Metedeconk National Wins Senior Interclub Championship
The team of Bill Boyle and Bob Lerner combined for a two-under-par 70 to help Metedeconk National Golf Club win the coveted Adrian “Bud” Foley Trophy, emblematic of the NJSGA’s Senior Interclub Matches, over the West and South nines at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton on Oct. 26.
Metedeconk National totaled 300 strokes, bettering the 306 for Canoe Brook and 307 for Rockaway River. Rounding out the scoring in the six-team final match were Mendham and Plainfield, tied for fourth at 309, and Essex County sixth at 323. Each of the teams represented at Upper Montclair had won a four-team division over the past two months of matches.
Following the 70 from Boyle and Lerner was a 74 from Joe Roeder and Bob Manzo, who joined Boyle and Lerner on the Metedeconk “A” Team. Also counting toward the triumph were the “B” teams of Tom DiPaola and Paul Brown at 76, and Jeff Goldstein and Rich Mullarkey at 80.
“Over the past three years, the Senior Interclub matches have probably become the most popular and enjoyable NJSGA event for senior players,” said NJSGA president Bill Frese. “It’s become an event that senior club members look forward to every fall. There’s no doubt that interest and club participation will continue to increase and we look forward to many more competitive Senior Interclub Championships.”
The pairing of Boyle and Lerner combined for eight birdies, five by Boyle and three by Lerner. Boyle called Lerner’s six-iron shot from 150 yards over water and into wind – which landed two feet from the cup on the par-4 No. 12 – “our shot of the day.”
“We played very steady golf,” Lerner said. “We have a number of really good senior players at Metedeconk and they all played really well today.”
Metedeconk was among the 12 clubs that played in the first year of the Senior Interclub but did not field a team last year.
“This year, the club made a commitment that we wanted a competitive team,” Lerner said. “We selected Tom DiPaola and Paul Brown as captains and they took it very seriously.”
Boyle is a frequent player in NJSGA championships. In 2009, he was runner-up to Tom Hyland of Little Mill in the NJSGA Pre-Senior Championship at Rumson. He has also played in numerous State Opens and State Amateurs.
“Anytime you win an NJSGA event, it’s great,” Boyle said.
“We’re very proud of winning the Senior Interclub Championship,” Lerner said. “It’s a big deal for us, especially in the same season that Metedeconk National hosted the State Open. It’s nice to bring a trophy back to our club.”
The Senior Interclub Matches, for male golfers 55 and older, are played at scratch and include three four-ball match-play rounds of section play, leading to a divisional winner. This year, six brackets were comprised of four clubs each.
Every team included two divisions differentiated by USGA Handicap Index titled the “A” division and the “B” division. The “A” division included golfers of any Handicap Index, while the “B” division included only golfers with a Handicap Index of 8.0 or higher. Each match consisted of two A division four-ball teams and two B division four-ball squads.
The championship was contested by the six clubs that won their four-team brackets. Each club fielded four two-man teams (two A division teams and two B division teams) that posted their better-ball scores. All scores counted, which made Metedeconk National’s total of 300 strokes even more impressive.
