NYS Boys Golf Championships come to Mark Twain Golf Course in Elmira: What you need to know
Two years later than originally planned, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Boys Golf Championships will be held at Elmira's Mark Twain Golf Course.
A practice round is set for Saturday. The opening round begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, with the closing round set for 7:30 a.m. Monday.
The tournament was originally to be held in 2020 at Mark Twain, but there was no high school season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no state championship events in New York last school year, delaying the tournament's return until this week.
Because of the cancellations, Mark Twain's three-year agreement to host the event has been extended through 2024.
Cornell University's Robert Trent Jones Golf Course was host site of the tournament each year from 1980 until 2019.
Who is competing?
The tournament includes 99 top players from New York state who earned berths based on their finishes at sectional championship events.
Nine players from Section 4 are among that group, led by tournament medalist Joe Underwood of Maine-Endwell, who had a two-round score of 8-over-par 152 on May 19 and 21 at Mark Twain. His Sunday tee time is 9:16 a.m. on the first tee.
The other Section 4 participants and their Sunday tee times:
Dante Bertoni of Union-Endicot (9:48 on first tee)
Michael Bucko of Seton Catholic Central (10:12 on first tee)
Hunter Baughan of Lansing (10:44 on first tee)
Jacob Banks of Spencer-Van Etten/Candor (9 a.m. on 10th tee)
Justin Wardell of Chenango Valley (9:24 on 10th tee)
Matt Printup of Horseheads (9:56 on 10th tee)
Cameron Kretzmer of Vestal (10:28 on 10th tee)
T.J. Thomforde of Ithaca (10:52 on 10th tee)
Lansing's John Duthie, who won in 2005 and 2007, is the most recent state champion from Section 4. Horseheads native Joey Sindelar, a seven-time PGA Tour winner now on the PGA Tour Champions, won the event in 1976.
More: Section 4 golf: Results, top performers
About the course
Mark Twain is among the most historic courses in the Southern Tier, living up to its namesake, who lived in Elmira and wrote some of his well-known novels there. Twain is buried at Elmira's Woodlawn Cemetery.
The par-72 course was designed by famed designer Donald Ross and built in 1937. Other Ross-designed courses include Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina and Oak Hill Country Club, near Rochester.
How much is admission?
The tournament is open to the public at no cost.
What about the girls tournament?
The girls state championship tournament is also scheduled for Sunday and Monday. It will be held at McGregor Links Country Club in Wilton, near Saratoga Springs.
Section 4's qualifiers at Soaring Eagles on May 26 were medalist Lucia Chen of Corning, Brooklyn Moffe of sectional team champion Horseheads, Hannah Masaki of Corning, Gwendolyn Glennon of Hunter-Tannersville, Kara Dumas of Gilboa, Hailey Baughan of Lansing, Allison Yoon of Vestal, Olivia Hatch of Horseheads and Delaney Cook of Horseheads. Also scheduled to play at states are Horseheads' Ava Fairbrother and Mady Weigand.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: NYSPHSAA boys golf tourney in Elmira: Local players, tee times, course
