Region’s golfers out
Berliner falls short by two shots, loses playoff for alternate position
No locals advance to next month’s U.S. Open sectional competition.
Western Massachusetts provided a beautiful setting for golf Monday, but Capital Region players would have had similar conditions had they stayed home.
For the first time in 40 years, the U.S. Open did not schedule a local qualifier in the Albany area. So several area players made the houror-so trip to Stockbridge Golf Club, but none advanced to next month’s sectional competition.
So local course knowledge was not an advantage, but none of the area players used it as a crutch.
“That had nothing to do it,” Schuyler Meadows amateur Dan Russo said after shooting a 3-over-par 74. “I wish I could use that as an excuse, but I can’t. The course was there in front of you.”
“I like it up here,” said fellow Schuyler member David Hayes, who shot 82. “There are a couple of great golf courses over here. It’s nice to come over here, actually. It’s a good change.”
One of the co-medalists is somewhat familiar in the Capital Region. Eric Mabee is head pro at the Country Club of Pittsfield, which is in the Northeastern New York PGA, and he has competed frequently in area events.
Even Mabee, who shot a 1-under 69, didn’t have much of a track record at Stockbridge.
“I played it last Monday, saw it for the first time,” he said. “In events, we (the NENYPGA) don’t get here much, but I live 15 minutes away, so I have no excuses.”
Mabee shared medalist honors with Chelso Barrett, 23, of Henniker, N.H. Barrett lost to PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth in the final of the 2011 U.S. Junior.
Sean Gaudette of South Hadley, Mass., earned the third berth, shooting an even-par 70.
The top local finisher was Hiland assistant pro Scott Berliner, a seven-time NENYPGA Player of the Year. Berliner’s round got off track when he hit out of bounds on the par-3 11th hole en route to a 2-over 72.
“There are a lot of courses in Albany I don’t really feel comfortable on, so it’s hit and miss,” Berliner said of not having a local qualifier in Albany. “The two closest are here and Turning Stone. This I would consider more of a right-to-left style of golf course off the tee, and I try to hit everything left to right. The Turning Stone course I don’t feel comfortable on, either. I wasn’t really expecting much.”
Berliner lost in a five-way playoff for the second alternate spot to Josh Hillman of Taconic (Mass.), an NENYPGA member.
Russo, coming off a victory Sunday in the Tri-county Match Play Championship, played the back-to-back par-5s on the front side in 3 over par.
“That’s not real conducive to good scoring,” he said.
He and Taylor Bellemare of Hoosick Falls tied for low amateur among area players at 74.
“I’ve never played it,” Bellemare said. “I was trying to get up (for a practice round), but it was during the work week, so I couldn’t come up. It’s definitely a course you want to play a couple of times. There’s a couple of doglegs here on the back.”
The qualifiers will play June 4 in sectional competition at Canoe Brook in Summit, N.J.
Other locals were Schenectady native Will Mallia (80), Schuyler Meadows amateur John Malicki (84) and Normanside assistant Justin Hearley (86).