Cummins rallies for top spot
Shaker golfer shoots 68 to capture state qualifier by 7 strokes
HALFMOON — Walking off the course at Fairways of Halfmoon following the conclusion of the opening day at the 2021 Section II boys’ golf state qualifier without a chance to compete in the final round provided ample motivation for Shaker’s Kieran Cummins. Earning a second alternate spot last fall only heightened his desire for better. Wednesday afternoon, Cummins not only earned his first state tourney berth, he did so after putting together a spectacular two-day showing.
Cummins, a junior, entered play in the final round tied for second place behind Ballston Spa eighth-grade star Jeffrey Fumarola. A field of 20 was seeking nine spots in the state tournament. Cummins ended up shooting four-under 68 for a tworound score of 141 (three-under par) to earn medalist honors by seven shots.
“I think what helped my mindset was not being just set on making the state team, I really wanted to go out and win medalist,” Cummins said. “I knew to make states, I had to hold my position. Jeff had the lead, so I had to go get it. I would say my round today was similar to (Tuesday’s round), just minus the two mistakes I made.”
Two errant shots on the ninth and 17th holes Tuesday essentially cost Cummins four shots. In the final round, it was difficult to find any flaws in the junior’s game from tee to green. Cummins was the only player to finish the event under par as Glens Falls senior Brayden Dock rallied in the final round to go from eighth to second place at four over par. Fumarola finished third at five over and Shenendehowa’s Avi Meyers came in fourth at six over par.
“It feels great to hang in there and make the state team. That is the ultimate goal,” Fumarola said. “Hats off to Kieran. He played really well and that was one of the best putting perfor
mances I have ever witnessed. I didn’t lose. I just got beat.”
Cummins produced birdies on the first, seventh and nine holes on the front nine and added two more, on the 12th and 14th holes.
“My putting was really good for the entire round,” Cummins said. “I had some putts that were momentum savers and they all went today.”
The only bogey Cummins had came on the last hole.
“It hasn’t really set in yet (that I was the medalist), but I have to admit I was feeling it a bit coming up the 18th and seeing all the people behind the green,” Cummins said. “I would have gone bogey-free, but I knew I was safe and secure in first. I am really proud with how I played.”
Dock’s usual rhythm was not present Tuesday as he finished his first round with a 77. He didn’t have a birdie. Wednesday, the senior posted two birdies on the way to the day’s second-best round of 71.
“I talked to a few people and they told me, ‘Just play golf.’ I hit a little bit, gained a little confidence and went out this morning and played golf,” said Dock, the 2021 medalist who landed his third consecutive state tournament slot.
Dock said he felt much more in tune with his swing Wednesday.
“That was the biggest thing when I got back to the range — slow everything down and don’t rush it,” Dock said. “It worked. I was a lot more confident, and confidence goes a long way.
“I felt like I was able to
push through and found a good place in my mind and went out there and trusted it.”
Cummins and Fumarola competed with Carter Sica (Saratoga Springs) and Timmy Esmay (Guilderland) in the final group. Sica and Esmay also qualified for the state tournament. The other members of the state team that will compete in June are Tanner Latorre (Ichabod Crane), Sean Roddy (Guilderland) and Charlie Greiner (Saratoga Springs).
“I shot one-under on the front and got a little too aggressive on the 10th with (Cummins) being four-under at the time,” Fumarola said. “I tried to force it and it didn’t happen. I learned.”
Esmay finished tied with Latorre for fifth at seven over par after posting a round of 78 Wednesday.
“It feels great to finally be able to break through and make the team,” Esmay said. “I felt like the last two years, especially last year, I could have done it. (Tuesday) was massive because I put up a good score. Today I got off to a good start and had a rough time in the middle. I had a good birdie on nine. I started rough on the back nine. The key holes for
me were the 12th through 16th holes.”
Esmay posted back-toback birdies on the 15th and 16th holes.
There was never such a feeling of relief and accomplishment for Sica after he carded a final round of 83. The junior, who entered the day tied with Cummins and Fumarola for second place, secured the last of the nine spots available by one shot.
Sica’s final round found trouble on the third hole when he posted an 8 on the par-4.
“At that point, that hole has been giving me trouble all week. I just had to forget about it. It is a tough hole,” Sica said. “A lot of people are going to struggle with it, just not as much as I did.”
Sica grinded his way through the back nine, making a couple of critical putts to help assure he would land his third straight state tournament berth.
“Late mistakes were getting to me and the earlier mistakes were lingering,” Sica said. “I was thinking about trying to go back and fix those mistakes. I didn’t move on today and I almost let everyone back in with a double bogey on 15. I hung in enough.”