A few final thoughts to wrap up the 2nd Annual Erie County Amateur after sweating out a steamy round at Elma Meadows this morning, including one more ode to the greatness of Matt Stasiak’s closing 67.
Future Amateurs – Elma Meadows or Grover Cleveland?
After attending the first two Erie County Amateur Championships, I couldn’t help but think about future editions of the event. When the Championship was started in 2012, the intent was to rotate between the two County courses. But after seeing the challenge presented by Elma Meadows, I wonder if the event should alternate.
Grover Cleveland was the obvious choice for the Inaugural Event, commemorating the Centennial of the 1912 US Open. However, I ‘m not sure Grover Cleveland will generate the same enthusiasm from the area’s top amateurs outside of special occasions. The former Country Club of Buffalo was far too short to challenge our area’s best, and ended up resembling a wedge skills challenge.
I saw most players bomb away with impunity last year, while Elma demanded more thought off the tee. With only one player finishing under par, Elma Meadows demonstrated that it can hold its own against the young bombers. Further, Elma has more flexibility in terms of tee set-ups to provide different challenges than it’s Northern counterpart.
Of course, some of Elma’s members may not appreciate the narrower fairways and heavier rough each year. But, after this year’s event, the County could soften the set-up slightly in the future. The 499 yard 18th was plenty of challenge without the nervous searches for balls in the rough. I’d definitely be a proponent for Elma as the primary host of the Annual Championships.
On the other hand, there’s no denying the potential for a more exciting event at Grover Cleveland. The eagles and birdies coming down the stretch during last year’s Championship were electrifying. Also, Grover definitely provided a more exciting set-up for the Women’s competition. Elma Meadows is a very long course for the ladies, and seemed to grind down all but a pair of contestants.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or cast your vote below.
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Elma Meadows – Old vs New Closing Stretch?
This year was the first major event held at Elma Meadows with reversed nines, and the closing 3 holes couldn’t be more different than the former finishing stretch.
I know our County Executive likes the challenge and difficulty of the last three holes, pressuring players to get to the clubhouse without too much damage. A 499 yard finishing hole is definitely an acquired taste, but I’ve lost my allegiance to the arbitrary notion of “par” over the years and think it’s a nice 1/2 par hole, just like the 1/2 par 7th & 14th holes.
From my perspective, I always enjoyed the old closing stretch at Elma Meadows, because of the greater potential for leaderboard movement. Many Elma Meadows’ Club Championships were won &/or lost in this trio of holes. This year’s final round confirmed my thoughts, as the 7th & 8th old 16/17) saw 3 eagle putts among the final group. With OB right and trouble for a pulled drive on the former 17th, a leader must decide how much to risk, while someone trailing has the chance for an eagle 2.
And if you want a tough closer, the 228 yard former 18th fit the bill. OB right mixed with tense nerves makes for a thrilling combination. Finally, the old 18th is a natural amphitheater, allowing spectators ideal viewing of the finishing holes.
While I appreciate the idea of following the original architectural design, the County could flip the nines solely for this event, similar to what Niagara Falls does for the Porter Cup. What do you think?
Stasiak’s 67 – Even Better with Time
WIth a few days to reflect, I became even more impressed with Matt’s Stasiak’s closing round of 3-under par. I reviewed my notes, and it dawned on me that Matt hit the first 13 greens in regulation, as well as the 15th & 16th. He was in greenside sand in two on the par 5 14th, and only missed that green in regulation because of a poorly placed rake leaving an impossible lie. Even after leaving his 3rd shot in the sand, Matt calmly executed his next explosion to save par.
Save for this rub-of-the-green, Stasiak was striking the ball well enough to easily hit the first 16 greens in regulation during a championship round. That is a remarkable accomplishment, and Matt reached 4-under through that point.
To be honest, 4-under was the worst possible score he could have posted at that point in the round. Reviewing the round, he only made two putts over 5 feet (birdies on 6 & 10), and missed 3 birdie opportunities inside of 10 feet. If Matt’s putter was as hot as his iron game, 63 or even 62 was entirely possible.
His only bogey was came on the monstrous 499 yard closing hole, but the rock-solid play from the first 16 holes had already decided the tournament. It was one of the most impressive displays I’ve seen and should give you a glimpse of the caliber of players we have here in Western New York.
In general, I hope some of you take advantage of the opportunities we have to watch these players through the WNY PGA and BDGA events throughout the summer. I’ve enjoyed the chance to get to know some of the players over the last two summers and wish I’d taken in more events sooner.
5 Birdies – Are you Kidding?
While the limitations of physics kept me from seeing much of the women’s competition, I’d be remiss without giving some praise to the quality of play from ladies’ draw.
Hamburg’s Sarah Riso had 5 birdies in her closing round at Elma Meadows. Five. As in, that’s a pretty decent number of birdies for a Two Man Scramble at Elma. I don’t care if you’re a man or woman, that doesn’t happen without some serious ball-striking and game. And these ladies have some game.
And I’m not qualifying that as good “for a girl.” I watched Sydney Shaw and Sarah Riso both hit green-length explosions to inside 3 feet on the 17th. If you’ve played Elma’s overly soft bunkers, you know how good that is.
Chelsea Dantonio pured her approach on the 18th to inside 15 feet from over 160. This wasn’t a low trajectory, low spinner that bounced on – it was a strong ball flight that 70% of the men at Elma Meadows couldn’t dream of hitting.
And all this came from a small 2-hole sample of the final round. A few more women’s competitions will be on my future viewing agenda.
