Vannucci, Hollins and Brandt, Vahey Pace Field into Match Play at 94th Four-Ball Championship
MARLTON, N.J. - Sunny skies and firm, fast conditions tested the field during the stroke-play qualifying round of the 94th New Jersey Four-Ball Championship at Little Mill Country Club, where two sides emerged at the top of the leaderboard.
The home duo of Troy Vannucci and Brian Hollins, along with the collegiate pairing of Liam Brandt and Chris Vahey, each carded rounds of 3-under-par to share medalist honors and set the pace entering match play.
For Vannucci and Hollins, familiarity proved to be a key advantage. Competing on their home course, the pair leaned on course knowledge and steady execution to navigate challenging conditions.
“Just knowing the course,” said Vannucci, three-time New Jersey Player of the Year. “You have to play it multiple times to really understand it, especially under these conditions. The greens are spicy, the rough’s up, it’s just a lot of course knowledge. Calling this our home course and getting to play here a bunch is very helpful.”
The round was a true team effort, with the duo trading momentum throughout, particularly on the back nine. A pivotal moment came at the par-4 11th, where Vannucci chipped in for birdie, an injection of energy that helped spark their closing stretch. The South Jersey duo birdied three of the first four holes on the back nine.
“That kind of jumpstarted us,” Hollins recalled. “We were just trying to go one shot at a time, but after that we started playing pretty well and kind of took off from there.”
Meanwhile, Brandt and Vahey relied on a different kind of advantage, chemistry built through playing together as college teammates.
“We’re normally teammates, and we’ve played a lot together throughout the year,” said Brandt. “We keep it pretty light and we’re very comfortable with each other, so that’s kind of why we wanted to play in this.”
That comfort level extended beyond the golf course, helping the duo stay relaxed throughout the round.
“We play a lot of non-golf things together too, spikeball, basketball,” Vahey added. “It’s just a lot of chemistry built between us.”
Brandt and Vahey surged into contention early, reaching 6-under-par at one point before encountering a brief setback late in the round. Despite firm greens and gusty winds making conditions increasingly difficult, the pair steadied themselves down the stretch to remain atop the leaderboard.
“The greens are so firm and fast out here,” Brandt reflected. “If you miss a fairway, you’re kind of struggling to get it on or around the greens. But we kept it together down the stretch and got it done.”
Just one of the three past champions in the field, Erik Stevens and Chester Paterson (2024) advanced to match play.
What’s Next
The championship now shifts to match play, with the Round of 16 and quarterfinals set for Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. Semifinal matches and the championship match will take place on Thursday, May 7, with all matches contested over 18 holes.
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