2022 NYS Men's Amateur Recap

FAYETTEVILLE, N.Y. - The 99th New York State Men’s Amateur Championship finished with a record-setting performance after the final day at Onondaga Golf & Country Club last August.

Newcomer Charlie Berridge (Wykagyl Country Club) broke the New York State Men’s Amateur record of lowest total score in the championship's history with a 14-under (70-65-67-68--270) performance throughout 72 holes of stroke play.

It also marked the 19-year-old Westchester County product’s first time competing in the state amateur championship.

Berridge entered the final day (36-holes) at the Walter Travis layout at 7-under and sat tied atop the leaderboard with Lansing native Nic Whittaker (RaNic Golf Club). Berridge pulled one stroke ahead of Whittaker after a 4-under 67 in round three on Thursday morning, recording seven birdies in the process.

“I didn’t play great on the front but played well on the back nine all day. The putter was working, and I was able to make a bunch of putts,” said Berridge after the victory.

During those final two rounds, nine of his eleven birdies dropped on the course’s back nine.

A couple of groups ahead, Jason Lohwater (Brook Lea Country Club) was also going low. He fired a 66 in round three to make it a tight race heading into the afternoon.

Lohwater, of Rochester, entered the fourth round just one stroke back of Berridge and took the outright lead after he birdied no. 3, while Berridge bogeyed no. 2.

The Villanova University transfer’s only major error came in the form of a double bogey on the 185yard par-3 eighth hole, and from that point on he would never regain the lead.

Berridge, a member of the University of California men’s golf team, chalked up four impressive birdies on the back nine to pull away and win the championship comfortably by three strokes. His putts on no. 14 and no. 16 were both mid-to-long range.

He fired a 270 and broke the to-par record that stood for ten years after Pittsford’s Dominic Bozzelli’s record-setting mark in 2012 at Elmira Country Club. Lohwater would have tied Bozzelli’s record if Berridge had not shattered both.

Whittaker, a rising junior at Flagler College in Florida, was in contention for much of the day but could not keep pace with the onslaught of birdies that Berridge produced. Nor could past NYS Boys’ Junior Amateur champion, James Blackwell of Buffalo (River Oaks Golf Club), who was tied for third after 36 holes. The former Ball State University golfer finished the tournament tied for fifth place at 4-under 280.

Berridge is the second Scarsdale High School product in as many years to win this event, following James Allen in 2021.

“I was super proud of [Allen] when he won last year, and I came here thinking it would be nice to have back-to-back Scarsdale High School guys win,” Berridge said. “We have a little friendly rivalry, so it felt good having him hand the trophy to me.”

Lohwater finished at 11-under 273, four-strokes ahead of Whittaker, who finished in third.

“I worked really hard this summer and I haven’t always played that great in these events,” Lohwater said. “This is one that you look forward to at the end of the year. It’s a really prestigious event and it feels good to play the way that I know I can.”

Alden resident Shane Broad (Crag Burn Golf Club) remained in the mix on the final day as he fired a 68 in round three. But the Canisius College men’s golf standout turned in a 2-over 73 in his final round to fall to fourth place for the tournament.

Tied with Blackwell was Croton on Hudson native Matthew Ferrari (Metropolis Country Club). The Siena college player fired rounds of 71 and 70 on Thursday to finish in fifth place.

Jiarong Liu (Irondequoit Country Club) finished tied for seventh. In the morning, the University of Rochester golfer posted one of the low rounds of the tournament with 65 to surge up the leaderboard, but followed it up with a 76, for a 1-under 283 total.

Also finishing at 283 was 2021 champion Allen of Scarsdale Golf Club.

For the final 36 holes of the championship, the course played at 6,638 yards and to a par of 71 on the classic Walter Travis layout in Syracuse.

After Tuesday’s rainy opening round, two players managed to post 4-under 67 including Kingston’s Donte Groppuso (Wiltwyck Golf Club), and Centerport’s Patrick Healy (Huntington Country Club) to share an early lead over the field. Groppuso finished T13 at 1-over, while Healy finished at T33 and 8-over.

The low-20 golfers and ties earned an exemption into the 100th NYS Men’s Amateur Championship at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle.

Congrats to all of the participants of the 100th New York State Men's Amateur Championship and especially our friend and defending champion Charlie Berridge. We also congratulate and thank all of our friends and staff at Wykagyl Country Club, celebrating its 125th anniversary for hosting this prestigious event.

S t e v e S u l e s , L o r r a i n e S u l e s , J o h n T . S u l e s , D a n i e l l e S u l e s , L i l l i a n S u l e s , P e n e l o p e S u l e s , C h e l s e a N i c h o l l s , T a y l o r N i c h o l l s , T h e l a t e S t e p h e n M i c h a e l S u l e s ,

Z o ë L y o n s , C h r i s t o p h e r L y o n s , N i c h o l a s L y o n s

(914)-216-7630 john t sules@goosehead com goosehead.com/John-Sules

(914)-997-2525 steve@stevesules com stephensules.com sulesfoundation.org/donate

Wishing all participants a wonderful tournament experience. The