2019 NEW YORK STATE MEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuscarora Golf Club - Marcellus, New York
September 27-29, 2019
CONDUCTED BY THE
THE SEWANE CLUB
Hewlett Harbor, N.Y. Sept. 25 -27, 2020
O U R P A R T N E R S
NYSGA Officers
President
Warren Winslow, Western Turnpike GC
1st Vice President
Joseph Enright, Lancaster CC
Treasurer
Henry Fust, Onondaga G&CC
General Counsel
David Hayes, Skaneateles CC
Secretary
Iris Stanek, Lancaster CC
NYSGA Executive Committee
Brian Clark, Burden Lake CC
John Cooney, Burden Lake CC
Ryan Gabel, Southern Dutchess CC
Richard Galvin, Ontario CC
Jamie Miller, Wanakah CC
Joseph Strykowski, Elmira CC
Doug Vergith, Chautauqua GC
Rich Weber, Brookfield CC
Tom Andrews
Michael Aquino
Fred Arliss
Larry Arliss
Christine Badger
Ray Badger
John Barry
John Bartholomew
Lee Bearsch
David Beattie
Al Belair
Marci Bevilacqua
Doreen Biviano
John Blain
Vincent Bonvino
Timothy Brady
Robert Branham
Skip Brennan
Daniel Bronchetti
Gene Bullis
John Bullis
John Burns
Ron Case
Sue Chambers
Michael Chianelli
Brian Clark
Matt Clarke
James Coleman
Andrew Conway
James Cook
John Cooney
Glenn Coons
Thomas Cotter
George Cretekos
Jerry Danielski
John Davis
Garrett Davitt
Ellen Densen
NYSGA Staff
Bill Moore Executive Director
Andrew Hickey
Assistant Executive Director
Dan Thompson Director of Marketing and Partnerships
Deb Spilman Office Manager
Mark Ackley Manager of Course Rating
Jim Ironside, PGA Tournament Director
Sara Stanley Communications Intern
Jack Travers
USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr. Intern
Adam Blackwell
USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr. Intern
Mike Timmerman
USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr. Intern
NYSGA Sectional Affairs Committee
Dick Desorbo
Gerry Dewolf
Todd Dischinger
Michael Donnelly
Dick Dorgan
Dorothy Downing
Michael Drennen
Georgia Dusckas
Tom Eckert
Joe Enright
John Ernst
Ed Evans
Vie Evans
Michael Fitzgerald
Mark Fitzgerald
Georgette Folley
Bob Forward
Tim Frank
Henry Fust
Ryan Gabel
John Gaffney
Tom Gallagher
Richard Galvin
Bill Geider
John Grajko
Walter Grajko
Brad Griffin
Greg Harden
David Hayes
Joe Hazard
Sherry Heath
Jeff Holmes
Braden Houston
Marge Hubbell
Bob Hubbell
John Hudacs
Al Huggard
Don Hurley
Eric Ingalls
Ed Kaczor
John Kaeselau
Bill Kaminski
Robert Kawa
Tim Kayes
Stephen Keeler
Mary Ann Keeler
David Kokes
Edward Koslick
John Kulesa
Peter Lalla
Janis Luce
Ron Mack
Shari Mantini
Sue Marsh
Robert Martin
Ronald Mason
Pat Mayne
Jim McConnell
James McKillip
Jim Meyers
Gene Meyle
Ginny Meyle
Jamie Miller
Bill Moore, Sr.
Bill Moreland
Gregory Moreland
Albert Mowery
James Murrett
Richard North
Thomas Owen
Shelly Pargh
John Passaonno
Kinny Post
Joe Pucello
John Quijano
Nick Raasch
Bob Raimo
John Reagan
Tom Reidy
Joseph Riccio
Gary Rider
Robert Rosen
Sean Rotella
Chris Schmidt
Tim Schum
Patrick Shatzel
Martin Siefka
Bob Simms
Sue Sims
John Sniezyk
Ron Socash
Don Sommerville
Jerry Stahl
Iris Stanek
Edward Stanek
Al Stockholm
Nancy Stockholm
Peter Stoj
Joe Strykowski
John Sullivan
Joe Szyikowski
Thelma Taylor
John Teegardin
Edward Thaney
John Urtz
David Vaneenenaam
Douglas Vergith
Mona Wasserman
Rich Weber
John Wheeler
Richard Wilson
Warren Winslow
Welcome to the 2019 New York State Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The New York State Golf Association is proud to partner with Tuscarora Golf Club to provide a fair, challenging test in our efforts to identify New York’s top men’s mid-amateur golfer.
We are excited to showcase this wonderful design that has hosted past NYS Championships including the 2003 New York State Boys’ & Girls’ Junior Amateur Championships as well as the 1991 Women’s Amateur Championship and the 2015 Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur Championships.
In addition to the NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur, the NYSGA conducts eight other annual amateur championships which crown a total of 17 state titleholders. These championships are open to men and women, juniors and seniors, of all golfing abilities.
It takes a dedicated group of staff and volunteers to run these championships at the highest level. Our NYSGA team works hard to be the best and it shows. Thank you to our dedicated staff and tournament committee for their dedication and commitment to promoting amateur golf.
I’d also like to thank Tuscarora and all the other NYSGA member clubs who generously give their courses and facilities to support amateur golf. We simply could not do this without your partnership.
We hope you enjoy this year’s championship!
Sincerely,
Warren Winslow, President New York State Golf Association
NY.
In 1923, a group of businessmen and professionals from Syracuse wanted to form a golf club in the area. The idea was to create “a club within the means of the average golfer where golf will be of primary importance.”
The name “Tuscarora” stems from a group of fierce Indians, the Tuscaroras, who once settled the land in Central New York.
The course was laid out on the gently rolling hills of Marcellus by noted Scottish course architect, Seymour Dunn, and was later tweaked by the famed Robert Trent Jones in 1929-30. The layout’s tree lined fairways and small and fast greens challenge golfers of all abilities. The course is set up at 6,275 yards and is played to a par of 71.
Tuscarora has hosted a few other NYS Championships including the 2003 New York State Boys’ & Girls’ Junior Amateur Championships as well as the 1991 Women’s Amateur Championship and the 2015 Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur Championships.
Thank you to the membership & staff at Tuscarora for hosting this year’s championship!
Board of Directors
Tuscarora Golf Club
Scott Webster PGA Golf Professional
Steve Kurta Superintendent
1 PAR FOUR 363 YARDS
3 PAR FOUR 399 YARDS
2 PAR THREE 167 YARDS
4 PAR FIVE 618 YARDS
5 PAR FIVE
498 YARDS
7 PAR FOUR 330 YARDS
6 PAR FOUR 345 YARDS
8 PAR THREE 176 YARDS
9 PAR FOUR 386 YARDS
11 PAR FOUR 360 YARDS
10 PAR FOUR 336 YARDS
12 PAR FOUR 346 YARDS
13 PAR THREE
190 YARDS
15 PAR FOUR
283 YARDS
14 PAR FOUR 370 YARDS
16 PAR FIVE 552 YARDS
17 PAR FOUR 426 YARDS
18 PAR THREE 169 YARDS
MILLER BATTLES BACK TO WIN ON HOME TURF
Jamie Miller captured his second New York State Men’s Mid-Amateur title at Wanakah CC with a par on the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff.
He faced off against close friend Billy Hanes of Crag Burn GC, after both finishing the tournament at 217.
Placing in third was Patrick Nealon of Brierwood CC and two-time champion Jim Scorse of Stafford CC, at 218. Carl Schimenti finished alone in fifth at 220.
The playoff began on eighteen, Wanakah’s 433-yard closing par 4. Hanes pulled a 6 iron over the left trees and down the hill on his approach, while Miller stuck his shot pin-high to about twelve feet, and two-putted his way to the 35th title.
Hanes had an opportunity to close out Miller out on the 54th hole with a five-footer after Miller’s bogey, but couldn’t get the par putt to fall. Miller closed with a 1-under 71, while Hanes posted a 75.
Scorse had a makeable birdie putt on the eighteenth to force a three-way playoff, but was unable to convert it. “I had my chances coming down the stretch there. I hit really good putts, just nothing went in.”
Prior to the final round, Hanes had a three-stroke lead over Scorse, and four over Miller. The good friends had messy starts to their rounds, each with a few bogeys on their way out, while Nealon and Scorse penciled in a few birdies each.
It was hard to anticipated Miller’s late charge with five birdies in his last twelve holes, after he started off 3-over through six. “I didn’t start very well and was kind of trying to get out of the way,” said Miller about his early expectations. He then birdied #7, #8 and lipped out a birdie putt on #9 and thought to himself, “Alright, now I’m in it.”
Headed into the final six holes, Hanes, Scorse and Nealon were all tied at even par, and Miller two strokes back at two-over.
Nealon, made five birdies on his first fifteen holes, capped by an impressive chipin birdie on the tough par-3 fifteenth. He then bogeyed the final three holes to finish at 72.
“I didn’t even look at the scores until 17. That green was lightning today. I thought I made the putt and it just slid by. It just didn’t work out in the end,” said Nealon about the finish.
“I woke up feeling good today. I knew I was going to make a run. I played really well until 16, it got me all week. A couple bad breaks at the end there,” he added.
“I was watching what Pat did. I knew that if I made birdie I would be tied with Billy,” said Miller referring to the seventeenth hole, when Nealon three-putted for the first time this week.
Miller then stuck his ball on the front edge of the green and made his uphill birdie putt. Scorse and Hanes, who had similar length putts, two-putted and walked off with pars.
Miller and Hanes won a New York State Men’s Amateur Four-Ball title together in 2015, and have been great friends on and off the golf course for a long time.
“It was cool. We’ve never actually competed at the end of a tournament like that. If I wasn’t going to win, he was the one I wanted to win,” said Hanes.
“It’s weird because we’re best friends. We talk every day,” confessed Miller. “For most of the day I was trying to just encourage him along. Then I came back from 3-over and got it to 2-under.”
Miller, who’s a member of the host club, as well as Crag Burn where he’ll loop around with Hanes and others, felt fortunate to win in the Buffalo area, especially at his club. “I’m still kind of shocked. It’s awesome to win at home.”
His first Mid-Am title came in 2014 at Teugega Country Club where he won by three strokes at 4-under 206.
Although Hanes came up short, he’s happy to head back to East Aurora with his second piece of NYSGA hardware (he won the NYS Four-Ball in April with his younger brother David).
“I just didn’t have it today, but felt good with how I was keeping my emotions in check and everything. There’s more challenges to get out here and do this stuff nowadays, but I’m happy that I can and was able to play some good golf this summer.”
