Cold Spring Harbor’s Jenny Rosenberg wins Nassau golf title
Jenny Rosenberg, from Cold Spring Harbor, hits the ball during the Nassau High School girls golf individual championship held on the green course of the Bethpage State Park, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Credit: Steve Pfost
The wait is over for Cold Spring Harbor’s Jenny Rosenberg.
The fifth-year varsity player had been eyeing the top of the county leaderboard, and she reached it Tuesday, shooting a 2-over 144 over two rounds at Bethpage State Park to win the Nassau girls golf championship. Rosenberg, a junior, shot a 1-under-par 70 on Monday at Bethpage Yellow and a 3-over 74 on Tuesday at Bethpage Green.
Syosset’s Malini Rudra was second with a 153 and Jericho’s Emily Guo took third with a 155, and also led their respective teams to a share of the team championship.
“I’ve been playing in this for five years now, so this was my turn to win,” said Rosenberg, who finished in third in the county as a freshman and second last season, and also tied for fifth at last season’s state tournament.
In addition to showing off a well-rounded game, Rosenberg displayed some mental toughness.
She came into Tuesday with a four-stroke lead, but after parring the first four holes, Rosenberg hit a shot into the water en route to shooting an 8 on the par-4 fifth hole. If this opened the door for her competitors, Rosenberg did not wait long to slam it shut.
After making par on the par-3 sixth, she made eagle on the par-5 seventh, followed by a pair of birdies on the eighth and ninth.
“I was really trying to get the eagle,” Rosenberg said. “I hit a great drive, and an eight-iron over the trees, onto the green. Then I had a 15-footer and I made the putt.”
“She’s an amazing kid and she hung tough,” Cold Spring Harbor coach Bob Colascione said. “She always moves on. You shoot an eight, you come back with an eagle and two birdies. She gets the concept of ‘move on, next stroke.’ That’s how you become a winner.”
Syosset and Jericho were the day’s other winners, posting team scores of 894 to be co-county champions. By virtue of a better score from its sixth player, Syosset will represent Nassau in the Long Island Championship and face Sayville on May 31 at Middle Island.
In addition to Rosenberg, Rudra and Guo, Garden City’s Kerry McCarraher (168) and Alana McAndrews (179), Manhasset’s Lauren Chen (169), Jericho’s Morgan Yi (171) and Lauren Guo (179), and Locust Valley’s Sydney Hochberg (173) qualified for the state tournament, which begins on June 4 at Bethpage Yellow.
