PREVIEW: 106th New Jersey Open Championship presented by Donnelly Industries
MORRISTOWN, N.J. - For more than a century, the New Jersey Open Championship has brought together the state's finest professionals and elite amateurs to compete for one of the most coveted titles in Garden State golf.
Since its inception in 1921, the championship has produced a distinguished list of winners whose names are forever etched on the C.W. Badenhausen Championship Trophy. From accomplished club professionals to rising amateur stars, the New Jersey Open has long served as the ultimate showcase of the state's deepest competitive talent.
Another chapter in that history will be written July 21-23 as the 106th New Jersey Open Championship presented by Donnelly Industries heads to Morris County Golf Club.
One of New Jersey Golf's premier championships, the Open provides a unique test by bringing together professionals and amateurs in a 54-hole stroke play championship. The result is one of the strongest and most competitive fields assembled each season, where experience, precision and consistency are rewarded over three demanding rounds.
Professional competitors will also be vying for a $100,000 purse, adding another layer of significance to one of New Jersey Golf's premier championships.
Founded in 1894, Morris County Golf Club is one of New Jersey's most historic clubs and among the oldest golf clubs in the United States. Located in Morristown, the club has played an important role in the state's golfing tradition for more than 130 years. Its classic layout has challenged generations of accomplished players while preserving the character and strategic shot values that define golf's golden age.
The New Jersey Open last visited Morris County Golf Club in 1984, marking the championship's return to the club for the first time in more than four decades. Of the 123 competitors in this year's field, only 34 had been born the last time the championship was contested at Morris County. Four players competing this week also teed it up in the 1984 championship—Steve Sieg, Ed Whitman, Frank Esposito Jr. and Brent Studer—providing a unique connection between the championship's last visit to Morris County Golf Club and its return 42 years later.
Throughout the championship, competitors will face a course that demands thoughtful course management as much as execution. Narrow, sloping fairways and strategically placed bunkers demand precision off the tee, while undulating putting greens are surrounded by deep bunkers.
As another champion prepares to lift the C.W. Badenhausen Championship Trophy, Morris County Golf Club provides a fitting stage for one of New Jersey Golf's most prestigious championships.
106th New Jersey Open Championship Program
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Format
The championship will be contested over 54 holes of stroke play. Competitors will play 18 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday, after which the field will be cut to the low 40 scorers and ties for Thursday’s final round.
The player with the lowest 54-hole aggregate score will be crowned champion and awarded the C.W. Badenhausen Championship Trophy.
In the event of a tie for the championship, a three-hole aggregate playoff will determine the winner.
Championship Yardages
Although at its maximum of 6,600 yards, Morris County will demand precision over power, rewarding players who consistently position the ball and capitalize on scoring opportunities.
A Look Back
The 105th New Jersey Open Championship at Hamilton Farm Golf Club produced another memorable finish as Mark Costanza captured his second New Jersey Open title.
Costanza put together three consistent rounds to finish atop a strong leaderboard, adding the 2025 championship to his victory in 2020. The win further cemented his place among the premier competitors in New Jersey Golf championships and earned him another engraving on the C.W. Badenhausen Championship Trophy.
Former Champions in the Field
Mark Costanza – 2020 (Knickerbocker), 2025 (Hamilton Farm)
Frank Esposito – 1999 (Echo Lake), 2013 (Hackensack)
Derek Gutierrez – 2024 (Plainfield)
Tyler Hall – 2015 (Rockaway River), 2016 (Galloping Hill), 2021 (Spring Brook)
Marc Issler – 2018 (Montclair)
Brian Komline – 2005 (Fairmount), 2007 (Plainfield)
Mark McCormick – 2008 (Alpine)
Brent Paladino – 2023 (Hackensack)
Steve Sieg – 1989 (Alpine)
Ed Whitman – 1991 (Rock Spring), 1995 (North Jersey), 1996 (Essex Fells), 2004 (Crestmont)
Inside the Field
This year's championship field was finalized through nine qualifying sites conducted across the state during May and June. Players advanced from Rossmoor Golf Course, Montammy Golf Club, Knoll Country Club, Peddie Golf Club, Old Bridge Golf Club, Metuchen Golf & Country Club, Quail Brook Golf Course, Ballamor Golf Club and Burlington Country Club to earn their place alongside exempt competitors.
The championship field features many of New Jersey's top professionals alongside the state's best amateur players, creating one of the strongest competitions on the annual championship schedule.
Leading the field is the aforementioned defending champion Mark Costanza, who returns seeking his third New Jersey Open title after victories in 2020 and 2025.
Joining him is reigning New Jersey Amateur champion Barnes Blake, who continued his remarkable season by capturing the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship earlier this month at Baltusrol Golf Club. Blake will look to become the latest amateur to challenge for the Open title against many of the state's top professionals.
The field also includes past champions, accomplished PGA professionals, collegiate standouts, and many of New Jersey's highest-ranked amateur players, setting the stage for three days of championship golf at Morris County Golf Club.
Player Notes
Barnes Blake (a), 21
Barnes Blake enters the championship riding the momentum of his victory at the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club. After opening with a 66, Blake led wire-to-wire over 72 holes, becoming just the 14th player since stroke play was adopted in 1971 to accomplish the feat. He also became the first player to successfully defend the New Jersey Amateur Championship since Michael Stamberger captured consecutive titles in 2013 and 2014. Blake will now look to become the first player to capture both the New Jersey Amateur and New Jersey Open in the same season since Billy Ziobro in 1970.
Mark Costanza (a), 37
Defending champion Mark Costanza returns looking for his third New Jersey Open title after victories in 2020 and 2025. One of New Jersey Golf's most consistent championship performers, Costanza also finished tied for sixth at the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship, where he posted two under-par rounds and was one of only 14 players to break par during the week.
Danny Harcourt, 29
Danny Harcourt enters the championship atop the ROLEX New Jersey PGA Section Player of the Year standings. This season, he captured the 40th NJPGA Match Play Championship, one of the Section's major championships, and followed it with a third-place finish at the 62nd NJPGA Charity Clambake, another Section major.
Jim McGovern, 61
New Jersey Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2026 inductee Jim McGovern returns to the New Jersey Open after not competing in 2025. McGovern finished inside the top 25 at the 2024 championship and recently captured the 32nd Dunning Head Professional Championship at Somerset Hills Country Club.
Brent Paladino, 39
The 2023 New Jersey Open champion, Brent Paladino returns after finishing runner-up to Costanza at Hamilton Farm in 2025. Paladino has been the low professional in each of the past three championships and has continued his strong form in 2026 with a runner-up finish at the NJPGA Charity Clambake.
Troy Vannucci (a), 34,
Troy Vannucci enters the championship following his second consecutive runner-up finish at the New Jersey Amateur Championship. Earlier this season, Vannucci teamed with Brian Hollins to win the New Jersey Four-Ball Championship and also finished runner-up at the 2026 New Jersey Mid-Amateur Championship, adding to another impressive championship campaign.
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