News

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – The 27th NYS Men’s Super Senior Amateur brought the state’s top senior men 65 and older to the Southern Tier’s challenging PGA Champions Tour stop, En-Joie Golf Club, with over 80 players trying to navigate their way through the layout in hopes to win this year’s state title.

Round one featured some familiar faces to the championship, including Bob Cooper of NYSGA eClub - Capital District, who leads the field by two strokes after shooting an even par round of 72.

Related: Scoring / Pairings / Photos / Preview /  2022 Recap / Past Winners

Cooper is no stranger to the super senior leaderboard as he has finished in the top 20 the past two championships, including a co-runner-up finish at The Powelton Club in 2021. He also led the Senior Am in 2018 during the first two rounds of action at Mohawk, and finished in the top five.

The player out of Glenville had just two birdies on the card and two bogeys to go with it, but he credits his ability to keep his drives in the fairway to his success in the first round. 

“Just tried to keep it in between the trees,” said Cooper. “I played a practice round the day before and saw how juicy the rough was so one has to be careful in there and tried to keep it down the middle as much as possible. I missed a bunch of fairways and had to hit a lot of conservative shots in and not attack.”

With heavy rain forecasted throughout the night heading into Tuesday’s final round, Cooper is prepared for tomorrow and will attempt to break through and claim his first state title. 

“If it is wet out there, then the rough is going to be even harder and being in the fairway is going to be that much more important.”

Behind Cooper is 2023 Super Senior Amateur Four-Ball Champion Dan Levinson of MGA eClub - NYC. He sits at 2-over for the championship and is looking to add a second state title in 2023, and first as an individual.

Tied at 3-over 75 is 2015 NYS Men’s Senior champion, Thomas Fletcher of Tuscarora Golf Club and 2021 Super Senior co-runner-up Jim Burns of Canandaigua Country Club.

Philip Stegemann of Crag Burn Golf Club, Steven Hastings of Powelton Club, and Bill Paulsen of McGregor Links Country Club sit tied at 4-over 76.

2022 champion Robert Branham of Canasawacta Country Club opened his title defense with a 79.

En-Joie was set up at 6,107 yards for the super senior division and played to a par of 72. 

---

The inaugural NYS Men’s Legends Amateur is also taking place at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open host club.  

Local Binghamton Country Club player John Benware leads the field, ages 70+,  and was the only player in both divisions to shoot under par to hold a two stroke advantage.

The Endwell resident was able to sink four birdies in his under par round, including three on his way in on the final nine.

Following Benware is a tie for second with 2014 NYS Men’s Super Senior champion Randy Young of Bellevue Country Club and Robert Dewitt of Transit Valley Country Club.

Dewitt finished in second place in last year's Super Senior Championship at Springville Country Club after losing in a playoff to Robert Branham of Canasawacta Country Club. 

“It is just a hole at a time,” said Dewitt after his round one finish. “Hit solid shots and take what it gives you and hopefully make some putts. 

Following them is solo fourth place is 2019 NYS Men’s Super Senior champion John Hamiliton of Hudson National Golf Club who shot 75 in his opening round. 

In solo fifth sits Joe Quillinan of Olde Kinderhook Golf Club with an opening round of 76 with three birdies. 

Currently tied for sixth at 5-over (77) is Donald Lalonde of Stonehedges Golf Club, Scotty George of Westchester Country Club, past NYS Men’s Mid-Am and Senior champion Dave Benedict of Brook-Lea Country Club, and 2006 NYS Super Senior champion Perry Noun of Lake Shore Yacht & CC.

En-Joie was set up at 5,394 yards for the legends division and played to a par of 72. 

Tomorrow’s second (and final) round will be in a shotgun format at 9 a.m. with both Super Senior and Legends divisions teeing off concurrently.