Dean Dereniuk and Carla Smith defended their championships at the Meadowlands Open Golf Tournament on July 23 and 24. Dereniuk, the CPGA head professional at Meadowlands, shot a 72 on Saturday to par the course and finished with a 75 Sunday for a 36-hole total of 147 to take the men’s championship. He won by four strokes over Fin Vermette. Vermette is a junior, but he competed with the men because he was the only entry in the junior category and thus won the junior title. Michael Verfaillie finished third at 158. Dereniuk has won the tournament a record six times.
Meanwhile, Smith carded scores of 83 and 84 for a 36-hole score of 167. It was her fourth consecutive win in the ladies’ division. Judy Thompson, who holds the ladies’ record of eight championship wins, was the runner-up to Smith with a 179, finishing five strokes ahead of third place winner Ashley Korayashi.
The senior ladies’ championship went to Kathy Salter, whose 36-hole score of 186 is a record for senior ladies.
Brennan Cupples won the men’s first flight with 163, while Mosquera Jorge took the second flight with a two-day score of 196.
Denis Murphy captured the senior men’s championship with a 163. Duncan Anderson won the senior men’s first flight in the closest competition of the tournament, as his 182 was only one stroke better than Kathy Salter’s better half, Rick. Larry Beeds won the senior men’s second flight with a 196, as he played much better than two years ago when a bad tee shot put him out of contention on the final day and he was heard to say, “The only thing I can look forward to now is a cheeseburger and fries at the clubhouse.”
A super senior men’s category was added this year for golfers over age 65, but the only entry was Pete Braconnier Sr., so he had to play with the senior men. He shot 202 and was awarded the first ever super senior men’s championship title.
It was the 14th Meadowlands Open, although no tournament was played in 2018.