Pro almost shoots course record to rally and win 103rd New Jersey Open Golf Championship.
EMERSON – Brent Paladino expects to be razzed by his co-workers when he returns to his job at the United States Golf Association.
“I’ll be getting a few texts to bring in [food],” Paladino said, “and being asked where I’ve been the last few days.”
He spent three days winning the 103rd New Jersey Open Golf Championship, rallying during Wednesday afternoon’s final round to capture the title by one shot at steamy Hackensack Golf Club.
Paladino shot a sizzling 7-under-par 65 for an 11-under 205 to finish one stroke ahead of fellow pro Nick Bova of Hamilton Farm, who closed with 69 in the New Jersey State Golf Association championship. Paladino, 36, earned $20,000, so bringing a nice spread to the USGA office in Far Hills is the safe play.
Bova was in it until the par-4 18th, when he pulled his drive onto the rough of an adjacent hole and suffered a bogey. On the par-3 17th, he maintained his share of the lead with a par-saving 12-foot putt.
“It stinks, obviously,” said Bova, 38, a Hillsborough resident who earned $12,500. “To bogey the last hole today, and to make a double there [Tuesday] and lose by a shot, is pretty tough.”
The second-round leader, Troy Vannucci of Little Mill, and Jack Simon of Rockaway River, this year’s New Jersey Amateur runner-up, shared low amateur honors at 8-under. Simon shot 70, Vannucci 73, and they shared third with pro Danny Harcourt of Fiddler’s Elbow, who closed with 70.
Teen Thomas O’Neill, Hackensack’s club champion, made another good showing in front of the home crowd. O’Neill shot 70 for a 209 to tie for sixth with fellow amateur Chris DeJohn of Arcola, who closed with 71.
“It’s a dream week,” said O’Neill, 19, a Bergen Catholic graduate and incoming freshman at Holy Cross. “I had this date circled on my calendar for almost a year now. I’m just happy to perform and I had a lot of fun out there."
Paladino lives in Hackettstown and is in his fourth year working for the USGA. He oversees in-house administration for championships, with a focus on helping golf organizations administer the approximately 700 qualifiers across the country.
This is Paladino’s third consecutive top-five finish at the State Open, as he was fourth last year and fifth in 2021. Each time, he climbed the leaderboard in the final round, and he started Wednesday’s final round five strokes off the lead and in a tie for 10th.
Paladino’s 65 was one shot shy of tying the course record, according to an NJSGA official. He had eight birdies and one bogey, getting hot with five consecutive birdies, on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. On the par-3 sixth, he hit the face of the hole and tapped in for the birdie.
“I hit a lot of really good wedges, 8- and 9-irons,” said Paladino, who twice this season has won New Jersey PGA majors. “I didn’t drive it especially well, but I hit a lot of [approach] shots to three or four feet, especially on the first part of the round.”
103rd New Jersey Open Golf Championship
at Hackensack GC, Emerson
Par: 72; Yardage: 6,982
Final
Brent Paladino, USGA 73-67-65-205
Nick Bova, Hamilton Farm 67-70-69-206
a-Troy Vannucci, Little Mill 68-67-73-208
Danny Harcourt, Fiddler's Elbow 67-71-70-208
a-Jack Simon, Rockaway River 68-70-70-208
a-Chris DeJohn, Arcola 70-68-71-209
a-Thomas O'Neill, Hackensack 71-68-70-209
Brian Gaffney, Essex Fells 69-70-71-210
a-Mac Bredahl, Fairmount 73-71-68-212
a-Mark Costanza, Hamilton Farm 70-70-73-213
a-William O'Neill, Spring Brook 69-68-76-213
a-William Celiberti, Arcola 71-68-74-213
a-Reed Greyserman, Hamilton Farm 72-69-72-213
a-Jack Wall, Manasquan River 73-69-73-215
a-Austin Devereux, Manasquan River 71-73-71-215
a-Vincent Palazzolo, Metedeconk 75-69-71-215
a-Winston Blank, Hollywood 69-71-75-215
a-Johnny Bush, Plainfield 71-72-73-216
Jaimie Pierson, Baltusrol 71-69-76-216
Danny Daniels, Knickerbocker 70-70-76-216
a-James Arbes, Watchung Valley 72-71-73-216
a-Pat Wilson, Hamilton Farm 73-71-72-216
Danny Lewis, Hollywood 75-71-70-216
Mike Meisenzahl, Little Mill 72-70-75-217
Brendan Davis, Arcola 71-69-77-217
a-Reid Bedell, Manasquan River 75-70-73-218
Frank Esposito Jr., Mountain Ridge 75-71-72-218
a-Jason Bataille, Raritan Valley 74-73-71-218
Bill Hook, Knickerbocker 75-72-71-218
Tyler McArdell, Essex County 72-74-73-219
a-Michael Brown, Rock Spring 75-69-76-220
Mark DeLaura, Crestmont 74-72-75-221
a-Stephen Walsh, Baltusrol 72-71-79-222
a-Colin Summers, Plainfield 74-69-79-222
a-John Havay, High Bridge Hills 73-72-78-223
Brian Varsey, Essex Fells 73-73-77-223
Ryan Hager, Plainfield 73-73-77-223
David Quinn, Laurel Creek 74-73-76-223
Chris Dymek, Manasquan River 76-71-78-225
a-Trevor Randolph, Arcola 71-75-80-226
John McCarthy, Knoll 74-70-83-227
Brian Gussis, GolfTEC Woodbridge 75-71-82-228
Brian Krulfeifer, North Jersey 72-75-85-232
a-denotes amateur
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Pro rallies with 65 to win 103rd New Jersey Open Golf Championship
