The Hudson Valley Hacker: Golf Blog

Mid-Hudson golfers were shut out of U.S. Open local qualifying at two sites Monday.

But, one golfer is still alive in a playoff at Willow Ridge, which will resume Tuesday morning. And, that golfer just happened to play Tiger Woods in his last match as an amateur.

Steve Scott, a Highland Mills resident, was defeated by Tiger in 38 holes in the 1996 U.S. Amateur final. It was Tiger’s third straight Amateur title.

Scott, the head golf professional at Paramount Country Club in New City, is in a playoff for the final spot with Brian Hughes of Raleigh, N.C. and Mike Caporale of Manhasset.

U.S. Open local qualifying, Willow Ridge CC, Harrison: Local scores – in a playoff – T7 Steve Scott (Highland Mills) +2 73; eliminated in playoff T7 Larry Rupp (Walden) +2 73. Missed the cut – T14 Matt Jaye (James I. O’Neill graduate) +3 74; T51 Ian Orr (Liberty) +7 78; T77 Joe Spivak (Monroe) +10 81; T92 Bobby Heins (Monticello native) +12 83; T99 Chris Connell (Newburgh) +13 84; T102 Noah Pilipski (Westbrookville) +14 85; Greg Shaw (Cornwall-on-Hudson) WD; Nick Yaun (Liberty) WD.

U.S. Open local qualifying, Haworth (N.J.) CC:  Local scores – missed the cut T11 Henry Bosch (Highland Lake) +3 73; T11 John Stoltz (Middletown) +3 73; T19 Jeff Schaller (Kingston) +4 74; T34 Colby Lewis (Monroe) +6 76; T49 John DeForest, Sr. (Cottekill) +8 78; T71 Matt Wozniak (West Point) +12 82; T84 Robert Lax (Warwick) +14 84.
May 9
U.S. Open local qualifier, Morris County Golf Club, Morristown, N.J.:  Local scores, missed the cut – T12 Cody Cox (Milford, Pa.) + 3 73.
Westchester Golf Association Amateur qualifier, Ardsley Country Club:  Local scores – T19 Andre Bolukbas (Mansion Ridge) +9 80; Missed the cut – T37 Sean Curtin (Harriman) +11 82; T45 Colby Lewis (Monroe) +12 83; T45 Greg Shaw (Powelton Club) +12 83; T64 Mike Reardon (Tuxedo Club) +15 86; 92 Tyler Cline (Tuxedo Club) +19 90.
May 8
U.S. Open local qualifier, Albany CC, Voorheesville: Local scores, missed the cut – T14 Mike Tulacz (Kingston) +3 75
May 7
U.S. Open local qualifier, Legacy Golf & Tennis Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla.: Local scores, missed the cut -T 25 Chris DeForest (Rondout Valley graduate) 80.

Upcoming
May 13
U.S. Open local qualifying, Haworth (N.J.) CC:  In the field – Henry Bosch (Highland Lake); John DeForest, Sr. (Cottekill); Robert Lax (Warwick); Colby Lewis (Monroe); Erik Mahany (Westtown); Jeff Schaller (Kingston); John Stoltz (Middletown);  Matt Wozniak (West Point).
U.S. Open local qualifying, Willow Ridge CC, Harrison: In the field – Chris Connell (Newburgh); Bobby Heins (Monticello native); Matt Jaye (James I. O’Neill graduate); Ian Orr (Liberty); Noah Pilipski (Westbrookville);  Larry Rupp (Walden); Steve Scott (Highland Mills); Greg Shaw (Cornwall-on-Hudson); Joe Spivak (Monroe); Nick Yaun (Liberty).

Delaware Valley (Pa.) senior Cody Cox shot a 3-over-par 73 and tied for 12th at U.S. Open local qualifying at Morris County Golf Club in Morristown, N.J.

Cox, who  carded two birdies and five bogeys, missed advancing to section qualifying by two strokes. He bogeyed two of his last four holes.

Andre Bolukbas (9-over 80) was the only local golfer among 32 qualifiers at Ardsley Country Club for the Westchester Golf Association Amateur.

May 7
U.S. Open local qualifier, Legacy Golf & Tennis Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla.: Local scores, missed the cut -T 25 Chris DeForest (Rondout Valley graduate) 80.
May 8
U.S. Open local qualifier, Albany CC, Voorheesville: Local scores, missed the cut – T14 Mike Tulacz (Kingston) +3 75
May 9
U.S. Open local qualifier, Morris County Golf Club, Morristown, N.J.:  Local scores, missed the cut – T12 Cody Cox (Milford, Pa.) + 3 73.
Westchester Golf Association Amateur qualifier, Ardsley Country Club:  Local scores – T19 Andre Bolukbas (Mansion Ridge) +9 80; Missed the cut – T37 Sean Curtin (Harriman) +11 82; T45 Colby Lewis (Monroe) +12 83; T45 Greg Shaw (Powelton Club) +12 83; T64 Mike Reardon (Tuxedo Club) +15 86; 92 Tyler Cline (Tuxedo Club) +19 90.

Upcoming
May 13
U.S. Open local qualifying, Haworth (N.J.) CC:  In the field – Henry Bosch (Highland Lake); John DeForest, Sr. (Cottekill); Robert Lax (Warwick); Colby Lewis (Monroe); Erik Mahany (Westtown); Jeff Schaller (Kingston); John Stoltz (Middletown);  Matt Wozniak (West Point).
U.S. Open local qualifying, Willow Ridge CC, Harrison: In the field – Chris Connell (Newburgh); Bobby Heins (Monticello native); Matt Jaye (James I. O’Neill graduate); Ian Orr (Liberty); Noah Pilipski (Westbrookville);  Larry Rupp (Walden); Steve Scott (Highland Mills); Greg Shaw (Cornwall-on-Hudson); Joe Spivak (Monroe); Nick Yaun (Liberty).

Delaware Valley (Pa.) senior Cody Cox will have to wait a day to move one step closer to the U.S. Open.

Local qualifying at Morris County Golf Club in Morristown, N.J. was pushed back to Thursday due to rain.

Cox, who will play for Penn State in the fall, is the lone local golfer playing at Morris County. The top five golfers in the field of 82 advance to sectional qualifying.

The Metropolitan Golf Association will continue local qualifying on May 13. Here’s a look at the area golfers with hopes of playing in the U.S. Open on June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.:

Haworth (N.J.) CC: Henry Bosch (Highland Lake); John DeForest, Sr. (Cottekill); Robert Lax (Warwick); Colby Lewis (Monroe); Erik Mahany (Westtown); Jeff Schaller (Kingston); John Stoltz (Middletown);  Matt Wozniak (West Point).
Willow Ridge CC, Harrison: In the field: Chris Connell (Newburgh); Bobby Heins (Monticello native); Matt Jaye (James I. O’Neill graduate); Ian Orr (Liberty); Noah Pilipski (Westbrookville);  Larry Rupp (Walden); Steve Scott (Highland Mills); Greg Shaw (Cornwall-on-Hudson); Joe Spivak (Monroe); Nick Yaun (Liberty).

John DeForest of Rondout Golf Club won two matches to advance to the quarterfinals of the MasterCard Met PGA Senior Match Play Championship Monday at Round Hill Club in Greenwich, Conn.

DeForest defeated Kammy Maxfeldt of Birchwood 3-and-2 in the first round and cruised to 5-and-4 victory over Bob Minicozzi of Powelton Club in the round of 16. He plays Rick Vershure of Quaker Ridge in a quarterfinal Tuesday morning.

Bobby Heins, a Monticello native, also advanced to the quarterfinals. Heins defeated Terrence Hughes, a former pro at Kutsher’s in Monticello, 1-up in the first round and dispatched Grant Turner of Siwanoy 3-and-2 in the round of 16.

Minicozzi defeated Brooklawn’s Brad Worthington 3-and-2 in the first round.

UPDATE: DeForest defeated Quaker Ridge’s Rick Vershure in 19 holes in a quarterfinal and lost to Pelham’s Mike Diffley in 19 holes in a semifinal.

Local tournaments in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties
May 28-29: POLO Golf Met PGA Head Pro Championship, Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park
June 6: Metropolitan Golf Association Public Links qualifier, Stony Ford GC, Hamptonburg
June 13: Westchester Golf Association Open qualifying, Powelton Club, Newburgh
June 25: Met Junior qualifier, Rondout GC, Accord
July 18: New York State Junior Amateur qualifying, Osiris GC, Walden
August 21: New York State Mid-Amateur qualifying, West Hills GC, Middletown

Other tournaments
May 13: U.S. Open local qualifying, Haworth (N.J.) CC. In the field: Henry Bosch (Highland Lake); John DeForest, Sr. (Cottekill); Robert Lax (Warwick); Colby Lewis (Monroe); Erik Mahany (Westtown); Jeff Schaller (Kingston); John Stoltz (Middletown);  Matt Wozniak (West Point).
U.S. Open local qualifying, Willow Ridge CC, Harrison. In the field: Chris Connell (Newburgh); Bobby Heins (Monticello native); Matt Jaye (James I. O’Neill graduate); Ian Orr (Liberty); Noah Pilipski (Westbrookville);  Larry Rupp (Walden); Steve Scott (Highland Mills); Greg Shaw (Cornwall-on-Hudson); Joe Spivak (Monroe); Nick Yaun (Liberty).
May 20: Westchester Golf Association Open qualifying, Knollwood CC, Elmsford. In the field – Sean Curtin (Harriman); Andrew DeForest (Cottekill); Joey Spivak (Monroe).
May 22: Ike Championship qualifier, Rockland CC, Sparkill. In the field: Gabriel Allen (Tuxedo Club); Andre Bolukbas (Mansion Ridge); Ross Corts (Falkirk); Cody Cox (Hickory Hill, Milford, Pa.); Sean Curtin (Harriman); Ben DeForest (Cottekill; John Hornbeck (Rondout Golf Club); Avedia Jolakian (Mansion Ridge); Doug Kleeschulte (Wiltwyck GC, Kingston); Kevin Kobetitsch (Hickory Hill); Brandon Kraft (Rondout Golf Club); Rob McCutcheon (Osiris CC); Tommy Prestia (Tuxedo Club); Jay Samuelson (Otterkill); Jeff Schaller (Twaalfskill, Kingston); James Thompson (Osiris).
June 4: New York State Open qualifier, Trump National GC-Hudson, Hopewell Junction
June 24-25: Ike Championship, Wykagyl CC, New Rochelle
June 27: New York State Men’s Amateur qualifier, Minisceongo GC, Pomona
July 8-9: Westchester Golf Association Open, Manhattan Woods, West Nyack
July 16-18: Met Junior championship, Fairview CC, Greenwich, Conn.
July 23-25: New York State Open, Bethpage Black, Farmingdale
August 20-22: Met Open, Old Westbury G&CC

Johnson Wagner is in contention for his first PGA Tour win since the 2012 Sony Open.

Wagner, a 1998 James I. O’Neill graduate, is tied for sixth place (4-under 138) and just two shots off the lead after the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C.

Charley Hoffman, Kevin Streelman and Steve LeBrun are tied for the lead at 6-under.

Wagner is tied with a group, which includes Graeme McDowell, Stuart Appleby and Rory Sabbatini. He made his sixth cut in 11 starts this season. Maybe, Wagner is recharged after not playing in the Masters last week.

Johnson Wagner, a 1998 James I. O’Neill graduate, fired a 2-under-par 70 second round at the PGA Tour Texas Valero Open.

Wagner, who eagled the par-5, fifth hole, is tied for 48th (even-par 144), eight strokes behind leader Billy Horschel.

Wagner finished 34th on the tour’s money list last year. But, Wagner has struggled in his first 10 tournaments of 2013, making five cuts.  He currently ranks 115th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Some late-season snow hasn’t delayed a few golf courses from opening on time.

Stony Ford Golf Course in Hamptonburgh and Hickory Hill Golf Course, both Orange County public courses, are expected to open on Thursday, April 4.

Scenic Farms Golf Course in Pine Island had a sign up for April 1st opening.

Trying to compile of list of course openings around Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Golf course management can email me at sinterdonato@th-record.com with expected opening dates.

John Stoltz was feeling right at home, playing a practice round at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Stoltz, a 2002 Minisink Valley graduate, walked the greens before his PGA Tour debut with Justin Hicks.

Stoltz and Hicks played on the Gateway Tour in 2008 and 2009.

Hicks is back on the PGA Tour after playing web.com Tour events in 2012. He gives Stoltz hope of still chasing his childhood dream of making the PGA Tour on a permanent basis.

Stoltz, who has played six years on mini-tours, made the Puerto Rico Open by shooting a 6-under-par 66 in a qualifier Monday.

“I’ve wanted to play on the PGA Tour since I was a little kid,” said Stoltz from Puerto Rico Wednesday afternoon. “I knew I was good enough to do it once I started playing well in the local events. When I won the Met Open (in 2005), I was definitely good enough at that time but golf is a funny game.”

Stoltz’s first PGA Tour round starts at 1:10 p.m. Thursday. He’s paired with Brendon Todd and Miguel Suarez.

STORY: For more on Stoltz’s first PGA start, click here.

Chris DeForest fired a 3-under 68 and is tied for 8th heading into the fourth and final round of the PGA Tour qualifying school’s second stage at Plantation (Fla.) Preserve Golf Course.

DeForest, a 2007 Rondout Valley graduate, who had five birdies, is 9-under (204) through three rounds. The top 19 plus ties advance to third and final stage of qualifying school on Nov. 28-Dec. 2 at PGA West in LaQuinta, Calif.

Rob Oppenheim leads the tournament at 17-under.