Mike Paduano Is Caliendo Winter League Champion, Player Of Year

Mike Paduano of Eagle Oaks fired an even-par 72 to win the championship of the 55th John Caliendo Jersey Shore Winter Golf League Championship on April 7 at Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City.

Paduano’s triumph in the season-ending event was his fourth of the winter season and gave him Player of the Year honors for the second time, also winning in 2005-06. He has won three Caliendo championships (2000, '09, '16). He edged Anthony Fioretti, 659-640, in the POY race.

The season for Paduano, 47, included a four-under-par 66 at Knob Hill in Manalapan on March 17. He also had a second and a third, over the course of the 22-event schedule.

“I have never played a halfway decent round of golf at Renault. I have always stumbled somewhere on the back nine. The weather was so bad, I guess I had no expectations to score well so that kind of freed me up. When we were out on the course, my group, (Anthony Fioretti, Mike LoCastro and John Lay, Jr.) just kind of giggled about the wind and we all played pretty well,” Paduano said. “I just avoided double bogeys, and that's why I won. I'm really looking forward to the season. “

Paduano’s 72 was three shots better than LoCastro and Kyle Magnusson. Fioretti was fourth with a 76. Paduano edged Fioretti in the Player of the Year standings, 659-640.

“To give you an idea what the weather was like, I hit a four iron to the par 5 13th from 238 yards right behind the hole and on the next hole I came up 30 yards short with a seven iron from 150. The wind was 25 mph sustained with gusts up to 40. It rained a couple of times during the round,” said Paduano, who will participate in the 33rd NJSGA Mid-Amateur Championship, May 10-12 at Spring Lake Golf Club.

“It will be nice to not have any pain when I walk or setup on a side hill lie. I tore my Patella tendon in 2012 and broke my ankle in 2013 so that really set me back more than I realized,” he said.

Tom Swider won low net with a 65.

Among professional s, Mike Lanzetta of the Mansfield Golf Center capturing the championship with a 74, with Jim Famula and Todd Rickenbach second at 75. Joe Galan and Ken Pridgen tied for fourth at 76.

Pridgen, the head pro at Suneagles in Eatontown, was an easy winner in the Player of the Year race. Pridgen won six tournaments, while finishing second twice.