2017 NJPGA Assistant Championship

Thank you Canoe Brook Country Club Reed Lansinger, PGA Director of Golf Canoe Brook Country Club

Albert Costantini, CCM COO/General Manager Canoe Brook Country Club

Past Champions

Year Winner, Club Representation

2016 Dylan Malafronte, TPC Jasna Polana 2015 Brian Mackey, White Beeches Golf and Country Club 2014 Carl Hays, Hollywood Golf Club 2013 Ryan Fountaine, Baltusrol Golf Club 2012 Sam Kang, Farmstead Golf and Country Club 2011 Sam Kang, Farmstead Golf and Country Club 2010 Paul Lejeune, Suburban Golf Club 2009 Vince Ramagli, Forest Hill Field Club 2008 Keith Grassing, North Jersey Country Club 2007 Jim Herman, Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster 2006 Jim Herman, Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster 2005 John Deegan, Rock Spring Club 2004 Al Giebler, Knob Hill Golf Club 2003 Tom Sipula, Edgewood Country Club 2002 Mark Yannotta, Crystal Spring Golf Club 2001 Peter Springstead, Hackensack Golf Club 2000 Mike LaBrutto, Rock Spring Club 1999 Frank Esposito Jr., Shackamaxon Country Club 1998 Matt Cannon, Green Brook Country Club 1997 John Klocksin, Metuchen Golf and Country Club 1996 Frank Esposito Jr., Crestmont Country Club 1995 Craig Lindsey, Fairmount Country Club 1994 John Klocksin, Ridgewood Country Club 1993 Brent Studer, Manasquan River Golf Club 1992 Charlie Cowell, Suburban Golf Club 1991 Mark Giuliano, Fairmount Country Club 1990 Mark Yannotta, Fairmount Country Club 1989 Bill King, Rutgers University Golf Course 1988 Bill King, Rutgers University Golf Course 1987 Baker Maddera, Echo Lake Country Club 1986 Michael Burke, Edgewood Country Club 1985 Michael Burke, Edgewood Country Club 1984 Ed Whitman, Hackensack Golf Club 1983 Ed Whitman, Hackensack Golf Club 1982 Jim Crowley, Mountain Ridge Golf Club 1981 Ben Karalis, Canoe Brook Country Club 1980 Art Silverstrone Jr., Preakness Hills Country Club

Jamie Devers Director of Grounds Canoe Brook Country Club

Host Site

Canoe Brook Canoe Brook Canoe Brook Canoe Brook Canoe Brook Crestmont Bedens Brook Montammy Panther Valley Mendham Mountain Ridge Rockaway River Cherry Valley Essex County Montclair Montclair Spring Brook/Roxiticus Crestmont/Green Brook/Mountain Ridge Spring Brook/Raritan Valley Crystal Springs/Hollywood Crestmont/Green Brook Essex County/Essex Fells/Green Brook Oak Hill/Green Brook/Crestmont Hollywood/Greenacres Morris County/Mountain Ridge Essex County/Mountain Ridge Fairmount Morris County/Essex Fells Rock Spring Montammy/Fairmount Montclair/Essex County Knickerbocker/Preakness Hills Bedens Brook/Canoe Brook Edgewood/Essex County Fairmount/Mountain Ridge Upper Montclair/Bedens Brook Essex Fells/Hackensack

National Car rental Assistant Championship Canoe brook country club August 14

O

W elcome to Canoe Brook

n my behalf of the members of Canoe Brook Country Club, I am excited to once again welcome the New Jersey PGA Assistant Professionals.

tion and we look forward to a great competition.

As a former PGA Assistant of the Section from 2008-2012, I have played in the Assistants Championship at Canoe Brook before and it gives me great pride to now be the host.

With another terrific field descending on Canoe Brook, we are excited to see more great golf!

Best of luck to all the participants and I can’t wait to see who qualifies for the 41st National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship!

Our Director of Grounds, Jamie Devers, has both the North and South Courses in excellent condi-

In June, Canoe Brook hosted the US Open Sectional Qualifying and we saw record breaking scores.

Past champions recall their experience winning the New Jersey PGA National Car Rental Assistant Championship.

It was my first year playing in the Section so I didn’t know what to expect. I had been playing well leading up to Canoe Brook but had no clue of the magnitude of the event. I played well on the South Course and kept it going in the afternoon. I remember making birdie on the 18th and being pretty happy with the way I played. Peter Chang said, “congratulations brother,” and I asked, “for what?” He looked at me stunned and said, “you won!” I had no clue we had access to an online leaderboard!

Once I realized what happened I couldn’t wait to call my dad. It was a fantastic experience and I look forward to achieving those feelings again! - Brian Mackey

2013

Winning the Assistant Championship was a great thrill. I happened to be right in the middle of the interview process at Arcola for their PGA Head Professional vacancy when I won. I’m not sure how much winning helped me in that process but it certainly didn’t hurt. It turned out that 2013 happened to be my last year as an assistant. Winning the last year I was eligible to play was special. The best part was celebrating with great friends on the back patio at Canoe Brook. - Ryan Fountaine

2010

I wasn’t sure where I stood when I finished because we did not have a scoreboard. I found out from someone else that I had won by one shot. I made bogey on the last hole. It felt good knowing I could still play well during that time even at 52 years old. - Paul Lejeune

2009

“It was actually a big win for me. I remember it gave me a good end to my season. Playing in the National Assistant Championship in Florida was great. I’m excited to play in it again this year. Canoe Brook is a great golf course. - Vince Ramagli

2008

My highlight from winning the Assistant Championship was when Dan Pasternak, the host PGA Professional at Panther Valley that year, presented me a picture of the facility from his pro shop. He is a class act. - Keith Grassing

2005

2003

1991

1988

“I always felt like I could have made it on the PGA Tour,” Herman said. “I had some good success in South Florida and in New Jersey. Those results, along with being second in the National PGA Assistant Championship definitely helped my confidence.”

Reed Lansinger Director of Golf Canoe Brook Country Club

“ In Their Words ” 2015

Before joining the PGA program, Herman failed to advance through PGA Tour Q-School four times and travelled the country competing on mini-tours.

I birdied the last hole to win by one-stroke. Winning the Assistant Players Championship at Hollywood at the end of 2004 gave me the confidence I needed to actually finish under pressure. I will always remember the positive words from other Section Professionals immediately following that win. It was truly an honor to be a part of such a great Section during my professional career. - John Deegan I remember how great it felt to finally capture the Assistants Championship at Essex County in 2003. A few years earlier I had come up just short at Montclair Golf Club after shooting a pair of 70’s. It was one of my top 5 wins of my career and it was very rewarding to play well on such a classic course. - Tom Sipula My championship was very special to me as my father lost his battle with cancer three weeks prior to the Championship. The tournament was held at two of my favorite courses, Essex County and Mountain Ridge. My father was my mentor as well as my biggest fan so it was a very special win for me. - Mark Giuliano

They cancelled it early because of the thunder. We were trying to go back out and this is before Thorguard. I was the winner because of that. - Bill King

Herman’s life dramatically changed when he won his first PGA Tour event at the Shell Houston Open in 2016. That victory gave him a chance to play in his first Masters as well as plan his PGA Tour schedule for the next two years.

Herman credits the staff and membership at Trump Bedminster for supporting his decision to pursue life on the PGA Tour. He still visits Trump Bedminster on occasion and recently attended the U.S. Women’s Open with his daughter to follow the action behind the ropes, reconnecting with old members and friends.

Fulfilling the Journey

Former Trump Bedminster PGA Assistant Jim Herman shares his memories winning the 2006 and 2007 New Jersey PGA Assistant Championship and path to the PGA Tour.

J

im Herman recalls his two years in the New Jersey Section as an important stepping stone in his golfing career.

During his time in the Section, the 39-year-old won the New Jersey PGA Assistant Championship in 2006 and 2007 and was a runner-up in the National PGA Assistant Championship in 2007. After his two years as an assistant at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, Herman attempted to qualify for the PGA Tour.

“I have a lot of history there and I wanted to be supportive,” Herman said. “I’ve got a daughter, and she’s a big fan of women’s golf, and men’s golf obviously with her dad, but she’s a big fan of women’s golf and Lexi Thompson. It was great to be on the other side as a fan.”

The 90th world ranked golfer has frequently played Canoe Brook Country Club, host of the New Jersey PGA Assistant Championship for the last six years. He qualified for the U.S. Open several times at the site and won an assistant event while serving in the Section.

“It’s a classic Northeast course,” Herman said. “You’re rewarded for your good shots. It’s a course you can stay patient with, birdie the par-5’s, and move on.”

Herman was the second alternate at the British Open this year, but intends to play the 99th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.

2016 CHAMPION DYLAN MALAFRONTE A lot has changed for Dylan Malafronte a year after winning the New Jersey PGA Assistant Championship at Canoe Brook last August.

get it around.”

The 27-year-old, who is now a Head PGA Professional at Adena Golf and Country Club in the North Florida Section, will be unable to defend his title this year, but said that it was the biggest victory of his playing career.

A few holes into competition, Malafronte’s back loosened up, leading him to shoot a morning round 66 at the North Course and a bogey-free 68 in the afternoon on the South Course. It was the first time he ever played a professional round without having a bogey.

The former PGA Assistant Professional at TPC Jasna Polana finished the 36-hole event at 10-under, four strokes ahead of Upper Montclair’s Tyler Hall.

“Somehow I hit the ball really well and I was rolling putts in,” Malafronte said. “It was one of those days where I shouldn’t have played well but I did.”

“It kind of stinks that I won’t be back to defend, but I’m really enjoying my time down here and the new challenges,” Malafronte said.

“To play against a field that the New Jersey Section has and come out on top was pretty darn cool. It was pretty exciting to be driving home with that trophy in my car.”

Malafronte has had other success as a PGA Professional. In 2016, he competed in the PGA Professional Championship and won a pro am event with his former members at TPC Jasna Polana.

There were challenges before the tournament began for Malafronte. While warming up on the driving range, he had a back spasm on his third range ball. He had doubts whether or not he was going to compete before the event even started.

“I didn’t think I was going to play,” Malafronte said. “That was the last golf ball I hit that morning. I went to find some advil and hit a couple putts. Before I knew it I was out on the first tee hitting hip high swings just to try and

This tournament serves as a qualifier for the National Assistant PGA Professional Championship, which will be held at PGA Golf Club, Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla, Nov. 9-12. There are six qualifying spots for the New Jersey Section this year. Malafronte finished T19 last season.

The only Section Professional to win the national event was in its inaugural year in 1977 by Mike Zack of Baltusrol. Jim Herman, a former assistant at Trump Bedminster, finished as a runner-up when he served in the New Jersey Section in 2007.