News

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. -- The upcoming 66th New York State Men’s Senior Amateur Championship will be contested at Yahnundasis Golf Club on September 12-13, 2023.  

Related: Championship Home / Scoring / Pairings / Program / 2022 Recap

The 36-hole stroke play championship begins on Tuesday with 18 holes, followed by a second 18 holes on Wednesday to decide a champion in each division. If a tie exists after 36 holes, a sudden-death playoff will determine the winner.

CHAMPIONSHIP QUICK FACTS

2022 Champion: Kevin VandenBerg of Beaver Meadows Golf Club

Format: 36 holes of stroke play, played over two days of competition

Eligibility: This championship is open to male amateur golfers who meet the following requirements: Be a member of the NYSGA, defined as either (1) belonging to an NYSGA member club or (2) joining the NYSGA as a 2023 NYSGA eClub member. Players must also have a USGA Handicap Index issued by an NYSGA member club of 12.0 or less for the Senior Championship and at least 55 years old as of September 12, 2023.

Par & Yardage: 

OUT: 3,214 yards / IN: 3,227 yards TOTAL: 6,441 yards, par 36-35-71 (?/?)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• 9:30-4:00pm.......... Registration

• 10:30-3:30pm.........Practice rounds
  
  Tuesday, September 12

• 7:30-9:00am............Round 2, tees #1 and #10
• 11:00-3:00pm..........Player lunch
• 12:30-2:00pm..........Round 2, tees #1 and #10
• 7:00pm....................Award ceremony
  
  

THE FIELD

Past NYS Men’s Senior Champions in the field

Dave Benedict, 73, of Brook-Lea Country Club, secured the title in 2011 at Vestal Hills Country Club. Benedict also won the 1994 Mid-Amateur when it was hosted at Wayne Hills Country Club, and the 2005 Rochester District Golf Association Senior Championship. 

Tom Fletcher, 66, of Tuscarora Golf Club, won the 2015 championship with a birdie on the second playoff hole at Onondaga Golf & Country Club against Don Enga of Cherry Valley Club. He won the 2020 and 2021 AIM Senior Championship. Fletcher was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and is also a member of the LeMoyne College Sports Hall of Fame. He recently finished in the top 5 at this year's NYS Men's Super Senior at En-Joie.

Bob Hughes, 62, of Thompson Park Golf Course, won the 2018 championship at Mohawk Golf Club in a two-hole playoff over Wade Sarkis of Canandaigua Country Club. He is an eight-time winner of the Watertown Men’s City Golf Championship.

Paul Pratico, 62, of Schenectady Municipal Golf Course, won the 2016 NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at Brookfield Country Club. 

Dave Prowler, 65, of Towers Country Club, won the 2017 championship at Crag Burn Golf Club. More recently, he won the 2022 New York City Senior Amateur.

Daniel Russo, 65, of Schuyler Meadows Club, won the Men’s Senior Championship in 2021 after capturing the title in 2019. He competed in his first state senior in 2018, finishing T9. He’s qualified for the U.S. Senior Open twice (2017, 2009), and the 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur. Last year, he finished as co-runner-up at Springville while attempting a three-peat.

Other Past NYS Champions in the field

Andy Bernatovicz, 56, of River Oaks Golf Club, has a state title coming into this tournament from earlier this year. He won the 2023 NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Four Ball Championship at Turning Stone Resort. He partnered up with Kenneth Riter and finished with a score of 9-under to take their first state title together. He finished in the top 10 during last year's Men's Senior at Springville.

Todd Dischinger, 67, of Foxfire Golf Club, won the 1992 NYS Men’s Amateur Championship at Drumlins Country Club. He is the president of the Syracuse District Golf Association and was elected the Super Senior player of the year in 2021 after winning both the super senior stroke play and match play championships. He is also a member of the SDGA Hall of Fame.

John Gaffney, 64, of Crag Burn Golf Club, won the Men’s Amateur at Wanakah Country Club in 1999. He won the 2023 BDGA Senior Legends Championship at Niagara Frontier.

Jim Hamburger, 72, of McCann Golf Course, won the 2018 championship by four strokes over Anthony Tomaselli of Yahundasis Golf Club. He finished runner-up in the 2019 championship, falling by one stroke. Hamburger competed in the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur and had the distinction of being the second oldest player in the field to fellow New York player Matt Haefele.

Luke Hobika, 55, of Drumlins Golf Club, is a two-time NYS Mid-Am champ as he won in 1998 and in 2015. He will be playing at his old home club at Yahnundasis where his 1998 Mid-Am championship was at. He also teamed up with his sister Meridith to win the 2023 NYS Senior Amateur Mixed Team at Leatherstocking.

Bob Rosen, 62, of Country Club of Buffalo, is a two-time Men’s Senior Four-Ball champion with partner Matt Clarke, capturing their second title in 2022. He won the 2021 Erie County Senior Amateur title.

Wade Sarkis, 61, of Canandaigua Country Club, won the 2019 Senior Amateur Four-Ball championship with partner Ken Ogden. He was the 2018 NYS Men's Senior runner-up and lost in a two-hole playoff to Bob Hughes after shooting a final-round 68. He finished in the top 10 during the 2022 championship at Springville and was the 2022 RDGA Super Senior Champion.

Jim Scorse, 58, of Stafford Country Club, Scorse, won the 2016 NYS Mid-Amateur by one stroke at Stafford Country Club. He’s a five-time NYSGA champion overall, winning the 2011 and 2012 Four-Ball titles, 2005 Men’s Amateur and 2013 Mid-Amateur. He’s been a frequent presence at the U.S. Mid-Amateur for the past decade. His list of district championships includes eight Rochester District Golf Association (RDGA) Match Play titles, eight Mid-Ams, five Amateurs, and was elected RDGA Player of the Year fourteen times since 1997. Recently, he's captured RDGA Senior titles in 2022 and 2020.

Philip Stegemann, 67, of Crag Burn Golf Club, won the 2023 Super Senior at En Joie Golf Club. After a slow start on the first day of the championship, he was able to fire a 2-under 70 to capture the title at the home of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on the PGA Champions Tour. He also finished in the top 10 during last year's Men's Senior at Springville.

Kevin Webb, 64, of Clifton Springs Country Club, was the 2017 NYS Men’s Senior Four-Ball co-champion at Leatherstocking Golf Course with a two-round total of 136 (-8). In 2018, he teamed up with his wife Lisa to win the NYS Senior Mixed Team championship at Skaneateles Country Club. The duo won again in 2021, capturing their second Mixed Team title at Brook-Lea Country Club. He captured the RDGA Senior title in 2019. He finished in the top 10 during last year's championship at Springville.

James Welch, 56, of Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, is a former NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur champion in 2011 at Dutchess Golf and Country Club. Recently, he qualified for the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur and has won a handful of Tri-County Match Play titles.

Others to Watch in Senior

John Bufalini, 61, of NYSGA eClub - Watertown, finished T2 in the 2019 championship at Cavalry Club. He won the 2023 Watertown City Championship at Thompson Park GC, his ninth title. He also qualified for the 2018 U.S. Senior Amateur. 

Jim Burns, 69, of Canandaigua Country Club, is a frequent top player at NYS Men’s Super Senior championships. He recently finished co-runner-up at the 2023 NYS Men's Super Senior at En-Joie. Last year, he was able to finish in the top 10 with a T7 finish. The year before finishing in a co-runner up finish at The Powelton Club. 

Ken Cohen, 60, of Villa Roma Country Club, won the 2022 Westchester Senior Amateur. He finished in the top 5 during the 2023 Met Senior Amateur at Baiting Hollow. He finished T8 in the 2019 championship, T10 in 2021 and did not compete last year at Springville.

Robert DeWitt, 70, of Transit Valley Country Club, is coming off a great tournament at the 2023 Super Senior Championship at En Joie Golf Club where he was in solo second after the first round in the inaugural Legends division. He ended up finishing in third. In 2022, he was the Super Senior runner-up after losing a playoff. He recently won the Legends title at the Senior Porter Cup in Niagara Falls.

David Hicks, 59, of Cornell University Golf Course, finished T2 in the 2019 championship.

Brian Kumiega, 57, of Country Club of Buffalo, finished in the top 10 during last year’s championship at Springville.

Bruce Levinson, 59, of Onondaga Golf & Country Club, was in the final pairing at last year's Senior championship. 

Jim Mason, 61, of Oak Hill Country Club, finished T6 in the 2018 championship at Mohawk and T4 in the 2019 championship at Calvary Club. 

Jim Mueller, 64, of Orchard Creek Golf Club, finished in the top 3 during the 2021 and 2018 championship, and sixth in the 2019. He’s won several Schenectady Senior Classics and eight Schenectady Classic titles over the years.

Chris Smithers, 60, of Tuscarora Golf Club, finished co-runner up during last year's championship at Springville. 

Jeff Schauger, 59, of River Oaks Golf Club, finished T2 during last year’s championship at Springville. 

Jack Weinerth, 62, of Highland Park Golf Club, captured the 2023 Syracuse District Senior title at Camillus GC. He also won his first AIM Senior title (CNY PGA) at Radisson Greens in August. He also won his fifth Cayuga County Men’s District Golf Tournament at Dutch Hollow.

ABOUT YAHNUNDASIS GOLF CLUB

Yahnundasis Golf Club is regarded across upstate New York for its magnificent Walter J. Travis layout spanning over 6,800 yards and includes gently rolling hills, strategically dispersed bunkers and tricky undulating greens defined by the land’s natural contours.

The club dates to 1897, where sixty-five prominent area citizens made a commitment to create an institution that would enhance the enjoyment of their leisure hours. They began a strong tradition of sportsmanship and camaraderie that would be built upon by those who followed.

The club’s name, Yahnundasis, means “around the hill”, which Native Americans called the area around Utica’s close by Genesee Street, the club’s original site.

On August 9, 1923, the New York State Golf Association was founded at Yahnundasis to foster closer and more intimate relations in and among the greater body of golfers in New York and to create an opportunity for an annual sanctioned (men’s) state championship. Yahnundasis member Sherrill Sherman also became the first NYSGA President and served on the executive committee for decades.

This will be the second NYS Men’s Senior at Yahnundasis (first in 1946), and twelth overall NYSGA championship. he venue has been a wonderful supporter of the NYSGA and has hosted numerous championships over the decades including: NYS Men’s Amateur in 1946, 1958, 1968, 1988 & 2007, the NYS Women’s Amateur in 1932, 1950, 1977 and 2018 along with the Women’s Mid-Am, and the NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur in 1998 and 2017.