Glen Ridge junior Emily Renoff beams as she holds a golf ball after acing the 12th hole at the Essex County Tournament at Hendricks Golf Course in Belleville.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — For any golfer, getting a hole-in-one is a dream come true.
And to accomplish that incredible feat at a major tournament is something truly special.
Glen Ridge High School junior Emily Renoff did just that during the Essex County Tournament on Wednesday, May 3, at Hendricks Golf Course in Belleville.
Renoff, a three-year varsity letter winner and one of the team captains, aced the par-3 12th hole from 115 yards. She shot 79 and finished 17th in the individual standings.
“I enjoy playing in the county tournament every year and always have a fun group,” said Renoff in a statement. “I was the first to hit on hole 12 which was a 115 yard par 3. I hit a knock down pitching wedge which bounced twice and rolled into the hole. My playing partners were all very excited for me which was super nice. My round could have been better, but obviously it was amazing to have had a hole in one at such a well run and fun event!”
This season Renoff had the second-best scoring average on the team. She finished in fifth place and in second place at the Girls State Championship in her freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively.
As a team, the Ridgers finished in sixth place at the ECT behind Newark Academy, Seton Hall Prep, Montclair, Millburn and Livingston.
“While Newark Academy ran away with the tournament, 2-6 were only separated by 7 strokes,” GRHS head coach Domenic Curfman said. “That just shows the importance of 1 stroke here or there. Competition in Essex County is always very tough, especially when they are playing in the same tournament.
Glen Ridge senior Evan Twitchell, a four-year letter winner and one of the team captains, shot 74 and finished in seventh place.
“I was really happy with my results in the Essex County Tournament yesterday,” he said. “I felt that it was representative of the hard work I’ve been putting in. I’ve struggled on the putting green this year but yesterday I felt like I finally found the feel around the greens that I’ve been looking for. My short game really saved me and that was gratifying because of how much time I have spent working on it this year. I look forward to continuing my hard work and seeing the results on the course again.”
The Ridgers, who had a 12-2 record at the state sectionals cutoff, took second place overall at the North Jersey, Group 1 state sectionals at Newton Country Club on Monday, May 8. They finished with a team score of 331, 10 strokes behind winner Mountain Lakes. As a result, Glen Ridge qualified for the state championships on Monday, May 15, at Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater. The top two teams in each sectional tournament and the top five individuals qualified for the state championships.
“The players have been working hard getting ready for the tournament season. We are trying to put ourselves in the best position for success,” Curfman said prior to the sectionals.
Photo Courtesy of Domenic Curfman
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