JOHN VACCARO NIPS DON DENYSE III IN ALBANY CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
By John Craig

John Vaccaro of Wolferts Roost takes home the 2010 Albany Mayor's Cup at Capital Hills @ Albany.

ALBANY – Apparently, they hadn’t had enough spent enough time together. After playing 36-holes in the State Amateur last Thursday, Don DeNyse III and John Vaccaro – the muni guy and the country club guy – went extra holes on Sunday before deciding the 2010 Albany City Championship.

It looked like it would be over after 36 holes. Then 37. Finally 38. Vaccaro topped DeNyse with a birdie on the second playoff hole at Capital Hills @ Albany. DeNyse had won the Mayor’s Cup for the past five years.

“This course will bite you if you don’t stay in the fairway, that’s for sure,” Vaccaro said. “It’s a tough golf course, especially that back nine.”

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KLEESCHULTE WINS 88TH NYSGA MEN’S STATE AM

VOORHEESVILLE – A three-under par 69, including a tap-in birdie on 18 in the third-to-last group, earned Doug Kleeschulte of Kingston’s Wiltwyck Golf Club the 88th annual New York State Amateur Golf Championship Thursday at Albany Country Club. 48 players played 36 holes to cap the week.

Kleeschulte, 20, took the lead on a shuffling leaderboard at +1 after Jake Katz three-putted the 15th. Then, Katz three-putted again at 16, a par-3, from above the hole. Kleeschulte knew he had the lead and stepped on the gas, getting to the front of the 18th green in two.

From about 60-yards, he chipped up and almost holed it for eagle, instead settling for a tap in birdie and a two-stroke lead. He signed his card at the scorer’s table, then went back to 18 green and held his breath.

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The winner of the NYSGA Men's State Amateur gets his name on the Ganson Depew Cup.

SPITZ LEADS AFTER ROUND TWO AT 88TH NYSGA STATE AMATEUR

By John Craig

VOORHEESVILLE – If you go out to watch the golf Thursday, you’ll be able to spot the second-round leader at the 88th New York State Men’s Amateur Championship at Albany Country Club. He’ll be the one in the purple plaid shorts and purple customized golf shoes. Purple is the color of his alma mater, the Furman Paladins.

Tim Spitz, 34, a municipal bond specialist from Rochester, followed up his first-round 69 with a 70 to take a two-stroke lead in to the final day, which will be 36-holes of stroke play.

“This was definitely more of a roller-coaster ride today,” Spitz said.

Day-two had two significant eagles but they came on either side of the cutline. 141 golfers started Tuesday and now it’s down to 48, taking the top-40 plus ties. Spitz leads with -5 and 10 golfers are +7.

“I’m trying to get as far away from the kids as I can because it’s going to be a tiring day,” Spitz said. “You just drink plenty of water and grind it out and sit down when you get a chance. It’ll be fun.”

Click here for the complete list of tee times for the 88th NYSGA State Am.

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PAST CHAMP AND FIRST-TIMERS AT NYSGA STATE-AM

By Ryan Connelly-Carr

NYSGA honors past champion, welcomes club champ

VOORHEESVILLE – Back in 1977, the New York State Amateur Golf tournament was held at The Albany Country Club. The winner was a young, spry Rich Serian.

Now, at the ripe age of 57, Serian earned an exemption as a past champion on this course. Serian, who played golf in Troy and now lives in Saratoga Springs, shot a solid 36 on the back nine back in ’77. And with a little help from his closest competitor, Charlie Murphy three-putting the 18th, Serian won the tournament.

Serian said he was surprised by the exemption given by the New York State Golf Association. Having not competed in about 15 years, Serian said, “My expectations are higher than reality would dictate so we’ll see how that goes.”

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NYSGA’s 88TH MEN’S STATE AMATEUR TUESDAY-THURSDAY

By John Craig

VOORHEESVILLE – The phones have been ringing off the hook for the past few weeks at the pro shop at Albany Country Club. In addition to charity outings and member play – including the Member-Guest a couple of weeks back – ACC is about to host the 88th New York State Golf Association’s Men’s Amateur Championship. It’s the third time the club has hosted the prestigious event.

“Everybody is so looking forward to it,” said ACC member Joe Parrottino who, as club champ, has an exemption into the field of 143. “The membership, the grounds crew are all trying to make sure we take extra care of replacing our divots and fixing our pitch marks on the greens and just taking super care of the course so it can be a show piece when the time comes. We’re very, very proud and excited.”

Parrottino’s son Matt, 15, is also in, but he had to qualify. He shot 74 at Colonie Golf & Country Club on July 6.

“I didn’t do anything too bad,” Matt said about his qualifying score. “I played pretty good.” When asked about playing on his home track, Matt said, “That will be nice, that will be cool.”

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A FEW CAPITAL AREA GOLFERS SHARE THOUGHTS ON COMPETING AT ACC

Capital Area Golf asked some local players to give us their assessment of the 88th NYSGA Men’s State Amateur Championship’s venue, Albany Country Club.

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From the NYSGA:

1890: Albany Country Club was founded, receiving its corporate seal July 14, 1894. The first clubhouse was a tumbled down tavern on the Old Schenectady Post Road, located in the Sand Plains, which is now the site of the State University of New York at Albany.

1954: under the direction of Willie Off, Golf Pro/Superintendent, the entire course was updated with thousands of trees planted, a modernized watering system added and turf nurseries established for renovation and experimentation.

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FOUR ROUNDS OVER THREE DAYS: JULY 20-22
By John Craig

VOORHEESVILLE – For the second straight year, the NYSGA Men’s State Amateur Tournament will be decided by stroke play. From 1992-2008, the State Am was a match-play event.

“The stroke play definitely gears the tournament more toward the younger player,” NYSGA Executive Director Bill Moore said, “but Albany, I think, is more of a Mid-Amateur’s golf course because the greens are so difficult. It’s more of a golf course that needs to be played conservatively where Ravenwood last year was certainly a golf course that was more of a bomber’s paradise. So, I expect a number of Mid-Ams to contend and I’m looking forward to seeing how the 72-holes plays out.”

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ALBANY COUNTRY CLUB TO HOST THIRD NYSGA MEN’S STATE AMATEUR

VOORHEESVILLE — The 88th Men’s Amateur is set for Tuesday, July 20-Thursday, July 22. Monday’s practice round will begin at 10:00AM July 19th.

Players will play in the same groups on Tuesday (18 holes of stroke play) & Wednesday (18 holes of stroke play) starting off Nos. 1 & 10. Click here to see the starting times. The morning wave will tee off from 7:30AM-9:15AM, while the afternoon wave will start between 12:00PM-1:30PM.

The cut is made with the top-40 and ties plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead. On Thursday (36 holes of stroke play), pairings will be based on score and begin at 7:30AM.

40 QUALIFY AT COLONIE G & CC FOR STATE AM QUALIFIER

VOORHEESVILLE – After 72 strokes, Victor Fox stood over his 60-foot putt on his final hole of the steamy day at Colonie Golf & Country Club. He had heard that 75 was the cut line but it could drop a stroke. He was on the bottom tier of the huge 9^th green that is connected to the 18^th green. He needed to drop his putt.

“I was kind of nervous on that putt just to get it up there,” Fox said. He left it four-feet past the hole and then “I knocked it in.”

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