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Downey Dominates NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship

Sports
Updated:
Jack Sullivan
By Jack Sullivan
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Downey Dominates NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
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LOUDONVILLE –⁣ The 40th annual NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship was dominated by the exceptional performance of ⁣Kyle Downey, turning the ⁣event into a spectacular solo display.

Downey,‌ a ⁢former basketball star ‍at ⁤Siena College, shattered the Schuyler Meadows Club course record with an impressive‌ 63 in the opening round. He⁤ maintained his lead throughout ⁣the tournament, concluding with a final-round 68 and a three-day total of‌ 14-under-par⁣ 202. This gave him a commanding 10-stroke lead over ​Wills Reardon of Piping Rock Club (70-212). Capital Region representatives, Jim⁤ Gifford of Mohawk Golf Club (69-213) and Ben Bates of NYSGA eClub-Capital Region‍ (68-214), secured the third and fourth spots respectively.

Sean Puleo and Benjamin ⁢Rublee, both from the host club, along with Austin Teal and Ryan Foster, finished in the top 10 and top 20 respectively.

Downey, 35, who was the NYS Men’s‍ Amateur champion last year, started strong with⁣ birdies on the second and ‌eighth holes, offsetting a bogey on the seventh. He continued‍ his​ strong performance on the​ back nine, sealing his victory with three consecutive birdies ‍from the 12th through the 14th holes. Despite failing to get ​up and‍ down for ⁤par on the par-3 15th ‌hole, he ended the⁢ tournament on a high note with ⁤a birdie on the 18th hole.

“I had a restless night,” Downey ‍confessed. “I’ve participated in⁣ this event‍ nine times, and in seven of ​them, I​ was⁢ in the last⁤ or second to last group,⁤ but never won. Today, the goal⁢ was to shoot red numbers. My ‌caddie suggested⁢ a ⁢66 would be‌ ideal. We aimed to birdie all the par-5s and grab a few‍ more birdies to keep our competitors at bay.”

However, the start wasn’t as smooth as Downey had hoped for.

“The ‌front was a bit rocky. We ⁢managed to grind⁢ out a lot of good pars, including a ⁤12-footer for par on the first hole. With an eight-shot lead at the ​start of the day, we didn’t want to ‍shoot a 77 and‌ make things interesting,” he said.

As it turned out, ‌the round wasn’t very interesting for the⁤ rest of the field, ‌especially when Downey birdied three straight ⁢holes on the back nine. He revealed that he played some mental games with⁣ himself to maintain his aggression.

“I made a​ few‍ bets with friends back home⁤ on what I was going to shoot today. I set the over and‌ was trying to beat it,” Downey explained. “If you lose focus ‍and don’t show up, it’s‌ just like basketball. You can’t​ underestimate your opponent or bad things can happen.”

Downey was confident that‍ he ⁣could get hot at any time with a birdie spree, and he did.

“If you hit the fairway⁢ in the right spot and‍ with the right angle, you can⁣ make ​some birdies out ⁣here,” he said. “There’s no reason you can’t hit it inside 10 feet on any hole. My birdie on the 13th hole was a⁣ heck of an up-and-down because I hit‌ the wrong club⁢ and went way over the green. It could have‌ gone the wrong way pretty quickly. Then, on the 14th hole, I hit it inside 15 feet and got a good read when Wills [Reardon] just missed his putt. I know​ I can rip off three, four or five birdies‍ in a row ⁤sometimes. You’ve just got to stay patient.”

Downey, a financial ‍advisor who works from home, doesn’t have much time to celebrate his ⁣major win. He’s competing in both the​ U.S. ​Four-Ball and John R. Williams tournaments this week, with practice rounds included in both tournaments. But he’s having a great ‌time.

“Mid-Am golf⁣ and‌ amateur golf in general is⁢ supposed to⁢ be fun,” he said. “I’m not a professional, so ⁤most of ⁣my time is spent with my ‍two​ kids. If⁢ you can’t learn ⁤this game and enjoy it, you will end up hating it.”

Gifford, who has numerous top-10 finishes ⁤in NYS championships, was pleased with ⁤his final-round performance and third-place finish.

“I played solid today,” he said.⁣ “It ‌was a great weekend, and ‍it feels⁤ great playing in this, especially⁣ with it being close to home. I’m on the NYSGA board of directors, so it feels extra ⁢special for ‌me. It’s nice when these⁤ events​ are close so I can​ sleep⁢ at home.”

Bates, the former Skidmore College standout and five-time Schenectady Classic champion, used a⁤ torrid final round to​ finish tied for fourth.⁣ He rolled in six birdies.

“It‌ was a good tournament,” he said. “I think if there was anything ⁣that kept me from finishing higher it was the⁢ speed of the greens. I ​didn’t really have the speed down in any of the‍ three days. When you’re struggling⁢ with the⁤ speed ​of the ​greens,​ it’s hard to make things. One 20-footer ⁤would be four feet short, and another ⁤one would be ​eight feet past​ the cup.

“I ​made six birdies, but I would have liked to finish with a birdie on 18. Instead, I bogeyed, ‌but I was pleased‌ with the‌ way I ⁢played this weekend.”

RESULTS

(Par ‍72-216)

Kyle Downey (Locust Hill ‌CC) 68-202, Wills Reardon ‍(Piping Rock⁢ Club) ⁣70-212, Jim‍ Gifford (

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Jack Sullivan
Jack Sullivan
Jack Sullivan, an informed and passionate sports reporter, is a former college athlete with a degree in Sports Communication from Ithaca College. Go Bombers!
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