NJSGA Looks to Retain Stoddard Trophy at Hackensack G.C.
ORADELL, N.J. - The 95th Stoddard Trophy Match will take place Monday, August 9th at the superb Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell. This, one-day triangular match play event between the New Jersey State Golf Association, Westchester Golf Association, and Long Island Golf Association resumes after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after last year’s contest at Deepdale G.C. was cancelled. The event features six alternate-shot, two-player team matches in the morning and 12 singles contests in the afternoon. The 12-player NJSGA team, champions of the John Hutchinson Stoddard Trophy at Apawamis G.C. in 2019, looks to retain the hardware.
The event began in 1922 at Morris County Golf Club and was won by the Westchester Golf Association. The NJSGA won for the first time the following year at Lido Country Club, the first of its series-leading 42 victories. Both the WGA and LIGA have won the trophy 24 times, and the trophy has been shared by way of a tie four times.
In 2019, the NJSGA clipped the WGA and LIGA, 20.0-to-19.0-to-15.0. After the NJSGA collected seven total points during morning foursomes, Ryan Davis, Sam Goldenring, Troy Vannucci, and Danny Harcourt each collected two points in afternoon singles matches. In the last singles match, New Jersey’s Jay Blumenfeld outlasted Westchester’s Jim Graham, 1-up, to secure the final point and help the NJSGA hoist the trophy for the 42nd time.
The NJSGA looks to win the competition for the fourth time in five years after wins in 2016, 2017, and 2019. This year's NJSGA squad includes a strong mix of Stoddard Trophy veterans and newcomers, all of which are accomplished local players:
- Jason Bataille, Raritan Valley C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Mid-Amateur Semifinalist
- 2000 W.Y. Dear Junior Champion
- 1999 W.Y. Dear Junior Champion
- Jay Blumenfeld, Mountain Ridge C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Super-Senior Champion
- 2019 NJSGA Senior Player of the Year
- 2017 NJSGA Senior Player of the Year
- 2016 NJSGA Senior Amateur Champion
- 2014 NJSGA Senior Amateur Champion
- Mark Costanza, Hamilton Farm G.C.
- 2020 NJSGA Player of the Year
- 2020 NJSGA Open Champion
- 2020 NJSGA Mid-Amateur Finalist
- Austin Devereux, Manasquan River G.C.
- 2021 MAAC Men’s Golf Individual Champion at Rider University
- 2020 NJSGA Amateur Champion
- 2019 NJSGA Public Links Runner-up
- Doug Ergood, Tavistock C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Amateur Runner-up
- 2021 Delaware Amateur Runner-up
- Adam Kugler, Alpine C.C.
- NJSGA Senior Player of the Year, 2020
- 2020 NJSGA Senior Amateur Champion
- 2020 NJPGA/NJSGA Senior Open, Low Amateur
- Thomas Lee, Rockleigh G.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Amateur, T14th
- 2021 Amateur Qualifier at Quail Brook G.C., co-medalist
- 2021 NJSGA Open, T16th
- 2021 Open Qualifier at Little Mill C.C., co-medalist
- Eric Lefante, Somerset Hills C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Mid-Amateur Champion
- 2010 NJSGA Public Links Champion
- 2009 NJSGA Public Links Champion
- Michael O’Connell, Arcola C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Amateur, T30th
- 2020 NJSGA Amateur, T13th
- 2019 NJSGA Amateur, T22th
- Max O’Hagan, NJSGA E-Club
- 2021 NJSGA Amateur, 3rd
- 2021 NJSGA Open, T12th
- 2021 Open Qualifier at Lake Mohawk, Medalist
- 2020 Division II Ping First-Team All-American at Florida Tech
- Troy Vannucci, Little Mill C.C.
- 2021 NJSGA Mid-Amateur, Finalist
- 2020 NJSGA Mid-Amateur, Semifinalist
- 2019 NJSGA Amateur, 5th
- Jack Wall, Manasquan River G.C.
- 2020 NJSGA Open, T8
- 2019 NJSGA Amateur, Runner-up
- 2019 W.Y. Dear Junior, Runner-up
- 2018 NJSGA Amateur, Runner-up
- 2017 W.Y. Dear Junior Champion
