Golf

Equal access

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SWAN LAKE, NY — Talk about notions that are now considered passé, how about the idea epitomized by the famous 1991 James Brown song, “This is a Man’s World.”

As the world of horse racing adjusts to the shock of filly Rachel Alexandra winning over a field of male counterparts in the Preakness on May 16, area golfers are still trying to absorb the fact that Sullivan West’s Melanie Kleiner became the first female since 2002 to qualify for the Section Nine Boys Golf Championships, a feat last accomplished by Storm King’s Jen Hudson.

Kleiner’s participation in this year’s OCIAA Championships was held back two days as she, along with teammate Kevin Correa and Warwick’s Ryan Metzger and Nick Johnson, took Advanced Placement tests in lieu of teeing off with the other 68 golfers at Swan Lake on May 14.

Last year, Kleiner missed the cut as she shot a 95, but this year, she shot a 14 over 86 to join tournament winner and teammate Justin Armstrong for the honor of playing in the Section Nine tourney, which began on Kleiner’s home course at the Villa Roma on May 19.

No doubt the Division I Rutgers-bound golfer felt right at home on the course. Her dad, Matt, is the golf pro there and she and her brother Ben, now playing for NYU, virtually grew up on the greens in Callicoon.

Both Metzger and Johnson shot 87 to qualify. Unfortunately, Correa, who made the cut a year ago, struggled and missed by eight strokes as he shot a 99 to end his high school career on a disappointing note. Correa had hoped to make it back to sectionals and, perhaps, go on to states. Last year, he shot an impressive 82 in the OCIAA tourney.

Still he, along with Kleiner, Armstrong and other Bulldog golfers, can revel in the team’s fifth consecutive Division IV boys golf title. This year, though, they share that crown with Eldred.

The top 20 golfers in round one will advance to round two of the Section Nine tourney on May 21 at Casperkill Golf Club in Poughkeepsie.