Zychowski. Stamberger Pace NJ In U.S. State Team Play
FINAL DAY REPORT
Steven Zychowski fired an even-par 72 (219 total) and State Amateur champion Mike Stambeger added a 73 (231 total) to spark New Jersey in the final day of the U.S. Men's State Team Championship in French Lick (Ind.) Resort.
Team captain Trevor Randolph's 79 (235 total) was not counted, but Randolph had suffered a wrist injury in the second round of play. New Jersey will finish in the middle of the pack in the event, which takes place every two years.
Texas captured a record-fourth USGA Men’s State Team Championship on Thursday, posting a total score of 4-under-par 428 to edge Florida by three strokes at the par-72, 6,891-yard Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.
The trio of Zach Atkinson, Colby Harwell and Aaron Hickman entered the final round with a three-stroke cushion, and saw their advantage grow to as many as seven strokes early in the round, but a late charge by Florida briefly knotted things at the top of the leader board before Texas pulled away at the end. Texas posted a final-round score of 1-over 145, its highest of the championship, but a 1-under 71 from Atkinson provided enough cushion to claim the James R. Hand Trophy for the first time since 2007.
Iowa, the runner-up in 2012, finished third with a score of 2-over 434.
In 2013, New Jersey's team of Alice Chen, Cindy Ha and Tara Fleming won the U.S. Women's State Team Championship.
DAY TWO:
Steven Zychowski's 2-under-par 70 highlighted Day Two for New Jersey in the second round of the three-day U.S. Men's State Team Championship at the French Lick (Ind.) Resort.
Mike Stamberger added a 7-over 79 while Trevor Randolph's 10-over 82 was not counted to the team score. The team improved slighlty with 149 strokes for Day Two over 151 team strokes for Day One for a two-day total of 300 strokes.Texas leads the event heading into the final day at 283 strokes.
DAY ONE:
Team captain Trevor Randolph of Franklin Lakes carded a 2-over-par 74, Steven Zychowski of Mendham added a 5-over 77 and Mike Stamberger carded a 7-over 79 after the first day of the three-day U.S. Men's Team State Championship at French Lick Resort in Indiana.
Counting scores only from Randolph and Zychowski put New Jersey at a combined 7-over par, 11 shots behind leader Mississippi (4-under par) and in a tie for 26th place with four other teams. The New Jersey trio tees off on Wednesday afternoon in the 2 p.m. hour.
PREVIEW ARTICLE:
Two-time and defending State Amateur champion Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake and two-time and defending Mid-Amateur champion Trevor Randolph of Arcola, along with State Amateur co-runner-up Steven Zychowski of Mendham will represent New Jersey in the 11th USGA’s Men’s State Team Championship set to take place September 30-October 2, on the Pete Dye Course at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.
Randolph, who won his second NJSGA Mid-Amateur championship in a row on Wednesday, Sept. 24, will serve as team captain.The squad is sponsored by the New Jersey State Golf Assocation.
“I’m very honored to be able to represent New Jersey in the State Team Championships. Everyone knows my main goal this year was to become a member of that team,” said Randolph, 41, who lives in Franklin Lakes and is a native of Bethesda, Md. “I stated that a year ago when I won my first NJSGA Mid-Amateur Championship.”
New Jersey is paired with players from Montana and West Virginia. Tee times (see below) on Tuesday, Sept. 30 are 9:11, 9:20 and 9:29. Tee times on Wednesday, Oct. 1 are 2:01, 2:10 and 2:19. The teams are regrouped for Thursday's final round.
In June, Stamberger, a resident of Brielle won is playing in his fourth State Team Championship, won his second State Amateur title in a row. Zychowski and Randolph tied for the runner-up spots.
Stamberger, 42, who has won the 2008 NJSGA Mid-Amateur and the 2003 Metropolitan Golf Association Amateur, was runner-up to Max Greyserman of Crestmont in this year’s State Open.
Randolph, 41, advanced to match-play in his second appearance at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Randolph, the runner-up at the Met Amateur in 2013 to Pat Wilson of Panther Valley had 25 birdies for the week when he won the 2013 Mid-Amateur at Trump National in Bedminster. Randolph is a four-time club champion at Congressional. He qualified for the USGA Four Ball next May with partner Keith Unikel of Congressional. Randolph was also runner-up in the 2013 Met Mid Am.
Zychowski, 23, who lives in Mendham, graduated from Holy Cross in 2013. This year, he was runner-up in the Bergen County Amateur and was T10 in The Ike. He recently qualified with Sam Wallach for next May’s U.S. Four-Ball Championship at the Olympic Club, Including this summer, Zychowski has played in four of the past five U.S. Amateurs. He was the New England Intercollegiate champion in 2011.
In the State Team Championships, the three New Jersey players will be play in threesomes with golfers from two other states and play one after each other on consecutive holes. The field will be cut after the first two days. Golfers will play 18 holes each of the three days, with the two lowest of the three individual scores counting as the team’s score that day. The team with the lowest aggregate through 54 holes is the champion. College players are ineligible for the championship.
“Mike and Steve are both playing well. In that format, between the three of us, we should be able to shoot at or under par each day. If we do that, we’ll have a good shot at winning it. In the tournaments we’ve played together, we’ve been under par.”
The New Jersey team is selected using the NJSGA Player of the Year points list over the past two years Similar to the Ryder Cup, points are doubled in the year of the event and added to the previous year.
The USGA Men’s and Women’s State Team Championships grew out of celebration of the USGA Centennial in 1995, coincidentally the same year that Galloway National – hosting its first national tournament – was opened. The championships are open to players from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
In the 2013 New Jersey’s team won the U.S. Women’s State Team Championship in Kettering, Ohio, behind 17-year-olds Alice Chen of Neshanic Valley and Cindy Ha of Valley Brook and former LPGA Tour player Tara Fleming of New Jersey National.
New York (Mike Miller, Max Buckley, Joe Saladino) won the 2012 Men’s State Team Championship conducted at Galloway National Golf Club. New Jersey finished 32nd.
New Jersey’s best finish was tie for fourth in 2001 behind Mike Deo of Black Oak, Mike Hyland of Little Mill and Allan Small of Fairmount. Minnesota won that year.
TEE TIMES FOR TUEDAY, SEPT. 30, AND WEDNESDAY, OCT 1
9:11 a.m. – 2:01 p.m. – Steven Zychowski, Mendha.m., N.J.; Jimbob Coleman, Billings, Mont.; Philip Reale II, South Charleston, W.Va.
9:20 a.m. – 2:10 p.m. – Michael Stamberger, Brielle, N.J.; Brian Beach, Missoula, Mont.; Trent Roush, Mason, W.Va.
9:29 a.m. – 2:19 p.m. – Trevor Randolph, Franklin Lakes, N.J.; Ross Bartell, Great Falls, Mont.; Sam O'Dell, Hurricane, W.Va.
