Gateway to Greatness

The East Side Amateur

Gateway National Golf Club, renowned for its impeccable faiways and breathtaking views, played host to an extraordinary display of golf during the highly anticipated East Side Amateur earlier this month. The East Side Amateur, a premier two-day golf tournament, embraced the elements and triumphed over the rain-soaked challenges to deliver an unforgettable sporting spectacle. Despite the downpour and a two-hour delay on the first day, the tournament showcased the unwavering spirit and resilience of the participating golfers, who showcased their skills amidst the stunning backdrop of Gateway National’s pristine fairways. The clouds gradually made way for intermittent rays of sunshine, and the tournament resumed.

From sunup to sun down, Round 1 was an eventful day. With the first group starting at 6:30am and the final putt dropping at 8:27pm, it was a long day for many players, as a nearly 2 and a half hour weather delay was caused by lightning in the area. Some groups were racing against the sun to finish their first round, but nonetheless, all players made it around the course in the nick of time. In Round 1, 10 players found themselves under par at the conclusion of their rounds. 2022 Champion, Tony Gumper, sat atop the leaderboard at 5-under par and a two-shot lead over Jason Landry. In the Senior Division, Scott Niehaus found himself at the top of the leaderboard at threeunder par and four-shot lead.

Players began to tee off for Round 2 bright and early again at 6:30am. The morning started with fog covering the course, but players persevered through the first few holes. Once the fog had cleared, a warm, sunny day began until a few showers rolled through in the afternoon. Players may have gotten a little damp, but play did not need to be stopped like in Round 1. The Senior Division concluded their rounds first, with Buddy Allen and

Joseph Malench heading down Hole 18 tied for the lead. Both made par, sending the pair into a play-off on Hole 1, where Allen sank a long putt to beat Malench. Buddy Allen is the Senior Division Champion. Meanwhile, things were also continuing to heat up on the course behind them. For much of the round, Tony Gumper and Carter Goebel were neck and neck, showing on the leaderboard that they were tied. Goebel was fighting to try to overtake Gumper, but ran into some trouble in the last five holes. He still finished under par, but it was not enough to hold off the Round 1 leader. Gumper produced a bogey-free back nine to finish three-under par for the day. This brought him to eightunder par for the championship and four-strokes above the competition. Tony Gumper is the back-to-back Champion of the East Side Amateur.

As the final putts dropped and the last drives sailed through the rain-soaked air, the East Side Amateur came to a close, leaving behind memories of a captivating game of golf.