Top Seeds Reach 82nd Four-ball Semifinals At Crestmont
Top seeds Steve Zychowski and Sam Wallach of Mendham counted five birdies but still had to grind their way to a 2-and-1 victory over John Browndorf of Deal and Jack Skirkanich of Rumson in the quarterfinals of the 82nd NJSGA Four-Ball Championships at Crestmont Country Club in West Orange.
Zychowski and Wallach, who lost in the quarterfinals in 2012 play Max Greyserman, last month’s State Open champion , and Jim Rosenthal of Crestmont, playing together for the first time, in the semifinals on Thursday morning.Greyserman and Rosenthal needed 22 holes to get past Matt Ringen and Dom Domechino of Sunset Valley in the qaurterfinals.
In the other semifinal, Kevin McSorley of Charleston Springs and John Lay III of Howell Park, who beat Brett Flynn and Greg Fedorcik of Rumson, 3 and 2, square off against Vince Totka and Dave Hirshhorn of Oak Hill, who bested Jerry Lee and Brian Kramer of Trump-National Bedminster, 1 up.
The championship 18-hole match takes place Thursday afternoon.
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY MATCH-PLAY BRACKET
“We were 3 up at the turn, but Jack (Skirkanich) got back-to-back birdies and they squared the match on 13 when Jack had a chip-in,” explained Wallach, 23, who recently earned a master’s degree in finance from the University of Texas, his alma mater.
“Buvt we won with a par on the par-5 14thhole when we saved par. We went 2-up when Steve (Zychowski) rolled in a downhill slider from 30 feet. That was the biggest moment of the day,” Wallach said.
“We had to earn every hole this afternoon. Nothing was given to us. It was a grind. Every hole was won with a birdie almost,” said Zychowski, the runner-up in this year’s State Amateur to Mike Stambeger of Srping Lake. He also finished 15th in the State Open. Zychowski, 22, a graduate of Holy Cross, will be playing next week in his fourth U.S. Amateur at Atlanta.
Last week, McSorley topped Lay, 2 and 1, to win the Howell Parl club championship, which Lay won in 2013.
“I’m not surprised we’re here. We’re both long hitters,” said McSorley, a Jersey City fireman who won the NJSGA Mid-Amateur championship in 2011. “When two balls are always in ply, you can make birdies. WE’re both around the green, and if we’re smart, we can make putts.”
Lay’s grandfather, Jhon Lay Sr., won this championship in 1967. Thirty years later, his father, John Laay Jr., won it.
“I took a pcitre of the trophy with their names on it,” said Lay III. “The highlight of my year was having a baby on April 15. He’s John Lay IV.”
Totka and Hirschhorn won over Lee and Kramer when Hirschhorn, 35, birdied the par-5 18thhole. The duo led, 2 up, after 14 holes, but Lee and Kramer won the next tow holes with a birdie and a par to get to all square.
“It’s exciting to reach the semifinals. We haven’t played in many events as a team in big amateur events,” said Hirschhorn, who works in marketing and lives in East Windsor. Hi brother, Seth, is an assistant pro at Echo Lake.
“We’re good together. A lot of times, the other guy will grind it out for the other one,” said Totka, 46, a Woodbridge police officer who also lives in East Windsor.was already on the green and putting for eagle. He settled for birdie and the match went to extra holes.
The Greyserman-Rosenthal pairing was put together by Crestmont head pro bob Downey, as they are the two low handicappers at the club. Rosenthal is a former member at Green Brook. Greyserman won the NJSGA Junior championship in 2013.
Greyserman, who is a rising sophomore at Duke University, brought his team back from the brink when he chipped in for birdie from the rough behind the green from 25 feet. Ringen was putting for eagle from 22 feet, but settled for birdie and a halve of the hole. The match finally ended on the par-3 fourth hole. Greyserman was the only player to make the green and two-putted from 40 feet, needing to sink a four-footer for the par victory.
"We played grreat this moring, seven up after 10 holes. We were birdieing a lot of holes, but that didn't happen in the afternoon," Greyserman said. "We've got to play better to win tomorrow. On 18, my first chip went long because of all the adrenalin of playing in front of so many members here that I know. There was more pressure than usual. The chip that went in was right in the center of the hole."
"Max carried us the whole way," said Rosnethal, 56, an investment banker who lives in West Orange and won one club championship at Green Brook. "That chip he made on 18 was reminiscent of Tiger Woods in the Masters.
In the morning Round of 16, Zychowski and Wallach defeated Kevin and Kieran Purcell, 2 and 1; Browndorf and Skirkanich topped Ryan and Bill Snouffer of Panther Valley, 4 and 3; Greyserman and Rosenthal bested Dan O’Rourke and Gregg Belardo of Oak Hill, 4 and 3; McSorley and Lay beat Glenn Hertzberg and Nick Miller of Upper Montclair, 2 up; Flynn and Fedorcik of Rumson defeated Shaun Davis and Chester Patterson of Fiddler’s Elbow, 2 up; Matt Ringen and Dom Demichino of Sunset Valley beat Pat Lawlor and Ron Cochran of High Mountain, 2 and 1, Lee and Kramer of Trump National-Bedminster bested Peter Halas and Jason Menges of Jumping Brook, 2 and 1, and Vince Totka of Old York and Dave Hirschhorn of Peddie beat Niall Handley of Essex Fells and Merv Smith of Neshanic Valley, 4 and 3.
