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Teeing Off

Golf in the Lower Hudson Valley, from high schools to the pros

Bisconti still going strong

Mike Dougherty
September
16

Greg Bisconti is be lurking again.

The assistant pro at St. Andrew’s is fired a 4-under 66 today and is one stroke off Sean Farren’s lead heading into the final round of the Lincoln Met PGA Championship. He will be in the final group today at Quaker Ridge.

Here’s the scoreboard.

Bisconti finished second at the Met PGA Assistant Championship last week and has been spending a lot of time near the top lately.

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“I just have a little more confidence,” he said of the recent consistency. “I feel like I belong with the best players in the section. I feel like I’m one of the guys that should be winning these tournaments.”

That’s a sentiment shared by Frank Bensel (Century) and Rob Labritz (GlenArbor), who are sitting at 137 and 138, two and three strokes removed from the lead, respectively.

“I think there is another 65 or 66 out there,” Bisconti said of the course. “It just depends on what the leaders do. If we keep it under par, it’s going to be difficult to catch us, but this is a hard golf course and it’s easy to shoot over par, too.”

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 11:58 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

Farren leads a pack at Met PGA

Mike Dougherty
September
15

Nobody at the nearby scorer’s table heard a fuss, so it was a surprise when Sean Farren came over from the ninth green and calmly announced that he just had a hole-in-one.

The ace vaulted him into the lead at the Lincoln Met PGA at Quaker Ridge with a 4-under 66.

Mike Meehan is a shot back, and there are several players from the local scene within range. Frank Bensel of Century shot a 68. Rob Labritz of GlenArbor and Carl Alexander of Purchase each carded a 69.

Check the leaderboard.

Keep an eye on Phil Cardwell, who is even par. He is a Quaker Ridge assistant. Rick Vershure, the head pro at the host club, had to withdraw this morning because of an injury.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 10:53 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

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The putt doctor makes a house call

Mike Dougherty
September
15

Help is coming for those who routinely experience that moment of bewilderment on the green after good putts seemingly go astray.

Dr. Craig Farnsworth, a sports vision specialist who’s instructed a number of successful PGA Tour players, will be at Sleepy Hollow Country Club on Sunday, conducting a hands-on clinic, Green Reading 101 & 102, with teaching professional Kevin Sprecher.

puttdrThere will be two sessions, starting at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., so nobody has to miss the football games. Each one will be limited to 10 golfers, and the fee $150.

Farnsworth uses laser physics to help students develop confidence reading the greens, and will also be covering alignment, green mapping and charting putts.

The self-proclaimed Putt Doctor will also be doing private sessions in the afternoon for those looking to learn more about his See & Score program. The fee is $300 for 90 minutes.

For more information call Sprecher at 914-595-6598.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 12:03 pm | Print | Email | 1 Comment »

Bensel and Bisconti flirt with title

Mike Dougherty
September
9

It was fun to finally see Bethpage play the way it was designed.

Not a single drop of rain fell during the Met PGA Assistant Championship, but the conditions were a big part of the story line. The wind was whistling all day, and only four players broke par on the Red course. Matt Dobyns, who spent the previous six years at Hudson National before moving to Deepdale, somehow managed a 66 and won with a 6-under total of 134.

He guessed better than anybody before pulling a club.

Bisconti rolled in birdies on the 14th and 16th holes, and was a shot behind coming to the 17th hole, but a great looking shot was knocked down and into a front bunker, resulting in a costly bogey.

“The whole day was pretty windy,” the St. Andrew’s assistant said. “But the end of the day was really tough.”

It’s been a pretty good season already for Bisconti, who cut his hand with a hook knife while regripping a club not long after he narrowly missed getting into the U.S. Open. He rebounded well and got into the PGA Championship, bringing home low club pro honors.

“Those were temporary setbacks,” he said. “I wish I had a crystal ball to see how things were going to work out, I probably wouldn’t have been so bothered so much. Certainly, some of the things I did this summer made up for the knife incident and missing the U.S. Open.”

Bensel was in the mix after he got to 4-under with a 30-foot birdie on the 12th, but he promptly hooked a drive on the 13th on the far side of the adjoining fairway. The Century assistant tangled with the pines on the way back, and carded a bogey. He flirted with birdies on the next four holes, but couldn’t get one to drop.

“I don’t know how to play that hole,” Bensel said with a laugh.

There is some consolation, both players qualified for the PGA National Assistant Championship next month in Port St. Lucie, Fla., which is a well-deserved week off late in the season. Anthony Casalino of Willow Ridge is also in after tying for sixth place here.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm | Print | Email | 1 Comment »

A little brotherly love

Mike Dougherty
August
29

So in between dodging the raindrops here at The Barclays, we’ve spent a fair amount of time watching tournament coverage on the Golf Channel.

I noticed this morning they put up a leaderboard from this week’s 94th Met Open, which Andrew Giuliani won just up the road at Ridgewood Country Club. There was room enough on the abbreviated list for Jerry Courville Jr., Andrew Svoboda and Brett Jones.

Then came the notables.

I get why Greg Bisconti was on the list. He was the lowest club pro at the PGA Championship. I had to think for a second why Tim Hegarty showed up. The former Briarcliff Manor resident who plays out of Sleepy Hollow just happens to be the brother of Golf Channel producer Matthew Hegarty.

(Photo: Tim Hegarty by Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News)

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 3:05 pm | Print | Email | 1 Comment »

Are you coming down for a look?

Mike Dougherty
August
29

Tiger is making a move, but after driving back and forth to Liberty National the last two days, I can understand why those of us who call New York’s northern suburbs home might be reluctant to spend at least an hour in the car to come watch The Barclays.

Still …

If you don’t have anything else to do tomorrow and enjoy getting a look at what’s truly a unique golf course in these parts, take a ride. Liberty National is the kind of place that’s normally built only where the land is cheap. It’s visually stunning, and you aren’t likely to be sneaking on for a round anytime soon.

The area that surrounds Liberty National could play a starring role in any trenchcoat crime drama, but this place blocks all that out with stands of strategically-placed trees. Is there another course that sits 1,000 yards from the Statue of Liberty?

I believe she’s holding an umbrella today.

Yeah, we know the small greens are tricked out. It’s anything but a traditional course in terms of style, but variety is a good thing. The event will be plenty traditional over the next three years at Ridgewood, Plainfield and Westchester Country Club.

So if there’s nothing on your agenda tomorrow, get in the car. Don’t forget the EZ-Pass.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 1:33 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

From under the umbrella …

Mike Dougherty
August
28

Let’s all give thanks again for Gortex.

If you’re coming down to Liberty National for The Barclays, pack the rain gear because we’ve been waiting several hours for the predicted let up. Or you can visit the merchandise tent where they still have some of those $12 ponchos/garbage bags.

They moved two pins before the start of play to avoid standing water, and the squeegee crews are standing by, but nobody’s complaining about the conditions. Not out loud, anyway.

“It held up pretty good,” said Ian Poulter, who shot a 1-over par 72. “It’s taken a lot of rain today. It’s obviously going to take some more this afternoon. It’s in great shape.”

Unlike the U.S. Open quagmire, there’s not a ridiculous amount of mud. Only the areas getting heavy foot traffic are beginning to get ugly.

The scores are ballooning, though.

Phil Mickelson shot a 75 this morning, but isn’t likely to miss the cut. He’s 3-over for the tournament, and the projected cut line is 4-over. Tiger Woods is 1-over through five holes, putting him at even for the tournament.

(Photo: Associated Press)

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

Giuliani takes Met Open title

Mike Dougherty
August
27

There wasn’t a lot of wiggle room, but Andrew Giuliani found a way to get up and down four times down the stretch to claim the 94th Met Open championship.

It was his first professional win, and it came with a check for $27,500.

Giuliani, 23, hasn’t won since he displayed a remarkable short game in winning the Hochster Invitational at Quaker Ridge in 2007. There were a few noteworth events in between. Giuliani was kicked off the golf team at Duke and later filed a lawsuit, which a judge recommended be dismissed.

“I lost my swing a little bit at the end, but I stayed patient and hung tough,” he said after carding an even-par 71 in the final round. “I have a lot of faith in my wedge game, a lot of faith in my putter.”

Watch for Giuliani on The Big Break Disney Golf, which debuts Oct. 13.

“I forgot who won,” he said.

Andrew Svoboda, a Larchmont resident who’s at Old Oaks, closed with a 2-under 69 and tied for third at 212. Sam Bernstein, a 17-year-old member at Century, tied for seventh at 215 and claimed the low amateur crystal.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 6:17 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

Trump vs. Tillinghast

Mike Dougherty
August
27

There’s none of the usual gold leaf associated with all things Donald Trump, but he’s well represented on the leaderboard here at the the Met Open.

Andrew Giuliani (Trump National Westchester) slept on a one-stroke lead. Brett Jones (Trump National Bedminster) was tied for second, and Bill Britton (Trump National Colts Neck) trailed by six when the final round got underway this morning at Ridgewood Country Club.

I loved the reasoning.

“His golf courses are very tough, very demanding and they’re very penal,” said Giuliani. “If you get on a golf course like this after playing one of the Trump golf courses, you’re used to playing that kind of game where par’s a good score. I’d say even though Trump courses and Tillinghast courses were designed 75 years apart or wherever they may be, they present some of the same problems.”

Think he’s got a few political genes?

In you want to keep up with the leaders, the MGA is scoring hole-by-hole on its web set.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 12:17 pm | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

In case you missed it …

Mike Dougherty
August
26

Jake Thomases was at Huntington Country Club yesterday for the Women’s Met Open Championship while I was running around in search of items to check off our back-to-school list.

Nannette Hill finished second, while 14-year-old Nicole Morales finished seventh.

Keep an eye on both of them. Hill, who just graduated from Wake Forest and plays out of Pelham, is embarking on a professional career. Morales, who plays out of Centennial, appears to be the latest in a line that includes the likes of Meaghan Francella, Hill and Megan Grehan.

Does it seem like Westchester is producing more top female players than male players?

Here is Jake’s story.

None of the four locals made it to match play at the U.S. Amateur. Southern Hills took a toll on Max Buckley (+16), Chris Scialo (+18), Max Cahn (+20) and George Zahringer (+20) over two rounds of stroke play. Cameron Wilson, the 16-year-old Connecticut resident who won the Met Am, tied for 14th and is moving on.

I’m heading for the Met Open and will update the blog later today from there. Sam Bernstein, a 17-year-old from Century, fired a 4-under 67 yesterday at Ridgewood Country Club to grab the first-round lead. Stay tuned. You can follow along via the MGA website.

Posted by Mike Dougherty on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 10:09 am | Print | Email | Post a Comment »

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About this blog
Journal News sports reporters share their thoughts on the local and national golf scene.
About the authors
Kevin DevaneyKevin Devaney
Kevin Devaney Jr. came to The Journal News in 1998 and worked on the sports staff through college. A Fordham University graduate, Kevin primarily reports on high school football and basketball but has experience covering college and professional events. He is married, and enjoys playing golf, video games and fantasy sports.
Mike DoughertyMike Dougherty
is the lead golf writer for The Journal News and LoHud.com and has been covering the sport locally for nearly 20 years. HeÕs chased Tiger Woods aro und Congressional C.C. followed Annika Sorenstam at DuPont C.C., and stalked the dedicated golfers that sleep in their cars at Mohansic every spring in hopes of landing a weekend tee time. Dougherty also spent a decade on the Knicks beat, which left plenty of time for golf every April.
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