DERRICK BROWN’S BEGINNINGS

By Jordan Dubose

When most people think of golf, the first person that comes to mind is Tiger Woods. He is the most famous golfer in the world but he is also one of the few black golfers. When people from the city think about golf, they think about him and they might even watch a little golf when he’s leading the PGA Tour. But many don’t play golf, and those that study the game and its growth say that needs to change.

One of the main reasons people from urban areas say they don’t play golf is that it seems inaccessible to them. The rolling hills and open fields that seem so far removed from the concrete and cement of the city suggest an inaccessibility that doesn’t really exist. There are almost 40 golf courses within 20 miles of the center of Albany and, what people don’t realize, there is public transportation to quite a few of them.

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NINE PLAYERS HEADED TO CORNELL
By John Craig

ALTAMONT – Victor Fox topped the 16-player field Thursday, Oct. 13, at Orchard Creek Golf Club, shooting 68 with four birdies to take medalist honors in the Section II High School Golf Championships.

The Bethlehem H.S. junior came from one stroke back of teammate Jeff Palmerino, also a junior, from the Tuesday round. Both made the team.

The other members include Austin Teal of Albany Academy, on the state team for the second straight year, DJ Tozier of Shenendehowa, who tied Fox with a 68 for the low round of the day after shooting 78 on Tuesday, plus his fellow teammates Jimmy Greg and Alex Kinkaid, Davis Jensen of Shaker, Dylan Gladd of Columbia H.S. and Matt Parrottino of Voorheesville.

Cory Purcell of Catholic Central H.S. is the first alternate and Ryan Lynch of Schalmont won a playoff over Tim LaSarso of Queensbury for the second alternate slot.

The state championships will be played at Cornell in June, 2012.

Below are results and photos.

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PALMERINO & FOX LEAD

The Bethlehem High School duo of Jeff Palmerino and Victor Fox led after the first round of the Section II Class ABCD Tournament held at Orchard Creek in Altamont on Tuesday.

Sixteen players will advance to the next round scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13. The first of the four groups will tee off at 10:00AM. Leaders will be in the final foursome.

THURSDAY’S FIELD

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FOX, COCCA AND SHEN-4 READY
By Mike Collar

The top golfers in Section II will converge on Orchard Creek Golf Club in Altamont this week for the Class A-B-CD playoffs. Beginning Tuesday, 39 golfers will tee it up with a shotgun start at 10:00AM.

The section will take the top-16 from Tuesday’s competition (playoff if there is a tie for the 16th spot) and advance to Thursday’s round. On Thursday, there will be four groups going off with tee times beginning at 10:00AM. The leaders will be in the last foursome.

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‘STORM STARTED SHAKING THINGS UP’
By Mike Collar

SCHENECTADY – While 46 golfers from 23 schools were competing in the Section II Class C-D Tournament last Wednesday at Schenectady Muni, one team was just happy to be there.

To say it was a tough season for the Schoharie Indians is an understatement after Tropical Storm Irene.

“Irene definitely had an impact on our golf season,” said Schoharie golf coach Dave Russell.

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C-D NEXT STOP: ORCHARD CREEK
By Mike Collar

SCHENECTADY – For the third consecutive year, the Blackbirds have pecked all contenders from their nest. On Wednesday, Voorheesville captured the Section II Class C-D championship at Schenectady Muni with 346, well ahead of Coxsackie-Athens, which shot 377.

“Conditions were a little tough, a lot of wind out there today which made some of the holes longer than kids would think,” said Voorheesville head coach Tom Gladd. “I think the greens were speedier, running faster and trickier than the kids expected.

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FOX, GIBSON, MCDERMOTT MEDALISTS

Wednesday, October 5, the top high school players and teams competed at three different sites around the Capital Area.

CLASS A: TOWN OF COLONIE GOLF COURSE

Victor Fox, 16, of Bethlehem H.S. was the medalist, winning by three strokes over Niskayuna’s Jon Farah, 74

Other qualifiers: 75: Calvin Beckwith (Saratoga), DJ Tozier (Shenendehowa), Bobby McCarthy (Shen); 76: Zach Scala (Ballston Spa), Davis Jensen (Shaker), Hunter Donovan (Shaker), Alex Kinkaid (Shen); 77: Aaron Simone (Niskayuna), Jimmy Greg (Shen); 78: Tim LaSarso (Queensbury), Devin Coffey (Saratoga), Bailey Cocca (Shaker); 79: Austin Teal (Albany Academy), Justin Brock (Albany Academy), Jeff Palmerino (Bethlehem), David Wellington (BH-BL), Dylan Gladd (Columbia), Luke Goldstock (Niskayuna), Christian Flemming (Saratoga).

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VOORHEESVILLE TEEN IN NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Thanks to a 20-foot roll, Grace Ziamandanis is on her way to a big trip to the Sunshine State, advancing in the Doral-Publix Junior Golf Classic.

After her round, Ziamandanis was tied, forcing a playoff. The tension built to the third playoff hole. There, on the par-3, Grace sank a 20-foot birdie putt for the win.

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47 HIGH SCHOOLERS AT SCHUYLER MEADOWS
By Mike Collar

Jeff Palmerino, a junior on the Bethlehem H.S. golf team, won the 16-18 age division in a two-hole playoff and Calvin Beckwith topped the 13-15 age group in the 2nd Annual Schuyler Meadows Club High School Invitational on Sunday, Oct. 2.

Palmerino was player of the year in the NENY PGA Junior Golf Tour this summer. He, Jimmy Greg, Austin Teal and Aaron Simone each shot 76, forcing a playoff that went two holes. Teal and Simone finished second and third, respectively using the USGA card back system.

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SECTION II PLAYOFFS

Oct. 5: Class A at Town of Colonie; Class B at Rolling Hills (Amsterdam); Class C-D at Schenectady Municipal

Oct. 11: ABCD Playoffs at Orchard Creek

Oct. 13: State Qualifier at Orchard Creek

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