State Open: Jason Lamp Storms To Early Lead

By Rick Jenkins

So close yet so far. For Jason Lamp, the head professional at Deal Golf & Country Club, the trip to Hollywood Golf Club is just a stroll across the street. But to fire an opening round six-under par 65 to lead the 91st Open Championship by three strokes, like he did today, must have seemed a world away. A recurring wrist injury that has required three different surgeries has severely curtailed Lamp’s competitive play over the last four years. In fact, aside from the 2007 State Open at Plainfield where the wrist caused him to withdraw in the second round, this is the only State Open in which he’s competed since winning it in 2006 – at Hollywood.

“The magic was back today,” Lamp said after receiving numerous handshakes and congratulatory slaps on the back from his fellow professionals. Indeed, Lamp made seven birdies and only one bogie en route to shooting the lowest opening round (33-32=65) at the State Open in recent memory. He thought he was on the comeback trail last year following the second surgery, but an awkward lie at the PGA Section Championship last September at Trump – Bedminster tweaked the wrist again and sidelined him for the rest of the year. A plate and five screws in his left wrist finally were removed this April and Lamp has felt his old self returning. His confidence has been returning as well, knowing that he can hit down on the ball and take a divot without feeling pain in his wrist.

Playing in the last group in the afternoon, Neshanic Valley professional Kevin Foley shot 68 (-3) and sits alone in second place. Tied for third are Spring Lake’s amateur Mike Stamberger and Greenacres’ head professional Mike LaBrutto, who shot 69s. Rounding out the sub-par rounds at 70 was a group of players consisting of Brooklake professional Frank Esposito, Jr., the 1999 champion; Laurel Creek professional John DiMarco, another past winner from 2000; Jim McGovern, the new head professional at White Beeches; Jesse Smith, the assistant professional at Black Oak; and amateur Anthony Aloi, the 2007 New Jersey high school boys’ golf champion.

The second round of the 54-hole stroke play championship begins at 7:30 on Wednesday morning, after which the starting field of 127 players will be cut to the 50 low scorers plus ties for the final round on Thursday.