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Henderson triumphs in playoff at ShopRite Classic

GALLOWAY TWP. _ Brooke Henderson isn't irked by the nearly constant presence of her older sister, Brittany. Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ontario, still takes her advice to heart and values her input on the golf course - and off of it - even after seven years and an abundance of trips around the United States and all over the world. The sisters have been successful working together and, on Sunday, June 12, they collaborated their way to the top of the leaderboard at the LPGA ShopRite Classic which was held on the Bay Course at the Seaview Hotel and Golf…

NJAC Golf: Crusaders, Dolce prevail

LAFAYETTE _ Every day on the golf course isn't perfect but this one came very close. Morris Tech's Sammie Dolce was pleased with nearly everything - her score and mindset, the conditions - and emerged as champion for the second time in 23 days, earning top honors at the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Girls Golf Tournament at Farmstead Golf Club on Wednesday, May 25. "I played pretty solid golf all around," said Dolce, who shot an even-par 34 on the Valley Course. "I had fun. It was a beautiful day for golf. It wasn't cold or windy. I stayed in…

Lee rides momentum, leads Cognizant Cup

CLIFTON _ Minjee Lee was steady over her first nine at the Cognizant Founders Cup, penciling in four birdies and five pars. When Lee, of Perth, Australia, made the turn, she picked up speed and carded two birdies then an eagle on No. 12, a 474-yard, par 5 - the third-longest hole on the 6,536-yard layout at the Upper Montclair Country Club. Kim, in her eighth year on the LPGA Tour, attributed the impressive skein to "riding momentum" and said the fact that she covered 1,206 yards in a mere nine shots was "really nice." That stretch of shots was…

Another county title for Tech's Dolce

FLANDERS _ Sammie Dolce's golf game is controlled and efficient. Dolce, a Morris Tech junior, keeps nearly everything in check, including her emotions, no matter what the circumstance, one of the traits of an elite golfer. There was one detail of her round at the Morris County Girls Golf Tournament, however, that elevated her spirits and put excitement in her voice. "I bombed my driver on the seventh hole," said Dolce proudly and with emphasis, reflecting back on the 265-yard tee shot that led to a birdie and helped her repeat as MCT champion. "It was a nice shot. I…

Ko triumphs; in company of Sorenstam

WEST CALDWELL _ The celebratory champagne rained down on Jin Young Ko shortly after her victory at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Ko, of course, didn't mind being sprayed with the sparkling white wine. After all, she was under pressure for the last four days as she sought to string together 14 consecutive rounds under 70 and pull even with Annika Sorenstam and countrywoman So Yeon Ryu as well as defend a title she claimed two years ago. Mission accomplished. "I got a lot of the pressure on the course," said Ko, who was 13-under for the tournament, recording scores of…

Junior golf clinic hits the mark

WEST CALDWELL _ Johanny Bosch's daughter, Sara, and stepdaughter, Emily, were carefree as they spent time pitching rubber ducks and other brightly colored animals onto the tic-tac-toe board in the fan zone at the Cognizant Founders Cup. The girls, whose only previous exposure to golf was by playing the mini version, seemed deep in concentration as they attempted to hit their marks. Of course, they were having fun, too, and made sure they visited every station at Camp PING. "I was aiming and I won," said 9-year-old Emily, a fourth grader, who was complemented by volunteer Rinchen Sahni for her…

Szokol climbs; Ko closer to record

WEST CALDWELL _ Elizabeth Szokol drove the ball with exceptional accuracy in the third round of the Cognizant Founders Cup, hitting fairway after fairway. Szokol's accuracy off the tee, along with on-target putting, vaulted her from a 22nd-place tie with eight other players into second place, right behind leader Jin Young Ko, who needs one more round in the 60s to join one of golf's elite in the record books. It was a sensational showing for Szokol, a native of Chicago, as she turned in the day's low score, a 65 on the par-71 yard course at Mountain Ridge Country…

Refreshed Ko atop Founders leaderboard

WEST CALDWELL _ Jin Young Ko's streak of rounds in the 60s was extended, evidence that she's put her putting failures and the angst of a second-place finish at last week's ShopRite Classic behind her. Ko took the lead in the opening round of the Cognizant Founders Cup at Mountain Ridge Country Club on Thursday, Oct. 7 by firing a 63, sending that enviable skein to 11 and leaving her three rounds away from matching Annika Sorenstam's 2005 record for consecutive rounds in the 60s. "I was a little sad on the Sunday last week," said the 26-year-old South Korean…

Cognizant Founders Cup is "home game" for Alex

WEST CALDWELL _ Marina Alex's professional golf career has brought her back to New Jersey several times, first for the ShopRite Classic in Galloway Township then the U.S. Open in Bedminster. Beginning today, Thursday, Oct. 7, Alex will tee off in the shadow of Wayne where she grew up when the Cognizant Founders Cup is held at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell. "It's incredible," Alex said at a press conference on Wednesday morning. "This is the closest I've been... I mean this is a home game." It certainly is. And, Alex, in her ninth year on the LPGA…

Dolce fires record 36 to claim MCT crown

FLANDERS _ For three months over the winter, Sammie Dolce took her golf game south. Dolce and her family made a few stops before reaching the home of her paternal grandparents, Michael and Kay, in Lakeland, Fla. While in the Sunshine State, Dolce, a sophomore at the Morris County School of Technology, took to a nearby course, The Club at Eaglebrooke, almost every day for three to five hours. The trip gave Dolce a headstart on the 2021 season and, on Thursday, April 29, she exhibited the talents she finetuned at the Morris County Girls Golf Tournament, firing a 36…