Bill Paulsen Jr. owns his own golf course, but he plays some of his best rounds away from home.
The general manager/owner of Eagle Crest Golf Club won his sixth straight Saratoga County Amateur senior division crown last weekend with a 73 at The Edison Club to win by seven shots. The opening round, scheduled for his own course, was rained out.
The former Albany Country Club standout has been playing some sparkling golf during his senior career. He made a strong run in last year’s New York State Senior Amateur at Normanside Country Club and was also the New York State Amateur local qualifying medalist at Pinehaven Country Club.
He’s been playing more competitive golf in recent years, and it shows.
When the Eagle Crest Shootout was a medal play event, Paulsen would compete, and even qualified for the shootout portion of the tournament on occasion. But other than that, he rarely tested his competitive fires.
But he has dominated the Saratoga County Amateur senior division since he became eligible, and dabbles in as many local senior events as he can.
MY TWO CENTS
What happened at last weekend’s Gazette County Amateur Golf Championship spoiled two solid performances and should never happen in a local golf tournament, amateur or professional.
Both three-time champion Rob Bigley Jr. and two-time titlist Bob Cooper, a former pro, were disqualified for signing wrong scorecards during the rain-delayed opening round at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course.
In both cases, a single score on the hole-by-hole portion of the scorecard was incorrectly listed by their respective markers. Neither Bigley nor Cooper picked up on the mistake, and therefore signed incorrect scorecards.
All tournament golfers should remember that they are ultimately responsible for their own scorecard, and they should check them very carefully before handing them in. It doesn’t hurt to check over your card in the same fashion even during a casual round, so you won’t make a mistake when it really counts.
Nobody likes to disqualify a golfer from a tournament, especially after producing a fine round that would have made the cut and been in contention for the rest of the tournament.
CHIP SHOTS
u The Gazette’s 17th annual Capital Region Newspaper in Education Junior Golf Championship will be held Aug. 1 at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course. Entry fee is $35 and includes lunch and prizes. There will be an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Competition will be divided into three divisions: boys’ 12-14, boys’ 15-18 and girls’ 12-18. Gross and handicap awards will be awarded in each division. Proceeds benefit the Gazette’s Newspapers in Education program. Make checks payable to The Gazette, and do not send cash. Send entries to N.I.E. Junior Golf Tournament, The Gazette, 2345 Maxon Road, Ext. P.O. Box 1090, Schenectady, NY 12301-1090. Entry deadline is July 24. The first 120 entries will be accepted in order or postmark.
u Entry deadline for the New York State Golf Association’s Junior & Boys’ Amateur Championships, set for Aug. 5-6 at Ridgemont Country Club, is Tuesday at 5 p.m. Since there is no qualifying for the New York State Girls’ Amateur Championship, that entry deadline will be July 24. Entry fee is $50. The local qualifier for the boys will be July 15 at the Country Club of Troy.
u Neil Golub’s Ellis Medicine Pro-Am, which replaced the popular Capital District Skins Game, will be held Monday at Mohawk Golf Club.
u The next Eastern New York Golf Association weekly event will be Wednesday at Brookhaven Golf Club.
u Luke Scala has resigned from his position as men’s golf coach at Sage College. Scala, the head pro at Van Schaick Island Country Club, guided the program to three straight Skyline Conference runner-up titles from 2011 to 2013. He also produced four first-team all-conference performers and one Skyline Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Scala also coached reigning Skyline Conference rookie of the year Kevin Johnston of Gloversville.
u The Capital Region will host the 59th annual state Junior Elks Tournament for the third time on Aug. 4 at Orchard Creek Golf Course. The local qualifier for the event will be held July 15 at 8:45 a.m. at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course. Age divisions will be 12-14 boys and girls, 15-16 boys and girls and 17-18 boys and girls. Entry fee is $20, and includes golf , lunch and prizes for the top two players in each group. Checks should be made out to Rotterdam Elks Lodge #2157. For more information, contact Paul Ungerland (384-0221).
HOLES-IN-ONE
David Arakelian used a 6-iron to post his seventh career ace at the 141-yard 15th hole at the Country Club of Troy. Arakelian has now made five holes-in-one at Troy, one at Shaker Country Club and one at Hiland Golf Club.
At Schenectady Municipal Golf Course, Craig Brown holed out with a 6-hybrid on the sixth hole.
Kathy Canestrini hit a 5-wood for her hole-in-one on the 150-yard fifth hole on the blue nine at Western Turnpike.
EAGLES
Corey Barringer eagled the second hole, and Don Dobbs eagled the 16th hole by holing out from 109 yards while competing in the C.W. Players league at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course.
Both Nathan Shawver and Travis Koch eagled the par-5 eighth hole at Airway Meadows Golf Club.
At Mechanicville Golf Club, Mark Sabatino drove the the par-4 third hole and eagled it, while John Serbalik eagled the par-5 fourth hole.
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