Golf Guide: Vaccaro, Mayne ready to defend amateur crowns

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

John Vaccaro of Wolferts Roost Country Club and Pat Mayne of Western Turnpike will be out to defend their respective player of the year honors when the men’s and women’s amateur schedule begins next month.

Vaccaro, who has dominated the Capital Region Amateur Golf Association since it was founded several years ago, easily held off former player of the year Dan Russo of Rolling Hills at Antlers on the CRAGA point list. Vaccaro earned 401.34 points, while Russo recorded 338.44.

Rounding out the CRAGA leaders were Jim Welch of Winding Brook Country Club (308.01), Justin Deitz of The Edison Club (226.85), Robby Bigley Jr. of Pinehaven Country Club (218.03), Chad Stoffer of Schenectady Municipal (214.60), Joe Macaluso of Saratoga National (188.24), Don DeNyse III of Capital Hills at Albany (187.13), Steve Quillinan Jr. of Country Club of Troy (186.43), Jim Mueller of Orchard Creek (185.22), Andrew Marler of Colonie Golf & Country Club (163.26), Jim Cocca of Shaker Ridge Country Club (149.39), Jim Gifford of Saratoga National (143.67), Tim Hamm, unattached (135.96) and Dave Mooradian of Country Club of Troy (132.70).

Mayne won the first-ever Northeastern Women’s Golf Association Player of the Year award by piling up 55 points. Her victory in the two-day NEWGA Championship — her third career title in that event — was pivotal.

Other top players on the point list were Heather Morrison (46), Betty Cushing (45), Mary Ann Keeler (43), Ilene Gaffney (41), Jen DiIorio (40), Donna Heskett (37), Susan Wronowski (37), Suzanne Ryan (33 and Leona DeLong (32)

Major individual events for the male amateurs include the Tri-County Golf Association’s Match Play Championship May 6-8 at Colonie Golf & Country Club, the U.S. Open Local Qualifier May 16 at Glens Falls Country Club, the Gazette County Amateur Championship at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course June. 17-19, the Saratoga County Amateur Championship at Van Patten June 17-18, the Troy Invitational June 24-26 at the Country Club of Troy, the New York State Amateur Local Qualifier at Colonie Golf

& Country Club July 5, the Eagle Crest Shootout at Eagle Crest Golf Club July 7, the CRAGA Stroke Play Championship, scheduled Aug. 6-7 at Schuyler Meadows, the Edison Invitational Aug. 8 and the Gazette Senior County Amateur Aug. 18-19 at Schenectady Municipal.

Major team events include the Haggerty Two-Man June 11-12 at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course, the Gazette Cup against the area pros and the Stadium Classic, both in May, the Mohawk Member-Guest in July, the McGregor Invitational in August and the Wolferts Roost Invitational in September.

For the women, major events on the NEWGA schedule include the NEWGA Championship July 25-26 at McGregor Links Country Club, the First and Second Best Ball of Four Aug. 22 at The Edison Club and the Gail Sykes Best Ball of Two Championship Aug. 29 at Columbia Golf & Country Club.

Other major non-NEWGA events include the Gazette Women’s Amateur, tentatively scheduled for June 4 at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course, the Schuyler Meadows Invitational June 7, the Pittsfield Country Club Invitational June 21-22, the Wolferts Roost Country Club Invitational June 28-29 and the Capital District Women’s Open July 18-19 at The Edison Club.

MEN’S SCHEDULE

MAY

6-8 — Tri-County Golf Association Match Play Championship at Colonie Golf & Country Club; 11 — Gazette Cup at Mohawk Golf Club; 14-15 — Stadium Classic at Stadium Golf Club; 16 — U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Glens Falls Country Club; 24 — CRAGA Classic No. 1 at Shaker Ridge CC.

JUNE

4-5 — Albany County Championship at Capital Hills and Town of Colonie, respectively; 11-12 — Haggerty Two-Man Championship (tentative) at Schenectady Municipal; 17-19 — Gazette County Amateur Championship at Schenectady Municipal; 17-18 — Saratoga County Amateur Championship at Van Patten; 24-26 — Troy Invitational at Country Club of Troy; 24-26 — Schuyler Meadows Member-Guest.

JULY

5 — New York State Amateur Local Qualifier at Colonie Golf & Country Club; 7-9 — Edison Member-Guest at The Edison Club; 7-9 – Albany Country Club Member-Guest at Albany Country Club; 7 — Eagle Crest Shootout at Eagle Crest Golf Club; 11 — Father-Son Championship at Schuyler Meadows; 15-17 — Mohawk Member-Guest at Mohawk Golf Club; 21-23 — Shaker Ridge Member-Guest at Shaker Ridge CC.

AUGUST

4-6 — Glens Falls Country Club Member-Guest; 6-7 — CRAGA Stroke Play at Schuyler Meadows; 8 — Edison Invitational; 13-14 — McGregor Invitational; 18-19 — Gazette Senior County Amateur at Schenectady Municipal; 26-28 — Shaker Ridge Invitational.

SEPTEMBER

9-11 — Wolferts Roost Invitational; 10-11 — Rensselaer County Amateur at Frear Park in Troy.

OCTOBER

11 — CRAGA Points Challenge at Country Club of Troy; Tri-County Partners at Olde Kinderhook, TBD.

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

NEWGA

MAY

23 — Four-Person Scramble at Ballston Spa CC.

JUNE

14 — at Saratoga Golf & Polo Club.

JULY

1 — Two-Person Scramble at Burden Lake CC; 25-26 — NEWGA Championship at McGregor Links CC.

AUGUST

8 — Team Shamble at Windham Country Club; 22 — First and Second Best Ball of Two Championship at The Edison Club; 29 — Gail Sykes Best Ball of Two Championship at Columbia Golf & Country Club.

SEPTEMBER

12-13 — Senior Championship at Catskill Golf Club; 21 — Mixed Modified Chapman at Wolferts Roost CC.

OTHER WOMEN’S EVENTS

JUNE

4 — Gazette Women’s Amateur at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course; 7 — Schuyler Invitational; 21-22 — Pittsfield Invitational at Pittsfield CC; 24 — Columbia Invitational at Columbia G&CC; 29-29 — Wolferts Roost Invitational.

JULY

11-12 — Troy Invitational at CC of Troy; 15 — Windham Invitational; 18-19 — Capital District Women’s Open (tentatively at The Edison Club); 21 — Albany Invitational at Albany Country Club.

AUGUST

2-3 — Taconic Invitational at Taconic Golf Club; 5 — Cobleskill Invitational at Cobleskill G&CC.