Boys Golf Teams Finally Rolling After Slow Start

It’s been a sluggish start to the season for boys golf due to postponements for a number of reasons, from heat alerts during the first week of the season, to a few rainouts in the second week. Most teams, especially those on the South Fork, will finally get into a regular groove with matches this week, with many of the teams scheduled for four matches.

East Hampton is one of just two League VIII teams that have been able to get in three matches thus far. The Bonackers are 3-0, with their latest victory coming Thursday, September 20, over Pierson, 8-1, at Noyac Golf Club. East Hampton head coach Rich King said his team has been led early on by seniors Turner Foster and Nate Wright, and their scores would reflect that. Foster’s lowest score of 32 came in what was the Bonackers’ season opener on September 12 against William Floyd at South Fork Country Club. Wright, who King said could be any other team’s top golfer, has shot a low of 35 so far this season.

“We’re very fortunate in that sense, with Turner and Nate carrying the front end, but guys at the back end of the lineup are shooting low enough scores to allow us to win,” he said.

The back end of the lineup is currently being filled out by young underclassmen in seventh-grader James Bradley and eighth-graders J.P. Amaden and Trevor Stachecki. Bradley is shooting in the 40s at the moment with Amaden and Stachecki in the high 40s, low 50s. Stachecki has won two of his three individual matches so far.

The Whalers are off to a 2-0 start. Coupled with the loss to East Hampton last week, Pierson dropped its season opener at home, 6.5-2.5, to Westhampton Beach on September 12, only losing team stroke total by six points, which made the loss sting a little bit more, head coach Clint Schulman said. Due to their home course, Noyac Golf Club, in use through Labor Day, and with postponements due to weather, the Whalers haven't had much course time, something Schulman is hoping changes soon, although Tuesday's match against Southampton was already canceled due to rain.

Southampton, the only other League VIII team to get in three matches, currently sits at 1-2, with its lone victory coming in its season opener, 7.5-1.5, over Center Moriches at Rock Hill Golf and Country Club in Manorville on September 12. After Jack Healey and Andy Mussolino graduated at the end of last season, the Mariners needed to reshuffle their lineup a bit. Jack McDonnell, a sophomore, has taken over as the team’s number one, followed by junior Daniel Silverberg, senior captain Luke Collum, senior Cole Yastrzemski and junior Chris Kreymborg. Freshman Jack Blackmore was brought up to varsity halfway through last season and is playing on varsity this season, along with eighth-grader Jack Browne and sophomore Steve Kraszewski.

Southampton will play its first home match of the season this Thursday, September 27, against Center Moriches at Southampton Golf Club. It’s about the latest the team has had its home opener, said head coach Tim Schreck, but with the team’s home course growing in popularity, it may be the norm going forward.

“It’s a little odd to wait that long to be home but it’s going to be kind of nice to be home most of the month of October,” he said. “That means we need to take advantage of playing at home and finish very strong.”

Westhampton Beach is 2-0 through its first two matches, including a 6.5-2.5 victory over Southampton at home on Thursday, September 20, putting the Hurricanes in second place in the league as of Monday morning. The team was led by its top three golfers, Mackenzie Kim (37), Cole Federico (39) and Coady Sumwalt (42), but also got a shot in the arm from its fourth golfer, Matthew Meyer. Justin Shui earned his first varsity win at the six spot.

Whereas the slow start of the season may have been a detriment to a few of the teams, Westhampton Beach head coach Fred Musumeci said it may have been a blessing in disguise for his team.

“We were so unsettled with the back end of our lineup, it hurt us in the fact that we weren’t on the course and playing, but, in the long run, it allowed us to figure out our lineup, and we’re off to a good start,” he said.

Westhampton Beach hosted East Hampton on Wednesday in a match that could have an effect on who wins the regular season league title. It was one of four matches for both teams this week.

“This is a make or break week for us, in terms of having a shot at winning the league,” Musumeci said.

Hampton Bays is off to a good start, having won two of its first three League VII matches. The Baymen lost to Riverhead, 9-0, in their season opener on September 13, but rebounded with a 6-3 victory over Eastport South Manor on September 17, and then, most recently, an 8-1 victory at Shelter Island on Thursday, September 20. As expected, Sean Noonan has led the team, shooting a 41 in each of the first three matches, followed by Gavin Grismer, Joe Sapio, Dave Katena, Josh Pasca and Aiden Kamp.