04-08-2025
Local golf: Carlowden ends long wait for NNY 6-Man title; C-Way's Barton wins individual title
Aug. 4—The team from the Lewis County triangle of Carthage, Lowville and Denmark on Sunday used outstanding team depth to win the title for the third time in the event's 89 year history and the 11th time it was staged at the Gouverneur Country Club.
Brandon Mothersell (75-69-144), Scott Taylor 73-72-145 and Kyle Nichols 71-76-147 led the way and team members Justin Taylor (156), Rob Hayes (171) and Anthony Burgess (160) rounded out the effort.
Carlowden also produced the tournament's junior champion in Eli McCue and senior champion in Todd Slate with both golfers finishing at 145.
Carlowden opened a 438-449 first day lead over the Partridge Run Country Club of Canton and finished with an 881-892 margin over Malone, which shared second day honors with Gouverneur at 440. Potsdam placed third with a score of 893 and Gouverneur took fourth at 897.
Taylor said the methodically-won title came from an organized effort starting with a dramatic upgrade in the course.
"We have had an influx of new members but it all started with our outstanding staff. our director of golf Matt Russell and Ken Hodge and Dana Hodge have really done an outstanding job," Taylor said. "It think we have the best greens and the best course in the area."
Taylor also said the effort of the Gouverneur Country Club to host the tournament on its nine-hole tract was second to none.
"Gouverneur did a great job and deserve a lot of credit," he said.
Tournament director Bart Kidwell called the event three days of outstanding golf with countless hours of preparation by volunteers.
"The course is owned an maintained by the members and a lot of members volunteered a lot of hours over the three days doing everything from spotting on the course to cooking food," said Kidwell.
Club member Ken Augliano was quick to interject the role of Kidwell's leadership.
"Bart Kidwell is a volunteer and directed the tournament. He didn't play and he put in a lot of hours getting things ready," said Augliano.
"And I want to thank all the players who came in put on a great display on how to play golf."
Nobody played better than Matt Barton of the C-Way Golf Club in Clayton who claimed the individual title with a two-day total of 139 and prevailed on the final hole with a one-stroke margin of Jack Finnerty of Partridge Run.
The duel went down to the final shot on the par five 18th hole where Barton made a birdie putt and Finnerty was unable to get up and down after hitting the ball over the green on his second shot.
Barton stayed in his comfort zone throughout his 36 holes on his first time playing the course.
"I had never even seen the course before this weekend. For me it was all about wedges. I had a lot of 90 to 100 to 110 yard shots and wedge play was solid. Not a lot can go wrong if you have a lot of 10-foot birdie putts," said the former Thousand Islands standout.
Raine Rumble of Gouverneur placed third at 141.
Tom Smith of Potsdam took the super senior title at 151 one stroke ahead of Craig Woods of Gouverneur and Chris Denesha of C-Way won the director's title.
Ryan Patenaude of Malone and Cooper Lovely of Potsdam tied for second in the junior division at 148. Deane Manning of Thompson Park of Watertown and Bruce Weiner of St. Lawrence tied fro second place in the super senior division at 157.
Tournament leaders: Carlowden 438-444-882 (Brandon Mothersell 75-69-144), Malone 451-440- 891 (Blake Pritchard 71-73-144) Potsdam 450-443- 893 (Tyler Berkman 73-73-146), Gouverneur 457-440-887, (Raine Rumble 74-67-141), Partridge Run 449-449-898 (Jack Finnerty 69-71-140), Massena 442-448-900 (Colin Patterson 73-72-145), C-Way 446-455-901 (Matt Barton 139), Thompson Park 457-450-907 (Josh Woodward 70-74-144), St. Lawrence University 463-466-929 (Ryan Jones 76-78-154, Scott Nickerson 78-76-154), Ives Hill 491-476-967 (Kalani Zehr 79-77-156) and Tupper Lake 479-456-992 (Jim Boucher 77-72-149).
