REXFORD – Victor Fox may have won the round but Seth Adams won the prize as the Northeastern New York PGA’s Junior Tour championship wrapped up Saturday. The top 30 junior golfers in the Capital Area took part at The Edison Club, with only the 16-18 boys division truly undecided.

For one winner, Seth Adams, it was his last championship as a junior and it came on his home course. He won last week’s Gazette Newspapers in Education Tournament, then he was in the top-20 of the Edison Invitational on Monday and now the junior event. Now, the CBA graduate is staying home and headed to the College of St. Rose to play golf and study business – with a possible long-term career goal in sports management. He plans to continue play at his home course: the Edison Club

Adams likes going to school close to home and says we will see him playing at the area’s local courses where he will stay in touch with his golf instructor Herb Moreland at Western Turnpike Golf Course. Adams began playing junior golf at Whispering Pines before moving on the Schenectady Municipal Golf Course.

Three others in contention from this year’s junior circuit – Fox of Delmar, Spencer Sautin of Ballston Lake and Jimmy Sullivan of Troy – will return to work on their games this school year at their respective high school teams.

Awarded 2010 Junior Player of the Year awards, names you’ve read here at Capitalareagolf.com all season long:

Boys 16-18: Seth Adams, Schenectady; Girls 16-18: Bailey Cocca, Latham; Boys 13-15: Calvin Beckwith, Saratoga Springs; Girls 13-15: Grace Ziamandanis, Slingerlands.

Boys 16-18

Boys 13-15

Girls 16-18

Girls 13-15

The Northeastern New York Section PGA’s Junior Golf Tour Event #7 for the 12 & Under Age Division hosted Monday by Van Schaick Island Country Club.

Austin Fox of Delmar nipped Scott VanDenburgh of Valatie by a stroke and Carter Fritch of Gansevoort by two to win the boys’ division.

Kayla Szekely of Gansevoort won the girls’ division by two strokes over Madison Braman of Loudonville.

Boys:
Austin Fox  (Delmar) 42
Scott VanDenburgh (Valatie) 43
Carter Fritch (Gansevoort) 44
Alex Huml (Malta) 45
Connor Adams (Schenectady) 46
Drew Neilen (Saratoga Springs) 49
Joseph Thomas (Saratoga Springs) 49
Brendan Coffey (Saratoga Springs) 50
Tyler Hull (Selkirk) 50
Tom Sneeringer (Loudonville) 50
Kyle Adams (Schenectady) 51
Yoni Israel (Albany) 51
Stephen Blydenburgh (Castleton on Hudson) 59
Ben Palmateer (Greenfield Center) 60
Jacob Bruzual  (Queensbury) 61
Noah Scott (Amsterdam) 64
Bryce DiRisio (Slingerlands) 66
Zachary Rigas (Oneonta) 67 

Girls:
Kayla Szekely (Gansevoort) 56
Madison Braman (Loudonville) 58
Sarah Luna (Schenectady) 63
Alison O’Keefe (Latham) 93

VOORHEESVILLE – Ninety Capital Area junior golfers played the final event of the 2010 NENY PGA Junior Tour regular season on Thursday, August 5. They teed it up at Albany Country Club for the annual Bob Mix tournament.

Battling both the challenging layout at ACC and the weather, including a 45-minute rain delay during which nearly an inch of rain fell, area juniors showed their skills with some excellent play and scores to match.

In the Boys 16-18 year old division, John Young of Mechanicville hardly seemed phased by the challenges that the day presented. After an opening hole double bogey, Young then went five-under par for the next 17 holes to card a 69, winning his division by five strokes over David Mastroianni, who shot a solid 74 in difficult conditions.  After the round, Young noted with a grin that things just seemed to go his way, saying that no matter what he did his shots finished within five feet of the hole all day long.

In fact, creativity and good luck appeared to be the order of the day for the round.  Maxwell Alley, who finished in a tie for fifth with a round of 78, saved par on the short, but deceptively difficult 12th hole by playing from the pond in front of the green.  After seeing his ball just miss the pond, Alley took off his shoes to climb into the pond to take his stance for his second shot, which he executed perfectly, leaving a short putt for par on the slippery green.

For the Girls 16-18 age division, Jessica Madsen outdueled Bailey Cocca and Macey Raimo for top honors. Firing an excellent round of 80, Madsen’s defeat of both Cocca  and Raimo is noteworthy and commendable;  Cocca had just successfully defended her NYS Golf  Association Girls Junior Amateur title the previous day and Raimo will be playing Division I collegiate golf this fall at Monmouth University in New Jersey.

For the season, Madsen finished second in Player of the Year points to Cocca, followed closely by Raimo in third. All three young ladies will compete one final time for top honors at the NENY Junior Tour Championships, to be held Saturday, August 14th at the Edison Club in Rexford.

Among the Boys (13-15), Aaron Simone defeated Player of the Year points-leader Calvin Beckwith to take top honors, shooting 75 to Beckwith’s 77, solidifying his position at number two in the Player of Year standings. Arthur Griffin finished the regular season in third, followed by Matt Parrottino, fourth, and Corey Purcell, fifth. For the tournament, Griffin, Parrottino and Purcell all finished the day in a tie for 4th place, carding rounds of 79.  All five boys, who are playing excellent golf this summer, will tee it up in the Junior Tour Championship next weekend in what is sure to be a highly competitive, exciting finish to this year’s tour.

For the girls, Grace Ziamandanis continued her dominance of the 13-15 age division, winning her sixth event of the summer by ten strokes, shooting a solid round of 88. The victory was especially sweet for Ziamandanis, a four-year member of the Voorheesville Varsity golf team as she prepared for the upcoming high school golf season; Albany Country Club is Voorheesville’s home tract and a win here bodes well for the new season looming.  

This year’s season has concluded for most of the more than 120 area Juniors who compete weekly on the NENY PGA Junior Tour.  As has been the case since the tour started, play and competition has been excellent.  Saturday, August 14th will mark the official end to this year’s tour with the annual Tour Championship, to be held once again at the Edison Club.

In 2009, Cocca trailed CCM’s Paige Thompson heading into the final round but managed a 1-over-par 72 for the victory.

“I know I play better under-pressure,” says Cocca, attempting to explain her knack for impressive final round performances. “I had pressure on me, and I knew it was real close heading into the last four holes so I had to pull it together.

Cocca hit the shot of her life from the edge of the ninth green to ensure the coveted Betty Deeley Trophy would be returning home with her. Cocca owned a one-shot lead heading into the final hole. She hit a booming drive down the right side of the fairway but was blocked by the trees for her approach into the green. She somehow managed to fly her second shot through the tree as it nearly reached the par-5 in two, sitting about 20 yards in front of the green. Cocca set the stage for a dramatic finish when she hit her wedge long over the green and to the top of the fringe, setting up a chip that could potentially run past the hole on the steep back-to-front ninth green. Visibly frustrated, Cocca collected herself and formulated her next plan of attack. The result was a perfectly paced chip that slowly trickled down the slope and into the hole for a birdie and two-shot victory. It appeared as though the ball would hold a foot above the hole, but the momentum of the slope carried it in. “I knew the chip coming back would be real tough because it was so downhill,” says Cocca. “But I just thought to myself as I was walking up there that I needed to shake it off and do the best I can with it.”

The Shaker Ridge member made appropriate adjustments to her game following yesterday’s opening round. “I kind of figured out something with my driver that had to do with my stance,” says Cocca. “It was kind of closed which was causing a hook and I had to deal with that yesterday. You can’t really do that [hook] on this course because you’ll be in the trees all day.”

Cocca’s victory meant all that much to her considering she had the option of competing in the Jr. PGA Championship which she qualified for, but opted to defend her title. “It means a lot to me to come back and I know Betty’s not here but I wish she was,” says Cocca. “But I’m definitely happy with my decision to come here.”

In the boys division, John Sandlas was also a two-shot winner; except he didn’t need the final hole chip-in to ensure his victory. The Seneca Falls resident posted a two-day total of 147 on rounds of 74 and 73 at CCM.

He entered the day two shots behind first round leader Danny Drummond, who was one of the top finishers in last year’s Boys Championship as a 13-year-old.

However, Drummond struggled in the early going and was 4-over-par after the first five holes. He made a costly double bogey on the par-4 second after flying his second shot over the green and into tall grass that featured poison ivy. Drummond consulted NYSGA President Dick Dorgan, who was the rules official at that hole, and eventually decided he did not want to find the ball because he hit it in such a poor location that he wouldn’t be able to play it.

Two more bogeys over the next five holes from Drummond was all Sandlas needed to overtake the lead for good. The 14-year-old Sandlas birdied the 309 yard par-4 fourth hole and added a birdie on the par-5 sixth to move to 2-over for the tournament with 12 holes to play.

By the 14th hole, Sandlas’ lead had swelled to four shots after Drummond doubled the 14th and he made par. Drummond then birdied the 16th while Sandlas bogeyed the par-3 17th, cutting the lead to two shots with one final hole slated to play. However, Sandlas recorded his eighth par of the back side to ensure the victory.

“I knew I had a chance, but this is just unreal,” says Sandlas, on his accomplishment. “This is something special that I will definitely remember.”

• Juniors Final Results
• Boys Final Results
• Girls Final Results

David Mastroianni of Schenectady was second and Jimmy Sullivan of Troy continued his hot summer with a third-place finish for the boys ages 16-18.

In the boys ages 13-15, Aaron Simone of Niskayuna was two better than Calvin Beckwith of Saratoga Springs.

For the girls (ages 16-18), Jessica Madsen of Slingerlands topped Bailey Cocca of Latham and Macy Raimo of Albany by four shots.

Grace Ziamandanis of Slingerlands won the girls division (13-15). She was ten better than Jacqueline Hoey of Au Sable Forks.

FINAL RESULTS:
Boys 16-18
1-John Young (Mechanicville) 36-33=69
2-David Mastroianni (Schenectady) 40-34=74
3-Jimmy Sullivan (Troy) 38-37=75
4-Jimmy Greg (Clifton Park) 39-38=77
5-Louis Walsh (Clifton Park) 41-37=78
6-78: Spencer Sautin (Ballston Lake) 40-38; Maxwell Alley (Loudonville) 39-39;
8-Jay Puleo (Loudonville) 40-39=79
9-Taylor Bellemare (Hoosick Falls) 43-37=80
10-Zachary Meade (Tupper Lake) 43-38=81
11-82: William Mallia (Schenectady) 43-39; Mark Jensen (Loudonville) 43-39; Danny Fitzpatrick (Loudonville) 42-40;
14-83: Seth Adams (Schenectady) 41-42; Luke Donah (Ballston Spa) 43-40; Matthew Blair (Fort Edward) 40-43; Ryan Simpson (Mechanicville) 41-42;
18-84: Animesh Hajela (Loudonville) 40-44; Bryan Leggett (Ballston Lake) 40-44; Dan Denyse (Albany) 43-41; Douglas Brown (Mayfield) 41-43;
22-Daniel Jaromin (East Greenbush) 43-42=85
23-86: Austin Westerveld (Howes Cave) 41-45; Tim Lasarso (Queensbury) 44-42;
25-Aaron Scofield (Schoharie) 40-47=87
26-88: Chad Murphy (Stillwater) 47-41; Jacob Rounds (Broadalbin) 42-46;
28-89: Brendan Jeffes (Schenectady) 42-47; Dylan Gladd (Rensselaer) 48-41; Jack Sneeringer (Loudonville) 46-43;
31-Pete Koehler (Niskayuna) 45-45=90
32-Michael DeBerry (Glenmont) 48-45=93
33-Thomas Mittler (Broadalbin) 51-45=96
34-Alex Verchereau (Troy) 51-46=97
35-Evan Gallitelli (Loudonville) 63-51=114
WD: Austin Pivetta (Burke); Kyle Lewis (Saratoga Springs); Robert Cave (Voorheesville); Chris LeFever (Gloversville); Ian Seymour (Delmar); Cameron Boraski (Dalton, MA); DJ Ioele (Johnstown); Trevor Skiba (Latham); Victor Fox (Delmar).

Boys 13-15
1-Aaron Simone (Niskayuna) 36-39=75
2-Calvin Beckwith (Saratoga Springs) 38-39=77
3-Tanner Donovan (Albany) 37-41=78
4-79: Corey Purcell (Clifton Park) 37-42; Matt Parrottino (Slingerlands) 39-40; James Van Valkenburg (Tannersville) 41-38; Nicholas Hoffstatter (Hurley) 40-39; Arthur Griffin (Lake Placid) 41-38;
9-Billy Duncan (Schenectady) 41-39=80
10-81: David Wellington (Ballston Lake) 41-40; Zachary Scala (Ballston Spa) 41-40;
12-82: Davis Jensen (Loudonville) 44-38; Thomas Viletto Jr. (Lenox, MA) 44-38; Hunter Donovan (Albany) 40-42;
15-83: Jeff Palmerino (Glenmont) 39-44; Trey McDougall (Saratoga Springs) 39-44; Dustin Fischer (Saranac Lake) 40-43.

Girls 16-18
1-Jessica Madsen (Slingerlands) 40-40=80
2-84: Bailey Cocca (Latham) 45-39; Macy Raimo (Albany) 42-42
4-Sarah Adamowski (Amsterdam) 49-42=91
5-Jenn Murphy (Clifton Park) 53-50=103
6-Hannah Valachovic (Scotia) 52-53=105 

Girls 13-15
1-Grace Ziamandanis (Slingerlands) 44-44=88
2-Jacqueline Hoey (Au Sable Forks) 48-50=98
3-Natalie Squillace (Albany) 47-53=100
4-Caitlan Blydenburgh (Castleton-on-Hudson) 52-49=101
5-Mariah Davenport (Rensselaer) 61-70=131

“I have always been a pretty good putter. I’ve always enjoyed practicing putting and I think that has helped a lot. You know, just spending a couple hours on the putting green doing some drills.”

All that practice especially paid off at Eagle Crest, where Sullivan ripped off three straight birdies on numbers 4, 5, and 6 to gain control of the event. After a bogey on number 10, the Averill Park senior this fall, made par all the way to 18 where he finished the day with a birdie. Sullivan says it’s a putt he’ll remember for a long time.

“I had, probably about a 25-footer that had five feet of break. It was downhill, right to left. It was a difficult putt and it went in the backdoor sideways it was breaking so hard.”

To date, Sullivan has played in four of the six JGT Series events this summer. He has two wins and one other top 10 finish putting him in good position as the juniors head into the tour championship August 14th at The Edison Club.

After Sullivan’s win at Eagle Crest, he headed to his home course of Country Club of Troy for a round of 18 and then 9 more holes, simply because there was time left in the day. Those 45 holes in 12 hours are no big deal for the Averill Park Warrior.

“I love golf so much. It’s routine for me to come to the golf course early in the morning and pretty much play all day. I routinely play 36 holes a day and sometimes more than that.”

Sullivan has his sights set on attending college in the southeast. And if the scholarship money doesn’t come through the game of golf, his academics are much more than just an option to fall back on. The history buff says possible majors include business management and economics.

Before Jimmy Sullivan heads south for school, he has a senior year at AP to look forward to and that aforementioned NENY JGT Championship, which by the way, he says he won’t just be there to have fun; Sullivan wants to win.

Jimmy Sullivan, here in a file photo, wins the NENY JGT #5 at Eagle Crest.

CLIFTON PARK – Jimmy Sullivan of Troy won the Northeastern New York Section PGA Junior Golf Tour Event #5 hosted Tuesday at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Clifton Park. He shot 34-36 to win by five strokes over Animesh Hajela of Loudonville.

Results:
1-Jimmy Sullivan, Troy (34-36) 70
2-Animesh Hajela, Loudonville (36-39) 75
3-Spencer Sautin, Ballston Lake (37-39) 76
   John Farrah, Niskayuna (35-41) 76
5-John Young, Mechanicville (38-39) 77
    Zachary Meade, Tupper Lake (38-39) 77
    Kyle Lewis, Saratoga Springs (37-40) 77
8-DJ Tozier, Clifton Park (40-38) 78
    Evan Cody, Malta (39-39) 78
    Robert Cave, Voorheesville (39-39) 78
11-Brendon Jeffes, Schenectady (39-40) 79
     Dan Bennison, Albany (39-40) 79
     Aaron Scofield, Schoharie (38-41) 79
14-Seth Adams, Schenectady (42-38) 80
     Luke Donah, Ballston Spa (40-40) 80
     Taylore Bellamare, Hoosick Falls (39-41) 80
17-Dan Palmateer, Greenfield Center (39-42) 81
      Jimmy Greg, Clifton Park (42-39) 81
      Trevor Skiba, Latham (41-40) 81
      Daniel Jaromin, East Greenbush (43-38) 81
      Pete Koehler, Niskayuna (39-42) 81
      Danny Fitzpatrick, Loudonville (38-43) 81

Girls 16-18 Results
1-Macy Raimo, Albany (39-40) 79
2-Bailey Cocca, Latham (38-42) 80
3-Jessica Madsen, Slingerlands (42-41) 83
   Sarah Adamowski, Amsterdam (42-41) 83

Boys 13-15 Results
1-Calvin Beckwith, Saratoga Springs (34-38) 72
    Jeff Palmerino, Glenmont (36-36) 72
3-Arthur Griffin, Lake Placid (37-36) 73
   Aaron Simone, Niskayuna (36-37) 73

Girls 13-15 Results
1-Grace Ziamandanis, Slingerlands (44-42) 86
2-Natalie Squillace, Albany (44-44) 88
3-Caitlan Blydenburgh, Castleton-on-Hudson (42-49) 91

Boys 12 & Under Results
1-Justin Lane, Woodstock 41
2-Kyle Adams, Schenectady 42
   Patrick Hayes, Loudonville 42

Girls 12 & Under
1-Sarah Luna, Schenectady 50
2-Kayla Szekely, Gansevoort 52

Bryan & Mark Leggett of Ballston Lake shot 36-37=73 (+3) to each win $60.00. Colby & Kevin Krogh of Ballston Spa were a stroke back, 39-35=74 (+4) and each took home $40.00. Corey & Tim Purcell of Clifton Park (37-38=75 +5) won $30.00 each for third and the pairing of Matthew & Joe Parrottino of Slingerlands was fourth (42-34=76 +6) winning $10.

In the Recreational Division:
1st Christopher & David Halm of Burnt Hills shot 51 and win Dozen Pro V1’s.
2nd Yoni & Mark Israel of Albany shot 51 and won two sleeves of Pro V1’s.
3rd Sarah Luna & Freddy Luna Sr. of Schenectady shot 52 and won a sleeve of Pro V1’s.
4th Ryan & Alex Dell of Niskayuna shot 54.

Closest To the Pin Contests:

#6  Parent: Prabhat Hajela  14’4’’     Dozen Pro V1’s
    Child:  Bobby McCarthy  10’3’’ Dozen Pro V1’s

#17  Parent:  Mark Leggett   8’7’’   Dozen ProV1s
  Child: Max Leavitt 23’3’’     Dozen Pro V1s  

OTHER SCORES:
6th Davis Jensen Loudonville, NY 41 36 77 +7

      Steve Jensen

      Robert Cave Voorheesville, NY 39 38 77 +7

      John Cave

      8th Jack Fox Ballston Spa, NY 40 38 78 +8

      Richard Fox

      Douglas Brown Mayfield, NY 40 38 78 +8

      George Brown

      10th Animesh Hajela Loudonville, NY 43 38 81 +11

      Prabhat Hajela

      T11th Adam McIlravey Schenectady, NY 40 42 82 +12

      Adam McIlravey Sr.

            Brendan McMahon Latham, NY 41 41 82 +12

      Tim McMahon
 

      13th Bobby McCarthy Clifton Park, NY 42 43 85 +15

      Tom McCarthy

      14th Scott VanDenburgh Valatie, NY 45 42 87 +17

      Steve VanDenburg

      Arthur Griffin Lake Placid, NY 48 39 87 +17

      Christina Lucci

      16th Daniel Omicinski Scotia, NY 46 42 88 +18

      David Omicinski

      17th Kayla Szekely Gansevoort, NY 44 45 89 +19

      Paul Szekely

      Jacob Rounds Broadalbin, NY 46 43 89 +19

      Chuck Cirillo

      19th Hannah Valachovic Schenectady, NY 46 44 90 +20

      James Valachovic

      20th Bobby Canniff Latham, NY 45 46 91 +21

      Dan Canniff
 

      21st Max Leavitt Delmar, NY 54 47 101 +31

      Larry Leavitt

By Chris Onorato

Victor Fox’s defense of the 2009 NENY Jr. PGA Player of the Year title started with a bang last weekend at Western Turnpike Golf Course in Guilderland. Player of the Year is awarded based on a points system and Fox’s win at the NENY Jr. PGA Championship earned him double the points of any other Junior Golf Tour Series event this summer.

Fox, 15, struggled a bit with his short game at Western Turnpike, but he was able to rely on his driving to put him in good position on the course’s scoreable par 4’s. Ball striking is his strength, he says, crediting Herb Moreland, the Head Pro at Western Turnpike for a lot of the success he had in the Jr. PGA Championship. Past work with Moreland has meant a lot to the high school sophomore-to-be.

Fox reluctantly admits he would rather spend his practice time at the driving range, not the practice green.

“I hate to say it, but I like to go to the range more than the practice green,” Fox said. “I know it’s supposed to be two-to-one on the short game, but I do spend a lot more time on the range, which hurts me sometimes.”

Fox will prepare for his summer NENY season the same way he always does for a golf tournament: by listening to his iPod. He’s not listening to music you might expect a golfer to listen to though. Based on his musical choices, you’d think Fox was getting himself pumped up for a football game. Eminem is at the top of his list for pre-match tunes. He says it helps him focus.

Further proof that golfers these days are athletes with an emphasis on fitness and nutrition, Fox says if he’s hungry, he reaches for a piece of fruit, particularly an apple. However, when pressed on just what his favorite food is, Fox chooses chicken parmesan.

A repeat of NENY Jr. PGA Player of the Year and a good showing at the Jr. PGA Championship in Fort Wayne, IN the first weekend in August would earn Fox just about all the chicken parm he could eat. (Maybe an apple for dessert.)

Fox is back in action Thursday at Hiland Golf Club in Queensbury for the first event in the Junior Golf Tour Series.

By Chris Onorato

GUILDERLAND – Two of the best junior golfers in the Capital Area, and arguably New York State, showed just how good they are this past weekend.

With a trip to the national Junior PGA Championship on the line, a 16 and 15-year-old shined brightest in the girls’ and boys’ divisions, respectively. For the girls, Latham’s Bailey Cocca, of Shaker Ridge CC, punched her ticket to Sycamore Hills Golf Course in Fort Wayne, IN by running away from a field of 13-to-18 year olds. Cocca, who also won the NENY Jr. PGA Championship last year, shot 79-79=158 in the two-day event at Western Turnpike Golf Course in Guilderland. Despite winning by 12 strokes, Cocca says she left a number of shots out on the back nine Sunday.

“I was two over with five (holes) to go and I just started getting tired and kind of blew it,” Cocca said. “I wasn’t even really thinking about (the big lead), my arms got tired and I blew it a little bit.”

Jessica Madsen of Slingerlands, Vanessa Fassler of East Meredith, Jenn Murphy of Clifton Park and Grace Ziamandanis of Slingerlands rounded out the top five.

On the first weekend in August, Cocca will take her second crack at winning the Jr. PGA Championship. Last year, the 16-year old made the cut of 30, and this time around, her goals are modest; at least when commenting publicly about the tournament.

“I know going to that tournament, I can’t win,” Cocca said. “The girls are a lot better and more experienced, but I’m just going to go out there and play as well as I can and hopefully go home happy.”

BOYS’ DIVISION

For the boys, Victor Fox, of Delmar, eked out a win over William Mallia of Schenectady. Fox (74-71=145) trailed Mallia by four shots going into the second and final round, drew even after the front nine, and won by a single stroke.

“It felt really good. I took advantage of the opportunities that came to me and made the best of every shot,” said Fox, 15. “I was driving the ball really well the whole tournament so I put myself in good position to make birdie on the short par 4’s.”

Six golfers finished within five shots of Fox. Mallia, DJ Tozier of Clifton Park, Aaron Simone of Niskayuna, Louis Walsh of Clifton Park, Nicholas Hoffstatter of Hurley and Taylor Bellemare of Hoosick Falls all shot 150 or better in the two days.

Between now and the Jr. PGA Championship August 2 – 5 in Fort Wayne, IN, Fox will be out to defend his 2009 NENY Jr. PGA Player of the Year title in the 13-15 age group.

“I always like a challenge,” Fox said. “There’s going to be some tough competition. I think I’m just going to take it shot by shot and whatever happens, happens.”