Housen Leads 68th Senior Amateur Championship Presented by Dunning
EATONTOWN, N.J. –– Christopher Housen opened the 68th New Jersey Senior Amateur Championship presented by Dunning with a 2-under-par 70 on Wednesday, using a five-birdie performance at Suneagles Golf Club to take the opening-round lead.
Housen, 61, started his round on the back nine and quickly settled in, carding four birdies over his opening nine holes to make the turn at 2-under. A birdie on No. 3, the 473-yard par-4, moved Housen to 3-under before a bogey on No. 5 brought him back to 2-under, where he would finish the day.
“I made a few good putts,” Housen said after his opening round. “A little shaky on the back nine, but it was a solid round.”
Now, Housen has a chance to add his name to the same trophy that has carried the names of both his father and grandfather. His father, Robert Housen, won the Senior Amateur in 1995 and 1999, while his grandfather, Don Housen, captured the championship in 1970 and 1972.
Housen has come close himself, finishing runner-up in the Senior Amateur in 2020 at Suburban Golf Club. He also won the 2024 Senior Four-Ball Championship alongside Morten Gotterup.
“Anytime I can put my name on any trophy that their names are on, it would mean a lot to me,” Housen said.
Behind Housen, two players, Tom Gramgina and Jamie Slonis are tied for second at even-par 72.
Gramigna, 56, battled back from a 1-over-par front nine to finish his opening round at even-par, closing with a bogey-free back nine highlighted by a key birdie on the 146-yard, par-3 17th.
After making the turn at 1-over, Gramigna steadied his round on the back nine before converting the birdie on No. 17 to get back to even. He closed with a par on No. 18 to secure one of the top spots on the leaderboard.
Gramigna enters the Senior Amateur Championship with plenty of momentum on his senior resume. He has captured back-to-back Senior Four-Ball Championships alongside Jamie Slonis in 2025 and 2026, while also finishing runner-up at the 2025 Senior Open, narrowly falling to professional Dave McGovern in a two-hole playoff.
Slonis, 57, continued his strong 2026 summer campaign with an even-par 71 in the opening round at Suneagles.
Slonis, of Tavistock Country Club, started his round on the back nine and quickly moved into red numbers, carding birdies on Nos. 11 and 17. He made the turn at 2-under before a pair of bogeys on Nos. 4 and 7 brought him back to even. Slonis responded with a birdie on the ninth hole to close out his round at even-par and secure a solid spot on the leaderboard.
Slonis enters the championship fresh off an appearance at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Baltimore Country Club’s East Course, where he advanced to match play.
The top 40 players and ties advanced to the final round at Suneagles Golf Club. Final-round play will begin at 8 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10.
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