By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — August 24, 2004 – The fourth annual Catskill Amateur Golf Tournament featured a strong field of golfers.
In fact, there were so many good golfers that 18 holes was not enough to determine a champion. After playing 18 holes on Sunday at Grossinger’s Country Club in Liberty, Chris DeForest and John Stoltz each scored a 75.
The two golfers then headed out to the par 4, 428-yard first hole for a playoff to decide the winner of the event. However, the playoff lasted for just one hole as Stoltz made a 12-foot birdie putt to win the title. DeForest had a birdie putt of his own on the hole, but the ball just lipped off the edge of the cup.
This was the first year that Stoltz, who has spent the summer living at the Concord Resort in Monticello where his father, Mike, is an assistant golf pro, participated in the Catskill Amateur.
“I didn’t know what a 75 would do today,” Stoltz said. “The tees were back, the greens were fast and the pins were on a slope. I thought a 74 would be par today.”
When asked about the key to the win, Stoltz was quick to reply.
“I putted well, I don’t think I three-putted all day,” he said. “I made a couple of 8- to 10-foot putts for par when I thought they might roll on by [the hole].”
Stoltz, 20, will begin his junior year at Johnson And Wells University in North Miami Beach, Fla. after competing in this week’s Metropolitan Open tournament in Croton-on-Hudson.
He said he will be back “just for fun” at next year’s Catskill Amateur event.
DeForest, a 15-year-old from Cottekill, was also playing in his first Catskill Amateur, which includes top amateur golfers from Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties.
“I started off by taking a bogey double on a couple of holes, but after that I began to play well,” he said. “I didn’t win it, but that’s alright.”
DeForest, who will be a sophomore this fall at Rondout Valley High School, added that the course set up was “excellent” and that he plans to play in the event again next year.
Rounding out the top five were Sean Semenetz with a 77, Edward Kroger with a 78 and Ken Cohen and Doug Novogrodsky, who tied for fifth place with identical scores of 79.
Dan Yaun of Liberty won the tournament’s senior division for golfers who are 50 and older. He shot a 37 on the front nine and a 39 on the back nine for a total score of 76. Yaun’s older brother, Rick, and Alan Simon tied for second place. Rick Yaun shot a 39 and 41 for an 80, while Simon shot 44 and then 36 for his total of 80.
“I just tried to stay within myself and play my game,” said Dan Yaun, who teamed with his brother to win the Villa Roma Country Club’s Monday night golf league in 2002. “I really didn’t get into any big trouble out there.”
Although DeForest and Stoltz extended the event slightly with their playoff, the 2004 Catskill Amateur was actually shorter than the past three events. The event was scheduled to be a two-day tournament, with the golfers playing the Concord Monster course in Monticello on Saturday and at Grossinger’s on Sunday. But rain on Friday night cancelled Saturday’s play at the Concord.
Still, golfers and organizers viewed the event as a success.
“We had three times as many golfers this year,” said Todd Barker, who is the golf pro at both the Concord and Grossinger’s. “It’s nice to have a scratch event for amateurs like this. There are not too many events for amateurs around here.”
Before presenting plaques and certificates to the top finishers, tournament director Marvin Newberg thanked all of the golfers and Barker.
“We had a great tournament,” Newberg said. “A big reason for that success is Todd and all the work he has done for the tournament. Todd is a great asset to amateur golf in this area.”
Complete results are as follows:
John Stoltz: 36-39-75, Chris DeForest: 38-37-75, Sean Semenetz: 39-38-77, Edward Kroger: 39-39-78, Ken Cohen: 42-37-79, Doug Novogrodsky: 40-39-79, Pravin Singh: 41-39-80, Donald Lawlor: 41-40-81, Emet Ledezma: 38-43-81, Henry Bosch: 40-42-82, Andrew Goyzueta: 39-44-83, John Singh: 43-40-83, Gregg Semenetz: 42-42-84, Charlie Johnston: 40-45-85, Mark Sabbagh: 42-43-85, Nick Urso: 42-45-87, Mike Bastedo: 44-44-88, Jason Fedorka: 44-44-88, Ben Kleiner: 42-46-88, Maxx Kleiner: 43-45-88, James McSherry: 44-45-89, Bill Mullady: 41-50-91, Juan Ayala: 45-51-96, Robert Harrison: 52-54-106.
Senior Division: Dan Yaun: 37-39-76; Alan Simon: 44-36-80, Rick Yaun: 39-41-80, Marvin Newberg: 39-42-81, Jim Byrne: 40-42-82, Fred Smith: 43-44-87, Lee Wood: 48-39-87, Thomas Ingram: 40-48-88, John Bogaert: 41-48-89, Mel Kaufman: 44-47-91, Jongha Hwang: 44-53-97, Richard Ool: 52-51-103.