STATE AM: 72 HOLES OF STROKE PLAY

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.”

Dan Russo of Hagaman, who hails from Rolling Hills at Antlers Country Club and is a two-time Capital Region Amateur Golf Association Player of the Year: “I think the better player wins when you have stroke play. Match play you can play very, very good and get beat and you can play junky and win. Whereas if you play junky in four rounds of stroke play, [you’re out].”

Jim Mueller, six-time Schenectady Gazette County Amateur Champion including this year: “Us older guys like match play because we’ve got more of a chance. These young kids bomb it 330-yards. It’s a little different when it’s match play. It’s all right. You’ve got to play it for what it is.”

Jim Cocca, a lefty from Shaker Ridge CC, who has qualified for the State-Am more than a dozen times, likes stroke play: “I’m not a match play guy. It gets into my head too much and instead of hitting my shot all of sudden you see something that changes your whole game. So I like the stroke play.”

Steve Quillinan, Jr., who won the 2009 Tri-County Golf Association’s Match Play at Colonie Golf & CC, on his preference between match and stroke play: “Depends how I’m playing…I’ll be OK either way.”

Todd Czepiel, an assistant pro at Shaker Ridge CC has played ACC three times in U.S. Open qualifiers, on stroke play: “You get to see who’s the best. It’s tough to compete with those Rochester kids.”

Jimmy Welch of Winding Brook, who has won the CC of Troy Invitational three times and the Tri-County golf Association’s Match Play: “There are a lot of people that can get hot at any given time. It’s just a matter of hot at any given time. It’s just a matter of getting hot and keeping momentum rolling on your side and just staying in it and in the end anything can happen. Sure, there’s a lot of guys that could compete.”

Forty players qualified on July 6 at Colonie Golf & CC. Former NYS Mid-Am Champ Matt Clarke (CC of Troy) and John Vaccaro (Wolferts Roost), plus former state am top finishers Chris Barach (Mohawk GC) and Jeb Buchanan (Wolferts Roost) and Mike Wheeler (Shaker Ridge CC) all received exemptions.

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