Vannucci Fires 66 At Amateur Qualifier At Riverton C.C.
A four-hour rain delay did nothing to spoil Troy Vannucci’s day on Thursday, May 25, at the NJSGA Amateur qualifier at Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson.
Vannucci of Little Mill fired a round of five-under-par 66 at the 6,400-yard venue to lead the way by one stroke over Linus Yip of Fiddler’s Elbow, a Seton Hall University golfer, and by two shots over Erick Alonso of Darlington, who attends Loyola of Maryland, and another collegian, Sam Goldenring of Brooklake, who plays golf at Williams College.
The low 13 golfers and ties who shot 72 or better gained spots in the 116th NJSGA Amateur Championship, May 6-8, at Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield.
“I got here early and it took five hours before I put a peg in the ground. This course suited me. I like playing target golf,” said Vanucci, 25, a two-time club champion at Little Mill. “I got off the tee and well and my irons were pretty solid.”
Other than making a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-4 No. 10 hole, he pretty much was around the cup all day. He recorded seven birdies on holes Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17 and 18. The bogeys came on both par-3s on the back nine, Nos. 14 and 16.
Vannucci does most of his golfing in the winter in Florida. During the summer he’s busy with his job of constructing sports surfaces.
He played this winter in the Palm Coast area.
Vannucci is a native of Tennessee and play varsity soccer, basketball and baseball at First Assembly Christian School in Cordova, Tenn. His uncle, Tom Hyland, helped set him up in his job.
“I seem to be getting better each year. Shooting a 66 shows that all my hard work is paying off,” Vannucci said.
