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NYSGA Officers
President - Henry Fust, Onondaga G&CC
1st VP - Jamie Miller, Crag Burn GC
2nd VP - Doug Vergith, Chautauqua GC
Treasurer - Robert Smith, Highland Park GC
General Counsel - Peter Jones, Drumlins CC
Secretary - Iris Stanek, Lancaster CC
NYSGA Executive Committee
Shawn Baker, Oak Hill CC
Lee Bearsch, Binghamton CC
John Burns, Niagara Falls CC
John Cooney, Olde Kinderhook GC
Joseph Enright, Lancaster CC
Ryan Gabel, Trump National - HV
Jim Gifford, Mohawk GC
Megan Grehan, Hudson National GC
Brent Herlihy, Glens Falls CC
Lawrence Lessing, The Creek
Christy Schultz, Oak Hill CC
Frank Suits, Cortland CC
Brian Williams, Winged Foot CC
Warren Winslow, Western Turnpike GC
Norm Amyot
Michael Aquino
Fred Arliss
Larry Arliss
Gary Assad
John Barry
John Bartholomew
David Beattie
Al Belair
Vic Bergsten
Marci Bevilacqua
Doreen Biviano
John Blain
Vincent Bonvino
Chris Boynton
Timothy Brady
David Braunscheidel
Gene Bullis
John Bullis
Ted Casey
Sue Chambers
Michael Chianelli
Cory Ciambella
Brian Clark
Matt Clarke
James Coleman
Andrew Conway
James Cook
Darrell Cornett
Thomas Cotter
George Cretekos
Jerry Danielski
John Davis
Garrett Davitt
Gordon Dewey
Todd Dischinger
Patric Donaghue
Renato Donato
Mike Donnelly
Dick Dorgan
Ryan Drake
NYSGA Staff
Bill Moore Executive Director
Andrew Hickey Assistant Executive Director
Dan Thompson Director, Marketing and Partnerships
Jack Travers Assistant Director, Rules & Competitions
Mark Ackley Manager, Course Rating
Deb Spilman Manager, Special Events & Volunteer Operations
Fred Wilkes Communications Intern
Parker Gauthier USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr. Intern
Michael Dirkes USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr. Intern
NYSGA Committee
Michael Drennen
Georgia Dusckas
Tom Eckert
Wayne Eckhardt
Joe Enright
Laurie Enright
John Ernst
Vie Evans
Karen Feldman
Mary Beth Fiore
Mark Fitzgerald
Michael Fitzgerald
Georgette Folley
Adrian Forzani
Tim Frank
John Gaffney
Richard Galvin
Bill Geider
Brad Griffin
Tom Hahn
Julie Hamm
David Hayes
Joe Hazard
Sherry Heath
Patrick Henry
Jeff Holmes
Braden Houston
John Hudacs
Al Huggard
Don Hurley
Ed Kaczor
Robert Kawa
Tim Kayes
Mary Ann Keeler
Stephen Keeler
Jeffrey Kennicutt
Edward Koslick
John Kulesa
Peter Lalla
Nan Lanahan
Tom Lanahan
Rod Lindstrom
Bill Loehr
Janis Luce
Ron Mack
Patrick MacRae
Susan Marsh
Robert Martin
Ronald Mason
Patricia Mayne
Jim McConnell
Theresa McGibbon
Thomas McGibbon
Pat McKenna
James McKillip
Patrick McNierney
Sean McPhee
Richard Meath
Brian Merritt
James Meyers
Gene Meyle
Ginny Meyle
Matthew Micheli
Bill Moore
Matthew Moran
Bill Moreland
Albert Mowery
Jack Mulvey
Art Munson
Jim Murrett
Thomas Oles
Thomas Owen
Rocco Palmieri
Brandon Payne
Mark Perry
Noah Poskanzer
Richard Prestopnik
Joe Pucello
John Quijano
Nick Raasch
John Raunick
John Reagan
Tom Reidy
Joseph Riccio
James Roff
Robert Rosen
Sean Rotella
Tony Scarpello
Chris Schmidt
Carl Schultz
Tim Schum
Dan Scott
Martin Siefka
Robert Simms
Sue Sims
Sarah Simson
Jaspal “Ricky” Singh, M.D.
David Smith
John Sniezyk
Ron Socash
Don Sommerville
Joseph Sorrento
Jerry Stahl
Edward Stanek
Tom Steele
Peter Stoj
Joseph Strykowski
John Sullivan
Levin Sullivan
Gale Sutton
Thelma Taylor
David Vaneenenaam
Jerry Vereeke
Mona Wasserman
Rich Weber
Bryan Whooten
Steve Wilber
Richard Wilson
Doug Young
Jon Zucarelli
On behalf of the entire New York State Golf Association, welcome to the 11th New York State Men’s Amateur & Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships!
The NYSGA is pleased to join with the leadership and staff of Leatherstocking Golf Course to provide a memorable challenge in crowning New York State’s top men’s amateur four-ball teams.
We are proud to return to this classic Devereux Emmet layout in Cooperstown, which has been the host site of many memorable New York State Championships throughout the decades, including the 1958 and 1962 Women’s Amateur, the 1964 Men’s Amateur, the 1972 Men’s Senior and the 2001 Men’s Mid-Amateur. Since 2013, Leatherstocking has hosted our Men’s and Men’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships.
We certainly anticipate an exciting and memorable competition over the next several days, and the golf course and setup will surely challenge the players to utilize their full ability and skill.
I’d like to offer our thanks and appreciation to the management, club and pro shop staff, and especially the course grounds crew, whose combined efforts have provided us with this wonderful championship venue.
Finally, I’d like to thank our NYSGA staff and fantastic team of tournament volunteers, who work tirelessly to provide a first-class experience and support the talented players that participate in our competitions.
We hope you enjoy this year’s championship and we appreciate your support of our association and tournaments. If there’s anything that we can do to make your experience more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the NYSGA staff.
Sincerely,
Henry W. Fust , President New York State Golf Association
The Leatherstocking Golf Course resides at The Otesaga Resort Hotel, a member of the Historic Hotels of America and a National Register for Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The hotel is located on the southern shore of Lake Otesgo, creating impeccable waterfront views. In 1909, the owners of The Otesaga wanted to provide their guests with the great American pastime of golf. Devereux Emmet was hired to design an 18-hole course adjacent to the hotel. The course is set up at 6,401 yards and is played to a par of 72. Leatherstocking Golf Course is one of The Otesaga’s top attractions and one of the top resort golf courses on the East Coast.
The course has homed many amateur championships throughout its’ history, including the 1958 & 1962 Women’s Amatuer, as well as the 1964 Men’s Amateur, 1972 Men’s Senior, and the 2001 Men’s Mid-Amateur. Since 2013, Leatherstocking has hosted the Men’s Amateur and Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships.
Thank you to the staff at Leatherstocking for hosting this year’s championship!
Tim Quirk, PGA Director of Golf
Mike O’Neill Golf Course Superintendent
Leatherstocking Golf Course is located in Cooperstown, New York
1 PAR FOUR
340 YARDS
322 YARDS
3 PAR THREE 200 YARDS
193 YARDS
2 PAR FOUR 392 YARDS
372 YARDS
4 PAR FIVE 513 YARDS
483 YARDS
5 PAR FOUR
396 YARDS
386 YARDS
7 PAR FOUR
404 YARDS
391 YARDS
6 PAR FOUR
362 YARDS 350 YARDS
8 PAR FOUR 375 YARDS 340 YARDS
9 PAR THREE 186 YARDS 158 YARDS
11 PAR FIVE 560 YARDS 532 YARDS
10 PAR FOUR 384 YARDS 362 YARDS
12 PAR THREE 137 YARDS 122 YARDS
13 PAR FOUR
342 YARDS
324 YARDS
15 PAR FIVE
462 YARDS
452 YARDS
14 PAR FOUR
285 YARDS 254 YARDS
16 PAR FOUR 366 YARDS
348 YARDS
17 PAR THREE 182 YARDS 146 YARDS 18 PAR FIVE 515 YARDS 505 YARDS
Each hole includes yardages for both the open and senior divisions. All course photos included are courtesy of Leatherstocking Golf Course.
Players on #18 tee during the 2021 NYS Men’s Amateur & Sr. Amateur Four-Ball Championships.
Entries
The Championship is teams consisting of two male amateur golfers who are members of the NYSGA, defined as (1) belonging to an NYSGA member club or (2) as a 2022 NYSGA eClub member (NYS residency required). Players must have an active USGA Handicap Index issued through a licensed golf club.
Format
This Championship will be conducted over 36 holes of four-ball stroke play. There will be a net and gross winner in each division.
Divisions
There are two divisions in this Championship: the 11th NYS Men’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship (all ages) and the 10th NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Championship (ages 55+).
Ties
The team in each Championship with the lowest score for 36 holes will be the champion. In the event of a tie in the Championship, a sudden-death playoff will be held immediately following play.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, May 21 // Practice Rounds
Sunday, May 22 // Round 1, Shotgun start at 1:00pm
Monday, May 23 // Round 2, Shotgun start at 9:00am
Coverage
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @NYSGA1923. Check out full photo galleries from all NYSGA tournaments and events at nysga.smugmug.com
2021 CHAMPIONSHIP
DWYER AND STOPERA CLOSE OUT WITH A 62 EN ROUTE TO TITLE
Michael Dwyer and Michael Stopera (Edison Club) surged up the leaderboard with a 10-under 62 in the final round to win the 10th NYS Men’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Leatherstocking Golf Course.
The Schenectady county duo edged another pair of local area players by a stroke to win the two-person championship. They started the day four strokes back, and teed off almost two hours before the final pairing.
The side took care of the scoreable par 5s on the classic Devereux Emmet design, with eagles on nos. 4, 11, 14 (a short par 4) and 15. They settled for birdie on the par-5 18th over Otsego lake, and had only one other birdie on the opening hole.
“Whenever we had an eagle putt, we capitalized, which was great. Nothing was outside of ten feet, they were all six to eight footers,” Dwyer noted.
“We caught fire there and weren’t really thinking about it. When we were out there we didn’t really think we were going to win the golf tournament,” Stopera said.
Jim Gifford (Mohawk Golf Club) and two-time NYS Men’s Senior Amateur champion Dan Russo (Schuyler Meadows Club) took the early lead after shooting 8-un-
Michael Dwyer and Michael Stopera won the 10th New York State Men’s Amateur Four-Ball title.
Michael Stopera (Left) and Michael Dwyer (Right) on the #18 green during the NYS Men’s Four-Ball.
der 64 in round one. They had a few chances to force a playoff down the stretch, but came up just short after an eagle putt skirted by the cup on the eighteenth. The duo finished at 13-under 131.
“It’s super nerve-wracking. Knowing the guys in the last group and how good they are, we just expected them to make birdies. We didn’t want a playoff, because we hadn’t played in an hour and a half,” the winners said of score watching as the final groups finished up.
Brad Monroe (Lakeshore Yacht & Country Club) and Kevin Vandenberg (Tuscarora Golf Club) finished in third at 132. They were paired with Gifford / Russo, and matched their final-round 67.
2018 champions Billy and David Hanes (Crag Burn Golf Club) finished in fourth at 133.
Rounding out the top-5 was Corey Purcell and Tom Salmon (Shaker Ridge Country Club), along with Jim Hirsh (Kanon Valley Country Club) and Bill Virkler (Yahnundasis Golf Club) at 134.
Purcell and Salmon were the only team who bettered the winning team’s score, firing a new tournament-low individual round of 61, topping the opening round score by Nick Dilio / Ryan Gabel, who won the 2019 tournament. The side from Shaker Ridge collaborated for seven birdies and two eagles (including the final hole) en route to the NYSGA Men’s Four-Ball record.
“I don’t think about setting records for anything, so to do that is just incredible to be a part of it.” It was the easiest it can be. It wasn’t even a thought, we were just playing and having a good time,” said Salmon on the historic round. Purcell nodded in agreement.
With the victory, Dwyer / Stopera each earned exemptions into the 2021 NYS Men’s Amateur Championship at Schuyler Meadows Club in August. Stopera earns an exemption into this year’s Mid-Am at Shaker Ridge Country Club in September, where he’s also a member.
“It’s a great tournament, and a great one to win. We’re super excited for the exemption at Schuyler Meadows in our area,” said Dwyer, who is still too young to compete in the MidAm.
Dan Russo (Left) and Jim Gifford (Right) during the final round of the NYS Men’s Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course. They would go on to finish second.
Brad Monroe (Left) and Kevin Vandenberg (Right) during the final round of the NYS Men’s Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown, N.Y. on May 24, 2021.
BATTLE AND SORCI WIN SENIOR FOUR-BALL IN DRAMATIC PLAYOFF
The 9th NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship came down to the wire last year at Leatherstocking, with two teams having to decide the champions in a sudden-death playoff.
Mark Battle (Ravenwood Golf Club) and Chris Sorci (NYSGA eClub – Rochester) outlasted the defending champions
Ken Ogden (Oak Hill Country Club) and Wade Sarkis (Canandaigua Country Club) after Sorci made a par on the second playoff hole, the uphill par-4 second.
The Rochester teams were paired together during the final round, with Ogden / Sarkis starting three strokes ahead.
Battle / Sorci made birdies on the first four holes of the round, while the defending champs had a slower start.
“At that point I said, game on, let’s go,” Battle said, who captured the title once before in 2013 with a past partner. “It was tooth and nail the whole way.”
An eagle on the reachable par-4 14th by Battle tied them up with their competitors. Ogden / Sarkis made a few great putts from 15-17 to enter the final hole with a one stroke lead.
“We thought we had them a couple of times and then stuff just came out of the woodwork,” Sorci said of the defending champ’s clutch putting on the closing holes.
Mark Battle and Chris Sorci won the 9th New York State Men’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball title.
Mark Battle (RIght) and Chris Sorci (Left) during the final round of the NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course.
2021 CHAMPIONSHIP
But the eventual winners made birdie on the home hole, and a par by the others forced a tie and playoff between the two veteran teams.
“It was a real test of nerves. To be able to do that kind of stuff and play like Chris and I did, at our ages and under the gun a little bit. It’s really gratifying,” Battle said of the dramatic victory.
“It really feels cool to win. I have a district win, and now one with the state,” said Sorci, referring to his RDGA Senior Match Play title from 2018.
2016 champions Matt Clarke (Cazenovia Country Club) and Bob Rosen (Country Club of Buffalo) finished in third at 136.
Two teams tied at 138 including 2018 NYS Men’s Super Senior champ Jim Hamburger (McCann Golf Course) and Dennis Lynch (Nassau Players Club) as well as 2017 winners Bob Branham (Canaswacta Country Club) and Kevin Webb (Mendon Golf Club).
“It’s a great backdrop, this place is so cool,” Battle said of the Otesaga Hotel and Leatherstocking. “I really had a great time and I said the only thing that’s going to make this better is a win. It’s a perfect end to a day.
Wade Sarkis (Left) and Ken Ogden (Right) during the final round of the NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball at Leatherstocking Golf Course.
Bob Rosen (front left) and Matt Clarke (right) during the final round of the NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball, they would go on to finish third.
Players on the #16 green during the final round of the NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball.
Players on the #2 green during the opening round of the 9th NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball.
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