KUMIA “RAINS” AGAIN

Rain keeps falling. Chris Kumia keeps winning. For the second straight Sunday, Kumia separated himself from the field in miserable conditions, firing a net 72 at High Bridge Hills to win by three. It’s his third victory of the season, his second in as many events, and further evidence that somebody may need to confiscate his rain gear before the next tournament.

Another wet Sunday. Another three-shot victory. Another Chris Kumia win.

Apparently Chris Kumia has figured out the secret to winning Weekenders events: check the forecast and hope everyone else sees rain.

One week after winning at a soaked Fox Hollow, Kumia did it again at High Bridge Hills, navigating another Sunday of persistent rain to post a net 72 (+2) and win by three strokes.

High Bridge Hills wasn’t exactly designed to provide shelter from the elements. The par-70 layout stretches roughly 6,500 yards across rolling Hunterdon County terrain, with elevation changes, sloping fairways and exposed stretches that give the course its British-Irish, links-inspired character. On a dry afternoon, that’s part of the charm. In steady rain, it becomes a considerably different proposition.

Kumia didn’t seem particularly bothered.

He posted the best front nine of the day with a 40, tied Joe Kepic for the best back nine at 41, and finished with the day’s low gross round of 81. He also tied Frank Garcia and Jeff Matvienko for the lead with seven pars.

Add it all together and Kumia’s net 72 was three shots clear of Mike Pettigrew and Pat Sweeney, who finished tied for second at 75.

For Pettigrew, there has to be a growing sense of déjà vu. He has now finished runner-up to Kumia two consecutive weeks. There are worse problems than repeatedly being in contention, but Mike may want to start checking whether Chris is registered before sending in his next entry fee.

The rest of the scorecard tells you plenty about the conditions.

The par-5 third played as the day’s toughest hole, averaging a bruising 7.4 strokes, or 2.4 over par. Hank Zygmunt collected the less-coveted statistical crown with 16 doubles or worse. Meanwhile, the par-3 fourth offered the field its best chance at relief, playing to a 3.4 average. Joe Kepic managed two birdies, the most of anyone in the field.

And then there was the other battle taking place in the rain.

TWO EXTRA HOLES

While Kumia was taking care of the stroke-play field, Jeff Matvienko and Joe Kepic were staging a considerably more dramatic fight in their Singles Match Play semifinal.

Eighteen holes weren’t enough.

Neither was the first sudden-death playoff hole.

The match finally reached a second extra hole, where Matvienko recorded a 5 to Kepic’s 6, ending a rain-soaked match that required 20 holes to decide.

Matvienko’s finish wasn’t entirely out of nowhere. He recorded the best closing stretch of the field, needing just 13 strokes over holes 16 through 18 before eventually surviving Kepic in extra holes.

Twenty holes. Persistent rain. A playoff berth on the line.

That’s September golf in the Weekenders.

THREE AND COUNTING

For Kumia, the victory makes three wins this season and two straight.

It also has consequences beyond another first-place finish. With Kumia already occupying a Players Championship qualifying position, another victory by the same player means one fewer opportunity for the rest of the club to claim a spot through a regular event.

The Players Championship field was already getting tight.

Kumia just made it tighter.

At this point, perhaps the rest of the club should stop worrying about his handicap and start monitoring the Doppler radar.

Congratulations to Chris Kumia on win No. 3.

High Bridge gave us another one of those Sundays where you look out the window in the morning and wonder whether golf was really intended to be an outdoor sport.

High Bridge gave us another one of those Sundays where you look out the window in the morning and wonder whether golf was really intended to be an outdoor sport.

But we played.

And for the second week in a row, Chris Kumia won.

Chris followed his victory at Fox Hollow with a net 72 at High Bridge Hills, once again winning by three strokes. That’s now three victories this season and back-to-back wins in two very different events that happened to share one important characteristic: rain.

I’m beginning to think Chris is doing a rain dance on Saturday nights.

Mike Pettigrew and Pat Sweeney both finished at 75 and gave chase, with Mike now earning the unfortunate distinction of finishing runner-up to Chris in consecutive weeks. That’s also a pretty good indication of how well Mike has been playing lately.

The Singles playoffs gave us the drama of the day. Jeff Matvienko and Joe Kepic needed 20 holes to settle their semifinal, with Jeff finally advancing after making 5 on the second sudden-death hole to Joe’s 6. That’s exactly the kind of match the playoff format was built to produce.

High Bridge Hills was a terrific setting for it. The elevation changes, open terrain and rolling fairways already demand good golf, and persistent rain added another layer to the challenge. Everyone who finished the round earned their post-round beverage.

We’re also reaching the point of the season where every result matters. Chris’s third victory takes another potential qualifying opportunity out of an already limited Players Championship field. For anyone still trying to punch a ticket, the opportunities are disappearing quickly.

Our next stop is Berkshire Valley Golf Course in Jefferson on Sunday, October 4.

Registration and payment are due Tuesday, September 29.

The season is getting shorter, the playoff field is getting smaller, and apparently the only thing showing no signs of letting up is the rain.

Our next event is at Berkshire Valley, on October 4th. See you there!