Whitney Claims Narrow Victory At Pre-senior
By Fred Behringer
Cyrus Whitney of Hackensack Golf Club, who stood bunched among seven players at the top of the leader board in the first round of the 53rd NJSGA Pre-Senior Championship, was the only one of the seven who could improve his score in the second round. Following his 75 with a 74 turned out to be just enough to claim the championship. Whitney’s five-over-par 149 on August 22-23 at Navesink Country Club in Middletown prevailed over Phil Fabrizio of Knickerbocker and Marc Weinshel of Fox Hollow by a stroke.
Mike LoCastro of High Bridge Hills (78-74—152) finished fourth, one shot lower than Gerry Baldachino of Old York, Chip Sweeney of Howell Park and Huey Yang of Mercer Oaks. Michael Bryce of Charleston Springs held the first–round lead with 74 but slipped to 80 on the second day.
Men between the ages of 45 and 54 are eligible to compete in the Pre-Senior Championship. The NJSGA conducted this year’s event for the first time separately from its Senior Amateur Championship.
With so many players clustered near the top, the outcome was uncertain until the scores for the final twosome were posted. On the course, no one could tell who stood where. Whitney and Fabrizio played next-to-last behind Weinshel and Bryce. “I knew I was in it,” Whitney said after he received the William Y. Dear Championship Trophy. “I didn’t think anybody would go really low. I was just trying to stay with Phil, with whom I played. I knew I was close.”
Navesink’s testing par-4 14th, 484 yards and the No. 2 handicap hole, proved decisive for Whitney. He had just three-putted the long par-3 13th for a bogey, and he faced a very long putt on the 14th. “I made a bomb for birdie,” he recalled. “That was definitely a three-putt possibility.” Whitney failed to convert much closer birdie attempts on the next three holes but rode his bomb on the 14th to the title.
Since he had not played at Navesink for about 10 years, he used a caddie from the club and felt that turned out to be a smart move. “It’s a good strategy golf course,” he said. “It’s not a bombs-away golf course (6,742 yards from the rear tees). I only hit driver six times. My ball striking was excellent both days, and I had no double bogeys.”
The Hal Purdy design at Navesink opened in 1964 and was home to the LPGA Tour twice in the 1980s, boasting Nancy Lopez as one of the winners. The property is one of the highest points on the Jersey Shore, with the scenic, well-conditioned course offering noticeable elevation changes.
Cyrus Whitney will remember it well as the site of his first NJSGA championship. He finished in the Pre-Senior top 10 last year. A member at Hackensack for 20 years, Whitney has won several club championships. He retired from the banking field in 2004 and spends considerable time in Arizona working on his game. His wife, Betsy, regularly walks with him when he competes. Whitney savored his Pre-Senior success: “Any time you win with a field this large, it is pretty solid, and it is a state title.” The day after accepting the trophy, he headed for Albany to attempt to qualify for the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
