Youth Foundation Pro-am Successful Event At Hackensack G.C.
The 2013 New Jersey State Golf Association Youth Foundation Pro-Am, conducted at Hackensack Golf Club, site of the 93rd State Open on Monday, July 8, attracted 28 foursomes to benefit youth from around the state. The State Open takes place Tuesday through Thursday, July 9-11.
Amateur Devin Brigham of Echo Lake set a Hackensack course record of 63 from the white tees to lead his team to victory in the Best Ball of Four competition.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of checks by the NJSGA Youth Foundation to the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital-Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack Golf Club’s designated charity) for $6,000 and to the New Jersey Golf Foundation for $3,000.
Other New Jersey charities which will receive aid from the Youth Foundation are Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association to sponsor the state high school championships and provide scholarships to a boy and a girl golfer; LPGA/USGA Girls Golf of Greater Newark, the Union Beach Soccer Association (Hurricane Sandy relief) and the First Tee programs of Raritan Valley, Plainfield, and Trenton.
The NJSGA Youth Foundation supports deserving youth golf and sports-related programs throughout the State of New Jersey. This support is provided through grants, instructional clinics, and recognition through NJSGA publications and events.
“We are very pleased to have this kind of participation for such a worthy cause as providing grants for deserving youth throughout the state,” said NJSGA Youth Foundation co-chairman Michael McFadden.
“We are thankful to the sponsors and participants who contribute each year and hope to see the Youth Foundation continue to grow and help us provide for deserving youth in New Jersey,” said the other Youth Foundation co-chairman, Frank O’Brien.
The Youth Foundation also raised money through a raffle, with the winner receiving an all-expense paid trip for four to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.
In 2012, the Youth Foundation Pro-Am and raffle were the biggest one-day fundraisers in the history of the foundation.
The Youth Foundation Pro-Am is a four-player team event and the format is Best Ball of Four, net scoring. Teams consisted of three amateurs and one professional who is participating in the State Open Championship that week. There is a team competition and individual Professionals´ competition.
Brigham's Echo Lake team of Neil Vanderbilt, 68, Bill Dowd, 63, and assistant pro Seth Hirschhorn, 28, won the team event with a net 56. The Trump National/Fairmount team of Peter Smith, Richard Levine, Frank Pfeffer and pro Craig Smith was second with a net 58.
Brigham broke his previous best of 68 set three years ago at Canoe Brook (South) by five shots. He has never played in the State Open and is not playing this year. He made the cut at the State Amateur, his first, last month at Canoe Brook (North).
"Putting was the key and I was also driving it well," said Brigham, an assistant caddie master at Echo Lake who is a native of Rumson. "I dropped some bombs, 40-foot putts, out there. I had two eagles, six birdies and a bogey. It wsas a great day."
The white tees played at 6,335 yards for the event and the blacks at around 6,800 yards for the pros. The championship tees are 6,964 yards for tomorrow's State Open.
Hirschhorn, a second-year assistant at Echo Lake, will be playing in his third State Open. The Willingboro havtive's best finish in a State Open was 2009 at Rock Spring, when he made the cut.
