeld share lead at 61st Senior Amateur Championship at Springdale G.C.
Norm Lewis of Morris County and Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge each carded a two-under-par 69 to share the first round lead in the 61st NJSGA Senior Amateur Championship, presented by NJM Insurance Company, at the par-71 6,016-yard Springdale Golf Club in Princeton.
Lewis and Blumenfeld hold a one-shot lead over Scott Sayers of Charleston Springs. Tied for fourth at 71 are Joe Roeder of Little Mill, Gerry Baldachino of Old York and last year’s runner-up, John Trainor of Knickerbocker.
Pairings and Tee Times Scoring
In the concurrent Super-Senior Championship , John O’Malley of Due Process Stable shot 73 to lead by a stroke over Harry Van Del Zilver of Golf Club of New Jersey and Howard Press of Little Mill.
The low 27 who shot 76 or better return for Tuesday’s final 18-hole round in the Senior Amateur Championship. The low 17 who shot 78 or better return for the final round of the Super-Senior Championship.
“I grew up playing Springdale, so my comfort level was great out there. It feels like coming back home,” said Lewis, 57, who on Sunday won his first club championship at Morris County in an extra hole. “I circled this date on my calendar. Over the past two days, it’s all coming together for me.”
Lewis, a graduate of Princeton High School, shot four-under-par on his back nine, collecting birdies on three of his final four holes. He said a swing adjustment this year helped lower his handicap index from 7.5 to 1.2.
“I’m playing the best golf of my life. Today, it was all fairways and greens. I hit a lot of greens today,” Lewis said.
Blumenfeld, 67, won the Senior Amateur in 2016 and 2014 and was named NJSGA Senior Player of the Year both of those seasons. He also claimed NJSGA Player of the Year honors in 2009 and 2006.
“I played here years ago. I had a practice round here Thursday and it helped me with the routing of the course. I missed one green all day,” said Blumenfeld, who carded three birdies against one bogey. “I had it under control all day.”
This summer, Blumenfeld tied for fourth at the MGA Senior Amateur and tied for third low amateur at the MGA Senior Open. He tied for 15th in the NJSGA/NJPGA Senior Open at Metedeconk National.
“I love the game and the competition. I try to enjoy it as much as I can,” he said.
O’Malley, 67, is a two-time winner of the senior division of the New York City Amateur. A triple bogey on the par-4 No. 8 was costly. There, he lost his tee shot in the left rough.
“I played well and putted well. The course is in great shape and the greens are beautifully maintained,” he noted.
