Ryan Siegler Of Mercer Oaks Looks To Defend Public Links Title
Defending champion Ryan Siegler of Mercer Oaks has an opportunity to repeat when he participates in the 10th New Jersey State Golf Association Men’s Public Links Championship, a 36-hole, one-day event on Thursday, July 24, at Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Neshanic Station.
In 2013, Siegler had a day he’ll never forget, including a hole-in-one that led to rounds of 69-71-140 for a four-stroke victory at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. Also that day, temperatures approached 100 degrees on the course on a scorchingly hot summer day.
Siegler, 20, tied for 21st place in last month’s State Amateur. He is a rising junior at Towson State University where he is a member of the golf team.
In winning last year, Siegler had never played Galloping Hill before. He fired a round of 3-under-par 33 on his final nine holes to take the championship over runner-up Eddie Carnes of Suneagles (73-71-144).
Third place went to Sean Lawrence of Rutgers (74-71-145). The top three finishers earned a place in the 2014 State Amateur at Knickerbocker C.C.
This year’s field of 40 includes 2012 champion Justin VanHyning of Mercer Oaks who last year tied for 17th at 79-72-151. Included in the field are a pair of former runners-up, Jacob Stockl of Hyatt Hills (2011) and Merv Smith of Neshanic Valley (2007). Stockl competed in the U.S. Public Links this summer at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas., where he lost in the first round of match play.
Medalists from qualifying include Eric Snyder and Tim Timby, both of Mercer Oaks, who shared the medal at Mountain View; Zachary Brown of Flanders Valley, medalist at High Bridge Hills, and Drew McMahon of Mercer Oaks, medalist at Rockleigh.
Last summer, Siegler played at the U.S. Publinx at Laurel Hills in Virginia, but missed the cut for match play by one stroke. He also played two rounds in the State Open at Hackensack, his first State Open appearance.
Siegler used a nine iron to ace the 136-yard fifth hole, the second ace of his career, the first coming three years ago at Laurel Creek. He watched as the ball hung up on a small hill, 20 feet from the hole, and then slowly rolled downhill and into the cup.
The men’s public links championship is open to amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1 of the current year, have been bona fide public-course players with a handicap of 8 or better.
