Rejuvenated amateur schedule includes pair of state championships

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

With two state championships being played in their backyard, Capital Region male amateur golfers will be busier than ever this season as their schedule of events is loaded.

The 2007 campaign was a disappointing one in terms of major championship events. There were no state tournaments scheduled locally, the Capital Region Amateur Championship at Saratoga National was shelved, and the Capital District Stroke Play Championship was cancelled for a year.

This season, this area will play host to both the New York State Men’s Amateur at Pinehaven Country Club and the New York State Senior and Super Senior Championship at Normanside Country Club.

Also, the Capital District Stroke Play Championship returns in August, and the Capital Region Amateur has been replaced by the Capital District Classic, part of the Pilot Series, at Catskill Country Club.

The top 12 players from the Capital Region Amateur Point List, headed by Jim Welch of Winding Brook Country Club, will square off against the best players from the Northeastern New York PGA in the Gazette Cup May 7 at Albany Country Club, while the Tri-County Golf Association Match Play Championship is back at Colonie Golf & Country Club May 9-11.

Both the elite amateurs and the top pros will compete in the U.S. Open Local Qualifier, also scheduled for Colonie G&CC May 19, while the Capital District Classic No. 1 will be played at Catskill CC May 27.

Medal-play scratch tournaments continue with the Gazette Schenectady County Amateur Championship June 13-15 at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course; the Saratoga County Amateur Championship June 13-14 at Ballston Spa Country Club; the Albany County Amateur Championship, June 7-8 at Capital Hills and Town of Colonie; and the Rensselaer County Amateur Sept. 6-7 at Frear Park in Troy.

The Country Club of Troy Invitational, perhaps the premier three-day, no-cut tournament in the region, is slated for June 20-22 at CC of Troy, while the popular Eagle Crest Shoot-out is set for July 10.

The Edison Club hosts its one-day Edison Invitational Aug. 4, while the Capital District Stroke Play Championship returns, at a site to be determined, Aug. 16-17.

The Capital District Points Challenge will be played sometime in late September or early October.

State qualifiers for the men include the New York State Amateur Local Qualifier at Eagle Crest June 4; the New York State Open Local Qualifier at Colonie G&CC June 6; and the New York State Mid-Amateur Local Qualifier Aug. 22 at Capital Hills at Albany.

Important best-ball tournaments include the Stadium Two-Man Classic May 3-4; the Normanside Invitational May 30-June 1; the Haggerty Two-Man at Schenectady Municipal May 31-June 1; the McGregor Links CC Invitational Aug. 16-17; the Shaker Ridge CC Invitational Aug. 22-24; the Wolferts Roost Invitational Sept. 5-7; and the Tri-County Partners Championship Oct. 18-19 at a site to be determined.

The area women also have plenty of major tournaments on their schedule, including the Gazette Women’s Best Ball Championship at Schenectady Municipal June 21, the Capital District Women’s Open at Ballston Spa CC July 21-22 and the NEWGA Championship July 28-29 at The Edison Club.

MEN’S SCHEDULE

May 3-4 — Stadium Classic at Stadium GC; May 7 — Gazette Cup at Albany CC; May 9-11 — Tri-County Match Play at Colonie G&CC; May 19 — U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Colonie G&CC; May 27 — Capital District Classic No. 1 at Catskill CC; May 30-June 1 — Normanside Invitational at Normanside CC; May 31-June 1 — Haggerty Two-Man at Schenectady Municipal GC.

June 4 — New York State Amateur Local Qualifier at Eagle Crest GC; June 6 — New York State Open Local Qualifier at Colonie G&CC; June 7-8 — Albany County Amateur Championship at Capital Hills and Town of Colonie; June 9 — New York State Amateur Local Qualifier No. 2 at Ballston Spa CC; June 13-14 — Saratoga County Amateur Championship at Ballston Spa CC; June 13-15 — Gazette Schenectady County Amateur Championship at Schenectady Municipal; June 20-22 — Troy Invitational at CC of Troy.

July 10 — Eagle Crest Shootout at Eagle Crest GC; July 15-17 — New York State Men’s Amateur at Pinehaven CC.

Aug. 4 — Edison Invitational at The Edison Club; Aug. 14-15 — Gazette Schenectady County Senior Amateur Championship at Schenectady Municipal GC; Aug. 16-18 — McGregor Links CC Invitational at McGregor Links CC; Aug. 16-17 — Capital District Stroke Play Championship at site TBA; Aug. 22 — New York State Mid-Amateur Local Qualifier at Capital Hills at Albany; Aug. 22-24 — Shaker Ridge CC Invitational at Shaker CC.

Sept. 5-7 — Wolferts Roost Invitational at Wolferts Roost CC; Sept. 6-7 — Rensselaer County Amateur Championship at Frear Park; Sept. 8 — NENYPGA Pro-Am Scratch at Wyantenuck CC; Sept. 9-11 — New York State Senior and Super Senior Men’s Amateur Championship at Normanside CC; Capital District Points Challenge, TBA.

Oct. 18-19 — Tri-County Partners Championship, TBA.

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

May 21 — Winding Brook Spring Invitational at Winding Brook CC; May events — Schuyler Meadows Invitational at Schuyler Meadows; Normanside Invitational at Normanside CC.

June 21 — Gazette Women’s Best Ball Championship at Schenectady Municipal GC; June 24-25 — Wolferts Roost Invitational at Wolferts Roost CC; June 27 — Columbia Invitational at Columbia G&CC.

July 7-8 — Troy Invitational at CC of Troy; July 9 — Wiltwyck Invitational at Wiltwyck GC; July 12 — Pinehaven Women’s Invitational at Pinehaven CC; July 21-22 — Capital District Women’s Open at Ballston Spa CC; July 28-29 — NEWGA Championship at The Edison Club.

Aug. 4 — Mohawk Pro-Lady at Mohawk GC; Cobleskill Invitational at Cbleskill G&CC; Aug. 21 — Leatherstocking Invitational at Leatherstocking GC; Aug. 27 — Columbia Class A Invitational at Columbia GCC.

Sept. 17 — Edison Invitatoinal at The Edison Club; Sept. 17 — Winding Book Fall Invitational at Winding Brook CC.