BEDMINSTER – Call it the New Jersey Amateur-Open Championship, because the amateurs dominated the pros like never before.

Collegian Chris Gotterup won the 99th NJSGA Open on Wednesday at Trump National Golf Club and the Monmouth County resident led an unprecedented 1-2-3 finish by amateurs.

Gotterup, a rising junior at Rutgers who plays out of Rumson, won the title by three shots after his 4-under-par 67 on the New Course gave him a three-day total of 8-under 205.

“It doesn’t bother me whether it’s amateur or pro – they’re all the same guys,” said Gotterup, 20. “And I’m not playing for money, I’m just trying to beat everyone.”

Mike Muehr, 47, a member at Pine Valley and Virginia resident, was runner-up at 5-under after closing with 70 for 208 in this New Jersey State Golf Association event.

Union County’s Danny Harcourt, 22, a recent graduate of Gettysburg College who plays out of Shackamaxon, slipped to third after his 72 left him at 209.

This marks just the 12th time that an amateur has claimed this title. And only once before had there been an amateur winner and an amateur as solo runner-up: in 1951, Chester Sanok won and William Y. Dear Jr. was runner-up.

Bergen County’s Tommi Avant, fresh out of college and in his first year working at Arcola in his hometown of Paramus, was fourth, but he earned $15,000 as the low pro. Avant closed with 71 for 210.

Middlesex County pro Frank Esposito of Forsgate, a two-time champion, was fifth after his 71 gave him 211. Passaic County pro Tyler Hall of Upper Montclair, also a two-time winner, was sixth after his 71 left him at 212.

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Gotterup grabs control on 15th

The tide turned on the par-5 15th hole, where Gotterup scored an eagle, and, 10 minutes later, Harcourt suffered a triple-bogey for a five-shot swing. Gotterup made a 50-foot putt for eagle to reach 7-under, while Harcourt pulled his approach left and into high fescue and needed four shots to get out of it and fell to 4-under.

The 15th played 525 yards and Gotterup hit a 3-wood to within 190 yards, then hit an 8-iron onto the green. He was playing for a birdie, not an eagle.

“I was just trying to lag it up there, and it happened to go in,” said Gotterup, a Little Silver resident and graduate of Christian Brothers Academy. “And it kind of just got the momentum rolling.”

Gotterup’s parents, Morten and Kate, followed along, and, as is the custom, his father walked more than 200 yards away before his son’s putt.

“I have a routine with him where I go half a hole in front - but I always look back to see what happens – just so I don’t put any pressure on him,” Morten Gotterup said. “And so it was nice to see that the putt dropped.”

Avant earns top paycheck

Remarkably, this Open became two separate tournaments down the stretch: While Gotterup, Muehr and Harcourt were comfortably ahead and playing for the title, Avant, Esposito and their fellow pros had no choice but to give up the title chase and play for the money

Avant climbed atop the dash-for-cash leaderboard with an eagle on the drivable par-4 16th hole. Avant, who hails from Arizona and just graduated from Drake University, hit a 3-wood from 295 yards to within 8 feet and sank the putt. He held that advantage with pars on the final two holes.

“I’ve only been a pro for two months,” said Avant, 22“and I just focused on what I do in college golf, and it’s really not much different besides the name. I just wanted to keep everything in front of me.”

99th New Jersey Open Championship

at Trump National GC, Bedminster

Par: 71; Yardage: 6,900

Final

a-Chris Gotterup, Rumson 67-71-67-205

a-Mike Muehr, Pine Valley 66-72-70-208

a-Danny Harcourt, Shackamaxon 66-71-72-209

Thomas Avant, Arcola 72-67-71- 210

Frank Esposito, Forsgate 74-66-71-211

Tyler Hall, Upper Montclair 68-73-71-212

Pat Fillian, Echo Lake 70-73-70-213

Steve Shellock, Suneagles 70-75-68-213

a-Mike Deo, Black Oak 70-70-74-214

Nick Bova, Hamilton Farm 70-72-72-214

a-Vincent Kwon, NJSGA E-Club 71-73-71-215

a-Brendan Hansen, Spring Lake 72-71-73-216

Bill Hook, Knickerbocker 71-73-72-216

a-Reid Bedell, Manasquan River 73-71-72-216

Danny Lewis, Hollywood 69-74-73-216

Michael Long, Somerset Hills 74-76-67-217

Steve Osland, Fiddler's Elbow 78-69-71-218

a-Steven Zychowski, Mendham 68-77-73-218

Ryan Fountaine, Baltusrol 76-70-72-218

a-Jack Wall, Manasquan River 72-71-75-218

a-Dawson Jones, Eagle Oaks 74-73-72-219

Sam Kang, Essex Center 73-73-73-219

a-Jack Simon, Lake Mohawk 69-70-80-219

a-Ryan Lee, Valley Brook 73-72-74-219

Dave McGovern, Brooklake 73-74-73-220

a-Nick Branchina, Fiddler's Elbow 71-71- 78-220

Mike Meisenzahl, Plainfield 74-76-71-221

a-Thomas La Morte, Haworth 77-73-71-221

a-Troy Vannucci, Little Mill 70-77-74-221

a-Peter Barron, Galloway 76-69-76-221

Grant Sturgeon, Arcola 72-74-76-222

a-Tom Collins, Essex County 70-78-75-223

Gregory Matthias, Tavistock 74-72-77-223

a-Ronald Fischang, Neshanic Valley 73-73-77-223

a-Ethan Wall, Manasquan River 70-76-77-223

a-Michael Brown, Darlington 73-69-81-223

Corey Brigham, Liberty National 74-76-74-224

Lou Kubisa, Knob Hill 75-75-74-224

Brent Studer, Metedeconk 70-74-80-224

Jim McGovern, White Beeches 73-77-75-225

Jeffrey Maines, Montclair 76-74-75-225

a-Mark Bryant, Rolling Green 72-74-79-225

Scott Paris, Plainfield 73-74-78-225

a-Anthony Brodeur, Essex County 73-75-78-226

a-Adam Fuchs, Valley Brook 72-77-77-226

a-Jeremy Wall, Manasquan River 70-78-79-227

Kevin Maciorowski, Westlake 76-73-78-227

Sean Lawrence, Rockaway River 73-74-80-227

Mark McCormick, Suburban 74-74-80-228

a-Brandon Dalinka, Ridge 73-76-80-229

Brian Gaffney, Essex Fells 71-77-83-231

a-Stephen Wentz, Baltusrol 72-78-82-232

John McCarthy, Knoll West 75-72-WD-WD

a-denotes amateur