As the season comes to a close, let’s take a look back at seven standout golfers who made headlines in 2023:
Kennedy Swedick: A 17-year-old senior at Albany Academy, Swedick is set to attend the University of Virginia next year. She added to her impressive resume by winning her second consecutive high school state championship in June, dominating the competition by a seven-stroke margin. In July, she showcased her skills at the U.S. Girls’ Junior tournament in Colorado Springs, making it to the third round. Swedick continued her winning streak in August, securing her first American Junior Golf Association title at North Salem. Just recently, Swedick and her longtime friend Angelina Kim qualified for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, which will be held in San Antonio next May.
Chris Sanger: Representing the local Northeastern New York PGA section, Sanger, the head pro at Woodstock, made a strong showing at the PGA Championship in May. Despite finishing last at Oak Hill in suburban Rochester, Sanger bounced back the following week by winning the section’s Stroke Play Championship.
Tom McGinn: McGinn, a member of Mohawk, started the year off on the right foot, winning the Tri-County Match Play in May at Colonie. He also held the lead wire-to-wire in the inaugural Capital District Golf Association point standings, a creation of the New York State Golf Association.
Jenny Bae: In only her third professional event, Bae, who had a successful career at the University of Georgia, made a name for herself by winning the Twin Bridges Championship in July at Pinehaven. This victory marked her second consecutive win on the Epson Tour and propelled her into the top 10 on the money list, positioning her for LPGA exempt status. Bae currently sits in eighth place with two tournaments remaining.
Scott Berliner: Hailing from Lake Luzerne, Berliner added to his impressive NENYPGA career record by securing his 31st major victory at the Donald Ross Classic in Glens Falls. Coincidentally, Glens Falls is now Berliner’s home course. Additionally, Berliner is on the verge of clinching his 12th section Player of the Year title in the last 13 years.
Blaine McCallister: McCallister played a crucial role in organizing the Charity Skins Game, which held its second annual event in June at Mohawk. The exhibition featured notable players like Tim Herron, Billy Andrade, Rocco Mediate, and Chris DiMarco. Herron emerged as the winner, and the event raised an impressive $250,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Schenectady.
Hayden Knapp: If you haven’t heard of Knapp yet, you will soon. Despite being in seventh grade, Knapp made a splash in the state high school tournament, finishing in third place. Next April, she will compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt national finals at the prestigious Augusta, Ga., the site of the Masters.
Area roundup
Ben Bates of Eagle Crest had the best finish among the local players at the State Mid-Amateur at Crag Burn, tying for 16th place. Bates finished with a total of 233, 24 shots behind the winner Billy Hanes from the host club. Shaker Ridge’s Joe Fitzsimmons was the only other player from the Capital Region to make the cut, finishing in 30th place with a score of 240. The last two amateur events of the season are the Haggerty Two-Man at Schenectady Municipal and the WNYT-sponsored Capital Region Golf Championship at Colonie, both taking place this weekend.
The NENYPGA has postponed the “Sully” Senior Match Play and Assistants Match Play due to wet conditions at Wyantenuck. The events will be rescheduled. High school sectional golf competition is set to begin in the second week of October, with the boys competing at Fairways of Halfmoon on various dates, and the girls’ sectionals and state qualifier taking place at Edison.
Club roundup
Colonie: There was an error in the previous announcement of the senior men’s champion. The actual winner was Jeff Pachter.
Shaker Ridge: Longtime member Matt McGarvey has taken on coaching duties at RPI.
Thunderhart: Kevin Hunt, Kirsten Robert, and Dennis Vanderbeck all secured their second consecutive club championships in the men’s, women’s, and senior divisions, respectively.
Van Patten: In the club championship, Travis Koch emerged as the winner with a score of 153 over 36 holes, while Jim Dezalia claimed the top spot in the senior division with a score of 163.
Windy Hills: Bruno Bianchi, Cathy Martin, and Jay Jennings were crowned club champions in the men’s, women’s, and senior divisions, respectively.
Elsewhere
Five players who participated in the recent Solheim Cup are alumni of the local Epson (formerly Symetra) Tour tournament. Lilia Vu, the 2021 Twin Bridges Championship winner at Pinehaven, led the group. Other American players include Nelly Korda, who tied for 49th in 2016, and Cheyenne Knight, who missed the cut in 2018. On the European side, Celine Boutier tied for 30th in 2017, and Leona Maguire tied for 11th and 16th in 2018. It’s worth noting that, with the exception of Vu, the other players competed in the local tournament when it was held at Capital Hills.
Pete Dougherty is a freelance writer who can be reached at [email protected].
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