122nd New Jersey Amateur Golf Championship is up for grabs entering finale
BRIELLE – The 122nd New Jersey Amateur Golf Championship has plenty of contenders and the leader entering the final day is this year’s Big East Conference titlist, Jack Simon.
The recent St. John’s graduate from Sparta holds a one-shot lead entering Wednesday’s 36-hole finale at Manasquan River Golf Club despite a double-bogey on the humbling 18th hole.
“I’m hitting the ball well enough to go low, so we’ll see what happens,” Simon, 24, said after shooting 1-under-par 71 on Tuesday for a two-round 4-under 140.
Simon, representing Rockaway River, holds a one-shot lead over collegian Elliot Parker of Suburban, who shot 71, and Chris DeJohn of Arcola and collegian Rhett Sellers of Fiddler’s Elbow, who both carded 73.
Three former champions are in the top 10: Michael Brown of Rock Spring, the 2021 titlist, is two shots off the lead in fifth after shooting 73 for 142. Two-time champ Mike Stamberger of Manasquan River is in a three-way tie for sixth after carding 74 for 143. Defending champ Will Celiberti of Arcola is ninth after shooting 71 for 144.
The greens were fast, the hole placements difficult, and the recurring theme from players at the top of the leaderboard in this New Jersey State Golf Association event was, “I did not putt well.”
Let’s start with Simon, who four-putted his final hole, the par-4 18th, for the double-bogey and his 71. The pin was in a difficult location, back left, and played Tuesday as the toughest hole.
“It was great until the last hole,” Simon said after also registering four birdies and one bogey. “If my putting was up to par the last two days, it would be really, really good.”
Parker had a feast-and-famine start en route to his 71. He eagled the par-4 first, converting from 83 yards with a lob wedge, then suffered a double-bogey on No. 2. Otherwise, his round was clean, with one birdie and no bogeys.
“It threw me off my mental game,” said Parker, 18, a Cranford resident and rising sophomore at Drew. “I was just hoping for an even-keel round, no bogeys and two birdies. I ended up regrouping after the double.”
DeJohn, who last year finished third, had three birdies and four bogeys for his 73. He was especially hard on himself and labeled it “really bad golf.”
“I hit it OK, putted terribly, just got nothing out of the round,” said DeJohn, 36, a Ridgewood resident. “I easily could have shot, realistically, 5-under, and I shot about as high as I could have shot.”
Sellers, like DeJohn, followed his opening-round 68 with a second-round 73. Sellers, a rising senior at Rutgers who hails from Texas, had four birdies and five bogeys. Putting was the problem.
“I struggled with the greens today,” said Sellers, 21. “They were a little bit faster than yesterday. I hit the ball well, just didn’t score like I wanted to. Trouble on the greens.”
Brown had three birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey for a 73, one day after a bogey-free 69. The Maple Shade resident, like everyone else ahead of him, was not enthused with his putting.
“I didn’t putt particularly well,” said Brown, 51. “I hit the ball well and putted the ball poorly and that pretty much sums it up.
Celiberti, playing in Tuesday’s first group of the day, at 7:30 a.m., climbed into the top 10 with a 71 that came courtesy of five birdies and four bogeys. Celiberti, who won last year’s title at Rockaway River in a three-hole aggregate playoff, is only four shots off the lead, which is why this tournament is up for grabs.
“Obviously, the goal is to win,” said Celiberti, 22, a Ridgewood resident and graduate of Bergen Catholic and Maryland. “I felt like I’m probably going to be in the same spot as last year, so it’s the same game plan: focus on each shot, try to make some putts, and see where it goes.”
122nd New Jersey Amateur Golf Championship
at Manasquan River GC, Brielle
Par: 72; Yardage: 6,945
Second of four rounds
Jack Simon, Rockaway River 69-71-140
Chris DeJohn, Arcola 68-73-141
Rhett Sellers, Fiddler's Elbow 68-73-141
Elliot Parker, Suburban 70-71-141
Michael Brown, Rock Spring 69-73-142
Jack Wall, Manasquan River 72-71-143
Mac Bredahl, Fairmount 72-71-143
Michael Stamberger, Manasquan River 69-74-143
Will Celiberti, Arcola 73-71-144
Brendan Hansen, Spring Lake 76-69-145
Troy Vannucci, Little Mill 73-72-145
Jeremy Wall, Manasquan River 74-71-145
Adrian Jordan, Cobblestone 72-74-146
Tyler Lee, Ridgewood 75-71-146
Reed Greyserman, Hamilton Farm 73-74-147
Johnny Bush, Plainfield 73-74-147
Brian Hart, Deal 71-77-148
William O'Neill, Spring Brook 74-74-148
Thomas Guy, Eligo 71-77-148
Corey Brigham, NJSGA E-Club 77-71-148
Erik Stevens, Hamilton Farm 70-79-149
Pat Wilson, Hamilton Farm 74-75-149
Garrett Kessler, Mountain Ridge 75-74-149
Stephen Walsh, Baltusrol 76-73-149
Kevin Silvestri, NJSGA E-Club 79-70-149
Brian Whitman, Knickerbocker 80-69-149
Al Tenembaum, Rockland 75-75-150
Austin Devereux, Manasquan River 75-75-150
John Browndorf, Deal 81-69-150
Brandon Roche, Little Mill 74-76-150
Edmund Broderick, Fiddler's Elbow 74-76-150
Blake Barnes, Baltusrol 81-70-151
Dylan Gallagher, Rockland 74-77-151
Jack Irons, Little Mill 76- 75-151
John Meyers, Basking Ridge 77-74-151
Chris Lawler, Riverton 74-78-152
Liam Pasternak, Essex Fells 76-76-152
Kieran Purcell, Essex County 80-72-152
Richard Fitzsimmons, Manasquan River 75-77-152
Travis Dix, Eagle Oaks 76-76-152
John Havay, High Bridge Hills 76-76-152
Dean Greyserman, Hamilton Farm 76-76-152
Did not make the cut
Christopher Housen, Manasquan River 74-79-153
Brooks Sanidas, Cherry Valley 78-75-153
Peter Byrne, NJSGA E-Club 81-72-153
Jason Lee, Plainfield West 75-78-153
Joey Lostumbo, Stanton Ridge 77-77-154
Tanner Little, Copper Hill 77-77-154
Anthony Campanile, Deal 78-76-154
Brandon Dalinka, The Ridge 81-73-154
Isaiah Williams, Heron Glen 79-75-154
Harris Podvey, Knoll 81-74-155
Joseph Giamanco, NJSGA E-Club 75-80-155
Richie Reck, Jumping Brook 78-77-155
Stephen Wentz, Baltusrol 78-77-155
Eric LeFante, Somerset Hills 78-77-155
Nate Beck, Mountain Ridge 74-82-156
Hunter Reese, NJSGA E-Club 79-77-156
Niall Handley, Knoll 80-76-156
Caleb Rossi, Galloway 76-80-156
Owen Rossman, NJSGA E-Club 76-81-157
Jack Skirkanich, Rumson 78-79-157
Erik Grehl, NJSGA E-Club 79-79-158
Bill McGuinness, Tavistock 79-79-158
Connor Bekefi, Pine Barrens 80-78-158
Brooks Harrington, Plainfield 79-79-158
Corey Katzen, Burlington 80-78-158
Kevin Shallcross, Echo Lake 82-76-158
Jeffery Yong, Hawk, Pointe 86-72-158
Graeme Hollingshead, Trump Bedminster 75-85-160
Randall Lazzaro, Trump Colts Neck 80-80-160
David Sampson, River Vale 80-80-160
Brandon Valvano, North Jersey 83-77-160
Alex Patel, Mendham 79-81-160
Chris Konefal, Deal 81-79-160
Trevor Stenberg, NJSGA E-Club 83-77-160
Peter Kozubal, NJSGA E-Club 83-77-160
Davis Weil, Ridgewood 84-76-160
Jimmy Apostolico, Rockaway River 80-80-160
Morten Gotterup, Rumson 80-80-160
Alexander Carroll, Galloping Hill 84-78-162
Noah Conforti, Spring Lake 87-75-162
Chris Kenny, Jumping Brook 85-77-162
Phil Ries, NJSGA E-Club 82-80-162
Brent Norcia, Upper Montclair 82-81-163
Ethan Weinberg, NJSGA E-Club 85-78-163
John-Paul Hansen, NJSGA E-Club 80-85-165
Kyle Krannich, Spring Brook 81-84-165
Doug Monahan, Pine Barrens 87-78-165
Matthew Porter, Colts Neck 82-85-167
William Brett, White Beeches 84-83-167
Adam Grosso, NJSGA E-Club 89-78-167
Dan Chernosky, NJ National 85-83-168
Gilbert Chang, Montammy 86-83-169
Anthony Dinelli, Spring Brook 87-82-169
Charley Cormey, Bel-Aire 88-82-170
Jongkil Hong, NJSGA E-Club 88-84-172
James Arbes, Watchung Valley 77-WD-WD
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 122nd New Jersey Amateur Golf Championship is a tossup entering finale
