Sayville wins first boys golf Suffolk team championship in seven years
Sayville wins the Suffolk boys golf team championship on Monday at PIne Hills Golf Course. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Sayville boys golf found the perfect way to celebrate the seventh anniversary of its last county championship: win its next one.
The top-seeded Golden Flashes defeated third-seeded Sachem, 8-1, on the front nine of Pine Hills Golf & Country Club in Manorville on Monday afternoon for their first Suffolk team championship since 2018. Sayville outshot Sachem, 197-203, in total strokes and Monday's win came seven years to the day of the Golden Flashes' last team title.
The team is a special bunch to coach Sean McLaughlin, who has been the program’s coach for 18 years. He is also the director and lead instructor of the junior golf camps at West Sayville Golf Course, where he gets to coach some of the best youth talent in the area. All of the Golden Flashes’ top 10 players this year started golfing for McLaughlin through that program when they were in either late-elementary school or early-middle school.
From the time he spent developing them as young golfers, McLaughlin knew they'd be an elite group in high school.
“It’s been so meaningful to see these guys come from 9-, 10-, 11-, 12-year-olds in our camps right here and become county champions,” McLaughlin said. “These are the visions that I had for these guys several years ago.”
Juniors Ray Woolsey and Brody Susskind scored Sayville's first two team points and gave the Golden Flashes a three-stroke lead. Woolsey fired a par 37 by parring all but two holes and sinking a birdie on the eighth, winning his match by two strokes against junior Dante Algeri. Susskind shot a 38 with birdies on the fourth and eighth holes to take his match against sophomore Cole Rosensweig by a stroke.
“I take a lot of pride in this,” Susskind said. “I’m really happy for these boys. I’m proud of how we came together as a team. At the end of the day, you just go out there and play for each other. It doesn’t matter what goes on, you play for your boys … it feels great to be a part of [Suffolk] history.”
Senior Dylan Lutz was a new addition to Sayville’s team this year after playing football the previous three falls. He played golf tournaments over prior summers and participated in McLaughlin’s camp, and he decided to make the switch at the varsity level for his senior year. Lutz scored Sayville's third point in the finals by winning the fourth match over junior Jake Santulli, 41-47.
Lutz does not regret switching sports.
“I just loved these boys, and I think they really welcomed me,” Lutz said. “I’ve known them for a really long time. I thought it was worth my while to come help them out. I’m really excited this paid off, it’s been fun.”
Sayville qualified for the team Long Island championship that will take place in the spring against the Nassau team champion on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park. Nassau plays its varsity boys golf season in the spring.
Semifinals results
It was a long morning for Sayville, which had to win both the semifinals and the finals on Monday to become county champions. It teed off on the front nine at 8 a.m. for a semifinals match against No. 4 Riverhead. Lutz, along with juniors Brayden Foster, Aidan Curran and Susskind, all won their individual matches. Junior Aidan Merritt tied in his match to lead the Flashes to a 7.5-1.5 win (204-213 by total strokes).
The victory sent Sayville to the championship against Sachem, which defeated second-seeded Westhampton in its semifinals match, 6-3.
Sachem won the aggregate scoring by only one stroke, 212-213. Sachem trailed by one stroke until senior Gavin Nerko — Sachem’s sixth player — parred the ninth and final hole to score a 50 and gain two strokes for his team.
Nerko's victory in the sixth match tied it up 3-3. Sachem earned the final three points via winning the head-to-head team total strokes, sending the team to the championship match.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
