Knob Hill hosting finale for junior golf competition
Ex-Giant Elias
will be guest speaker
at banquet
By tim morris
Staff Writer

VERONICA YANKOWSKI South River’s Chris Sewlvaggio tees off during a Junior Golf Competition event at the Peddie Golf Course in Hightstown on Aug. 21.

Keith Elias will be the guest speaker tonight when the 2003 New Jersey Junior Golf Competition comes to a conclusion at Knob Hill Country Club.

Elias, the former Princeton University all-American who played in the NFL with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, will speak at the banquet which will follow the season-ending championship event at Knob Hill, Manalapan.

"It’s been another tremendous year, and what better way to cap it off than to hear how a professional athlete pursued his dream," said Chuck DiLeo, co-director of the NJJGC. "We’re delighted that Keith has accepted our invitation and we’re all looking forward to hearing him speak."

This year’s NJJGC season consisted of 14 tournaments that began June 30 at the Pine Brook Golf Course in Manalapan. Players from California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, as well as youngsters from throughout the state, took part in this year’s circuit.

To be eligible for the season-ending championship, a golfer must have competed in a minimum of four regular-season tournaments.

Division titles that will be up for grabs today at Knob Hill are: boys’ ages 16-18, 14-15, 12-13 and 10-11 and a girls’ division.

"It’s not only rewarding to see the memberships increase from year-to-year, but to see how each of the kids has improved their game and had fun at the same time," said DiLeo. "And that’s what the NJJGC is all about."

Red Bank’s Eric Lasota topped the 16-18 age group with three victories during the season, winning at Bunker Hill, Woodlake and Battleground. East Brunswick’s David Kim and Somerville’s Kevin Foley are big threats to Lasota today.

No one in the 14-15 division established themselves as a player to beat. Chuck Antonnen (first at Eagle Ridge), Rich Mascersa of Verona and Brandon Welner of Marlboro have been the most consistent players throughout the season and are the golfers to watch.

In the 12-13 division, Anthony Aloi of Hillsborough won three times (Sun Eagles, Royce Brook and Bunker Hill) and has placed second twice, but Westfield’s Michael Forman is coming off a win at Concordia and has a pair of second-place finishes and a third. Jerry Burke of Scotch Plains, Patrick DiLeo of Manasquan and Mario Mastromarino of Staten Island, N.Y., could surprise Aloi and Forman.

Kevin Lee of Point Pleasant is the one to watch in the 10-11 division. He has three wins at Bunker Hill, Battleground and Eagle Ridge, as well as two second places. Jack Kielley of Bernardsville, Matt Molinari and Max Barouse of Chester will be in the chase, as will Marlboro’s Keith Markowitz, a winner at Concordia.

Joanne Martoranna of Randolph, Rumson’s Anne O’Leary and Edison’s Sarah Feldman should make it a three-way battle for the girls’ division championship. Martoranna won three times while O’Leary and Feldman each scored two victories.

At the NJJC stop at the Concordia Gold Course, Cranbury, on Aug. 21, Westfield’s Michael Forman won the 12-14-year-old division by a single stroke over Roy Steinberg of Ceasarea, Israel, in a topsy-turvy match.

Steinberg led by a stroke after carding a 37 on the front nine. But Forman grabbed a four-shot lead by the 15th hole, only to have Steinberg come back and draw within one stroke after the 17th hole. Forman held on, matching Steinberg’s five on the 18th hole to win with a 79.

Chris Ellinghausen of Princeton shot an 82 to take third.

Marlboro’s Keith Markowitz shot a per­sonal best 37 over nine holes to win the 10-11 age group. Markowitz needed to come up with his score of the summer as Jack Kielley of Bernardsville was just one stroke off the pace in a match that came down to the final hole. Max Barouse of Chester placed third af­ter beating Kevin Lee of Point Pleasant on a match of cards.

One of the highlights of the 2003 sea­son was the first-ever two-day Junior Golf State Open, held at the Seaview Golf Resort in Galloway and the Blue Heon Pines in Cologne.

Michael O’Keefe of Medford used an opening round 73 to forge his victory in the boys’ 16-18. His two-day total was 152.

Ben Walsh of Galloway also carded a 152 in winning the 14-15 division. Bradley Kushner of Mendham was first in the 12-13 division with a 162. Denville’s Bobby Krueger was first in the 10-11 carding an 80 for his two, nine-hole rounds.

Joanne Martoranna of Randolph won the first women’s Junior Open title with a 36-hole tally of 166. She won by 10 strokes.

For more information on the New Jersey Junior Golf Competition, call (732) 683-9042 or visit the Web site at njjgc@aol.com.