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The New Jersey Amateur Players Tour took a southern detour to West Deptford for the Gloucester County Open at RiverWinds Golf & Tennis Club. The field of 49 quickly learned why “winds” is in the name, as strong gusts swept across the course. True to the heritage of historic Scottish and Irish courses, RiverWinds is nestled in the grasslands between scenic Woodbury Creek and the Delaware River’s deep harbor marina. This 18-hole championship course evokes visions of seaside golf, with its surrounding wetlands, water features, and a mile-long twisting burn creating an intriguing setting. The Philadelphia skyline provides a stunning backdrop across the water.
In Division 1, The competition was fierce as four formidable golfers—Dan Ayars, Chris Meares, Preston Kyriakoulis, and Andrew Pae—vied for the championship title. From the first tee on hole #1, each player showcased their prowess, setting the stage for a thrilling contest where nothing would come easy. At the turn, the leaderboard was tight. Ayars led at Even par, while Meares, Kyriakoulis, and Pae were just one stroke behind at +1. The pivotal moment came on hole #10. Ayars seized the opportunity, sinking a birdie while his rivals stumbled with bogeys, extending his lead to two strokes. This birdie marked the beginning of a spectacular run for Ayars, who went on to card four birdies on the back nine. With near-flawless play, he made only one bogey, securing a commanding finish with an impressive -3 (69). The battle for second place was intense. Meares and Kyriakoulis both ended the back nine at +2, while Pae needed a par on the 18th to join them. However, a bogey on the final hole left him just short. Meares and Kyriakoulis finished at +4 (75), and Pae at +5 (76).
In Division 2, With a field of 15 players ready to battle the wind and the challenging course, the stage was set for a thrilling finish. Rich Mariner and Rocky Dare led the way at the turn, both carding two birdies and finishing the front nine at +1 (37). Gil Moniz started strong, making pars on the first three holes and an eagle on #4, ending the front nine at +2 (38), alongside Matthew Dempsey, who was also in contention with a +2 (38). As the winds picked up, the back nine proved to be the true test, shaking up the leaderboard. Tom Welsh and Ed Kochanek made their presence known. Welsh bounced back from a +7 on the front nine, going +2 on the back, but bogeys on 17 and 18 dropped him from a tie for second to sixth place. Kochanek, also +7 on the front, grinded through the back nine to card a +1, finishing with a final score of 80, tying for third with Mariner and Dare, who both struggled on the back nine, also finishing with scores of 80. Dempsey made a valiant run at the lead, but two double bogeys on #11 and #18 cost him, resulting in a final score of +7 (79). The day, however, belonged to Gil Moniz. With a steady hand and a cool head, Moniz carded a +3 (75), claiming the hardware for the win and cementing his place as the story of the day.
In Division 3, The competition was fierce leading into the turn, with Gary Greener holding a slim one-stroke lead at +7 (43) over Brandon Thomas, Richard Stack, Lewis Benton, and Larry Barber, all at +8 (44). Hot on their heels were Frank Molfetta, Timothy Dublynn, and Nick Lazarchuck, each at +9 (45). Heading into the 18th hole, it looked like Dublynn’s round to win; he needed just a bogey to clinch the title. However, the 18th hole had other plans. Dublynn stumbled with a double bogey, leading to a four-way tie and a playoff between Molfetta, Dublynn, Thomas, and Stack, all carding an 86.
The playoff drama unfolded quickly. Stack was eliminated on the first hole, followed by Dublynn after the second. This left Molfetta and Thomas to battle it out. Both golfers had chances to secure the win, but neither could capitalize, extending the playoff for five more holes. Finally, the champion was crowned when Thomas double-bogeyed, and Molfetta secured the win with a bogey.
In Division 4, In a field of 11 players, Nichalas Gregg came out blazing, starting with one birdie, six pars, and one bogey through the first eight holes. However, his game took a dramatic turn on hole #9. Despite holding a three-stroke lead at the turn with a +2 (38), ahead of Andrew Repetto at +5 (41) and Carmine Ciccarelli at +7 (43), Gregg’s momentum faltered. Triple bogeys on holes 10, 11, and 12 swiftly took him out of contention. Repetto capitalized on Gregg’s misfortune, finishing at +11 (83) to secure the win. Greg Hafer followed in second place with a +14 (86), while Robert Irwin took third at +16 (88). Tied for fourth were Carmine Ciccarelli, J.P. Perron, and David Neder, each carding a +17 (89).
In Division 5, In a small field of five players, the Gloucester County Open was Paul Taylor’s to lose. He made an impressive start, carding a +8 (44) at the turn and establishing a solid three-stroke lead over Jeff Brodsky, with Max Brent trailing by four strokes. Taylor maintained his strong performance on the back nine while his competitors faltered with too many errors to catch up. Taylor’s steady play saw him finish at +17 (89), securing the title of Division 5 Gloucester County Open Champion.
In Open Net, Dan Ayars took the trophy with a score of Net -1 (70), and Chris Mears, and Brandon Thomas tied for came in second with a score of Net +1 (73).
In Senior Net, Gil Moniz, and Paul Taylor tied for first with an impressive score of NET -3 (69) – Moniz took the trophy with a better back nine scorecards. Robert Irwin came in third with a NET -1 (71) and rounding out fourth place was David Neder with Net +2 (73).
The New Jersey Amateur Players Tour is heading into July with two fabulous event. The first is in northern – Sparta New Jersey on July 13th, at SkyView for our second elevated event, this double points, double prize pool event is not to be missed! And rounding out the month of July, we’ll travel south to Cape May to tackle the magnificent and challenging Avalon Golf Club on Saturday, July 20th. These are all incredible events you won’t want to miss! Register NOW and seize the opportunity to make your mark on the New Jersey Amateur Players Tour, and compete for Local Player of the Year.
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