Baltusrol Invitational
Founded in 1975, The Baltusrol Invitational is a mid-amateur invitational four-ball tournament played at Baltusrol Golf Club over two days in July. The tournament consists of rounds of better ball and foursomes on the first day, played on the Upper Course, followed by aggregate medal play on the second day, played on the Lower Course.
Due to the restoration of the Lower Course and safety restrictions relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Baltusrol Invitational will not be played in 2021. Additional details regarding the 2022 tournament will be available later this year.
43rd Baltusrol Invitational
The 2019 Baltusrol Invitational took place on Thursday and Friday, July 18–19. It was scheduled as a 54-hole contest, but inclement weather limited the teams to two rounds in the 43rd staging of the event. Thursday’s play involved a better ball of partners contest on the Upper Course and on Friday the golfers played on the Lower Course, where aggregate team scores were recorded. The alternate shot format usually played on Thursday was cancelled as the heavy storms of the past month rolled in and saturated the course the night before play was scheduled to begin.
In the Mid-Am Division, Mark Costanza and Nico Donaldson of Hamilton Farm Golf Club finished on top of the field with a score of 205, including 65 on the better ball round and an aggregate score of 140 on the second day. They were just one stroke ahead of the second-place team. Baltusrol member Roger Hoit and partner Matthew Swan were the top Baltusrol performers, finishing in fourth place, five shots off the lead.
Michael Alsup and Michael Hughett of Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma led the Senior Division with scores of 66 in the better ball competition and 147 in the aggregate score round. Steve Boyd and his partner Adam Kugler finished on top of the Baltusrol competitors, ending in a tie for third place.
The low score on Friday’s round was carded by Mark Costanza, who shot a six-under-par 66. Other notable achievements included two holes-in-one, both on Thursday. The first was on Three Upper and the other on Seven Upper.
Despite the weather-shortened tournament, the Baltusrol Invitational continues to attract top amateur players from within the Garden State and across the country. In all, 41 teams competed in this year’s tournament.