Westfield Golfers Summers, Blake Continuing Hectic Summer Schedules and Succeeding

WESTFIELD, NJ — It has been an eventful week for former Westfield High School golfers Colin Summers and Barnes Blake .

Summers, a Fairfield University senior and 2021 NJ.com Boys' Golfer of the Year, finished in a two-way tie for fourth with a score of 1-under-par (71-70-71--212) to finish five strokes back behind fellow amateur and winner Rutgers sophomore Derek Gutierrez at the 104th New Jersey Open Championship presented by Donnelly Industries at his home course Plainfield Country Club in Edison Thursday.

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The 19-year-old Gutierrez won by three strokes over 2023 NJSGA Amateur Champion and Texas Tech senior Jack Wall to become the first amateur to win since Mark Costanza won in 2020. He also becomes the youngest champion since Short Hills native Max Greyserman won in 2014 at Essex County Country Club and becomes only the 14th amateur to win the state's storied major championship.

“What a day. From teeing off on the first tee to tapping in on the 18th green, there were about 30-40 Plainfield members, staff, and my family following me for the whole round. I had so much fun playing to have a chance to win the State Open at my home course that I've grown up playing for 15+ years,” said Summers Thursday night.

“I did not have my best game the entire week but felt very comfortable and managed my game very well to finish inside the top five,” he said. “Plainfield CC Superintendent Travis Pauley and his staff did an impeccable job setting up the course to create the most tough and fair setup possible. Plainfield is always in fantastic condition on any given day, but the final day was single handedly the best shape I've ever seen the course which is a testament to how hard Travis works.”

Summers was hot on his front nine with three birdies and one bogey on the final day of the three-day event to get to 3-under-par, but two bogeys and seven pars on the back nine stopped his run.

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Blake, a Georgetown sophomore and the 2022 NJ.com Boys Golfer of the Year, posted another top 20 finish this summer finishing in a two-way tie for 19th place after a 7-over-par (75-70-75--220) performance.

“I drove it well this week but struggled a bit with my approach play and around the greens,” he said. “The course rewarded good play with quite a few birdie opportunities but was pretty penalizing for mistakes, so it was tough to get anything going without my best.”

Rewind to Monday.

Summers finished in a two-way tie for seventh with a 2-under-par 70 to qualify for the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota (Aug. 12-18) after final qualifying took place at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, New York on July 22.

Summers, along with Wall (3-under-par), both advanced from the Garden State.

“This is very exciting for me and hasn't really sunk in yet. It is easily one of my proudest accomplishments so far as a golfer and I am very excited to be going to Hazeltine to play such a historic course. It was a whirlwind of a day, but everything ended up working out in my favor and am very grateful for that,” Summers said.

Blake, the 2023 Met Junior and Carter Cup champion, also participated and took the first alternate slot after an eight-hole playoff with another past Carter Cup champion, Ben Carpenter of Darien, Conn.

“I felt like I played decent at the US Amateur qualifier. I just had one or two bad swings and did not play the par 5s as well as I should have,” Blake said. Blake will now wait and see to see if anybody drops out of the tournament to get into the field.

If you think it ends there for their summer competition, think again.

Summers will play in the 122nd Met Amateur Championship (Aug. 1-4) at Somerset Hills Country Club, travel out to the U.S. Amateur on August 9 to start play Aug. 12, will play in the MGA Boff Invitational and also the 109th Met Open at Wee Burn Country Club in Darien, Connecticut (Aug. 20-22). He then will go back to Fairfield for the start of his senior season on Sept. 1

Pending what happens at the US Amateur, Blake will try and qualify for the that same Met Open and then will return to the D.C. area for his sophomore season at Georgetown on Aug. 28.

Exciting and competitive times for sure for both golfers.

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