Pearl River's Kennedy to Compete in Section 1 Golf

The Pearl River golf team has performed a dramatic turnaround in 2011 after a rough 2010 season.

The Pirates finished the regular season with an 11-3 mark after garnering only three victories last year.

One of the main reasons for that success, Shane Kennedy will be representing Pearl River in the first round of the Section 1 Open on Monday at the Sunningdale Golf Course in Scarsdale if the weather allows it.  Kennedy qualified 45th in the elite field of 62. That number will be cut in half following the initial day’s play with 31 golfers moving on to the final round on May 23.

The entire Pirates team will tee it up Wednesday in the Rockland County Golf Tournament at the Rotella Memorial Golf Course in Thiells with a legitimate chance of contending for the team title and turning in some outstanding individual performances.  Play will begin at 8 a.m. from a shotgun start that has groups of golfers teeing off from different holes on the course.

Pearl River Coach Doug D’Agostino is extremely pleased with the performance of his team this season and looks back to preseason workout.

“(I asked them for) commitment and the kids bought into it," D'Agostino said. "I got them thinking about the golf season and the kids stepped up. They had an enthusiastic approach.  I gave them the avenue to work out and they took it from there.  While this has been consistently a team effort, one player in each match has really stepped up, always a different person picking us up.”

Along with Kennedy, D’Agostino said that Kevin Aris has made a "drastic improvement" and that Niall O'Connor ahs been extremely consistent.

Kennedy has been the Pirates No. 1 player for three seasons. D'Agostino expressed his faith in Kennedy's ability when asked about his chances Monday.

"He is always capable of putting up a really good score," D'Agostino said. "If he does, the sky’s the limit.  And remember that less than a dozen golfers from Rockland County qualified for sections.”

In the county tournament D’Agostino points to Suffern, Tappan Zee and Clarkstown North as the front runners to take the team title.

“I consider our chances to be good, but it is all predicated on our performance," D'Agostino said.  "We have played Rotella in the past and I just hope they have their 'A' game.

"This team has played above my expectations.  They have played the way that I felt they could play for the past two seasons.  In my 19 years, this is the first team that broke the 200 (stroke) barrier in a match.  Record-wise, if it is not the best, it is certainly one of the best.”

As to who might contend for the individual crown, D’Agostino names Derrik Kim of Clarkstown North, Parker Mann and Matt Joseph of Tappan Zee, Nanuet’s Mike Smith and Ryan Miller of Suffern, who is one of the top qualifiers for Sections.

“But Shane Kennedy has as good a chance as anyone else to perform well,” D'Agostino said.

D'Agostino would not set any specific expectations for his team in the county tournament.

“Just come out and give their best efforts, if that happens the rest will fall into place," D'Agostino said. "Hopefully we will perform up to expectations.  And I just hope for some good weather.”

That could be an issue, with rain in the forecast for today and Wednesday and the wet stuff already falling this morning.

The Rockland County Tournament will include 10 teams—Albertus Magnus, Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, East Ramapo, Nanuet, North Rockland, Nyack, Pearl River, Tappan Zee and Suffern.