Stamberger Leads Barron In Close Player Of Year Race
Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake, fresh off his victory at the 112th State Amateur at Canoe Brook Country Club, has the early lead in the annual NJSGA Player of the Year standings.
With his victory, Stamberger became the first ever to win both the NJSGA Amateur and Mid-Amateur and the Met amateur.
Stamberger, the 2011 Player of the Year, accumulated 330 points with the Amateur triumph, while Peter Barron of Stone Harbor is second with 325 points. Barron, who was fourth in the Amateur, gained additional points with runner-up spots in the GAP Mid-Amateur and Eagle Oaks Invitational.
Ryan McCormick of Suburban, the 2012 Player of the Year, is third with 280 points off a third place showing in the Amateur and a third place finish in the New York City Amateur, an event he won the previous two seasons.
COMPLETE PLAYER OF YEAR STANDINGS
Just behind McCormick, a senior-to-be at St. John’s University, in fourth place is his college teammate, Pat Wilson of Panther Valley,with 275 points. Wilson was seventh in the Amateur, was runner-up in the New York City Amateur, and also earned points by advancing to U.S. Open sectional qualifying.
In fifth place is Amateur runner-up Jimmy Dengler of Rumson. Dengler, 19, is a sophomore-to-be at Loyola of Maryland.
The Player of the Year Award recognizes the top amateur player in the state.
Last year, McCormick, 20, became only the fifth player in history to win the NJSGA and MGA Amateurs in the same year and the first since 1949. He also was within one stroke of winning the Met Open, but nonetheless won low amateur honors. He would have become the first golfer ever to win all three in the same summer.
McCormick was the second youngest to win the player of the Year. Chris Nallen of Panther Valley, born in April, was also 20 when he won the first Player of the Year Award in 2002. Nallen is currently a standout player on the Web.com Tour.
McCormick, finished with 958.75 points to edge two-time Player of the Year Brian Komline of Black Oak, the 2012 Mid-Amatuer winner, who totaled 916.25 points. Komline last year became the first to win all five NJSGA majors.
Stamberger was third with 717.5 points, followed by State Open champion Benjamin Smith of Little Mill with 680 points, and Niall Handley of Essex Fells, the State Open runner-up and Tournament of Club Champions winner, with 675 points.
