Semenetz Clinches Title

By Frank Rizzo
CALLICOON — May 19, 2000 -- Never mind that Jeff-Youngsville plays its home matches at Swan Lake Golf Course. For Gregg Semenetz Jr., “home” is the Villa Roma Country Club in Callicoon, where the Trojan junior is a member.
His knowledge of the course helped him after he found himself tied with Tri-Valley/Fallsburg’s Jeff Danzer at the end of regulation play in Tuesday’s Western Sullivan League championship golf tournament.
Both had shot eight-over-par 80s at the Beechwoods course and would be in a sudden-death playoff starting on the par-5, 415-yard 18th hole.
Semenetz’s tee shot landed about 220 yards from the green, in the middle of the fairway and a safe distance from a water hazard. Danzer’s ball landed 20 yards further than Semenetz’s, almost aligned with his younger rival’s.
Semenetz, a lefty, placed his second shot about 30 yards to the left of the pin, on a little knoll bordering the sandtrap.
Danzer’s second shot landed on the driving range bordering the green. There was confusion at first about whether to rule the ball out of bounds; no clear markers were visible. Later, Villa Roma pro Matt Kleiner made the ruling that Danzer’s shot was out of bounds.
Danzer took an alternate shot, taking a stroke penalty, and his nice chip almost made it in, and would have given him par.
Though Semenetz just missed sinking a birdie, he easily sank a par attempt and clinched the title.
Forty-eight golfers competed, a record in this, the league’s last year.
Sean Semenetz, a seventh grader and Gregg's youngest brother, took third with an 82, shooting a 37 on the back nine.
Henry Bosch of Eldred placed fourth with an 83. His round of 37 came on the front nine.
See complete scoring on page 10B. More photos and a story will appear on Tuesday.