Logan Sabins, Reid Bedell Share Medal At State Open Qualifier At Springdale
A pair of Monmouth County collegians, Logan Sabins of Jumping Brook and Reid Bedell of Manasquan River, shot two-under par to share the medal at the qualifier for the NJSGA State Open on Thurwday, June 15, at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton.
Sabins and Bedell led a field of 110 golfers. The low 20, including 15 amateurs, who shot two-over 73 or better gain a spot in the 97th NJSGA Open is set for July 11-13 at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson. Tyler Hall of Upper Montclair is seeking his third straight Open championship.
It was the second of four State Open qualifiers, with the third scheduled for Tuesday at Morris County and the fourth next Wednesday at Knickerbocker. On Wednesday, Joey Russo was the medalist at Sea Oaks in Little Egg Harbor.
Behind Sabins and Bedell were at one-under-par 70 were amateurs Louis Bodine of Copper Hill, Tyler Brewington of Hollywood, Rob Kilbride of Hominy Hill and Cody Sumpter of Essex County. At 71 were amateurs Brendan Hansen of Spring Lake and Noah Schwartz of Galloway National.
Through 13 holes, Sabins , 20, who started on the back nine, was five-under par after collecting a birdie on the par-5 No. 4. His sand shot landed three feet from the cup.
But on the next hole, the downhill 191-yard par-3 No. 5, his tee shot buried in a bunker and he had to settle for a double bogey. He added a bogey at the par-3 No. 7 for his two-under total.
“The greens were really nice, very smooth and the way the ball rolled. I have good short game. I’m a grinder, relying on my chipping and putting,” said Sabins, a graduate of Manasquan High School who is transferring this fall from Brookdale College to Butler University where he will be an invited walk-on for the golf team.
Last week, he finished T-21 at the State Amateur, “My first real major tournament.”
A month ago, Sabins shot 73-73-146 to win the Monmouth County Amateur at Charleston Springs South Course.
He is looking forward to facing Metedeconk National at the State Open next month.
“That’s the finest course I’ve ever played. The conditions are always perfect and it’s tough,” said Sabins, has played twice in the Dave Ruch High School All-Star Invitational at Metedeconk National.
Bedell, who just last May won the NJSIAA High School Tournament of Champions as a senior at Rumson High, has also played in the Ruch Invitational at Metedeconk.
“It’s a beast. I’m sure they will set it up to be fair. I’m looking forward to playing real tournament golf,” said Bedell, a left-handed golfer who is rising senior at Lafayette College.
He enjoyed a solid freshman season there, winning the Naval Academy Invitational and losing in a playoff at the Bucknell Invitational.
A 15-foot birdie putt on his final hole, No. 9, got Bedell to two-under par. After making the turn at three-under, he bogeyed his 16th and 17th holes, Nos. 7 and 8, to move to one-under.
A week ago, he served as a caddie at the State Amateur for Brendan Hansen of Spring Lake. Bedell didn’t enter the Amateur since he figured he had an internship lined up in South Carolina. But that fell through.
“I came here and wanted to limit my mistakes. I feel my game keeps improving. It’s about course management. You don’t have to overpower the course. You have ot leave your shots in the right position,” he said.
