Tyler Hall, Jeremy Nevius Tied Heading Into Final Round of NJSGA Open Championship

Tyler Hall (Mike Moretti/NJSGA)

The defending champion has some work to do on Wednesday.

Shooting a course record 7-under 64 on Monday, Wayne-native Tyler Hall followed up with a respectable, yet unsatisfying 2-under 69 going into the final round with a 9-under 133, tied with amateur Jeremy Nevius after Tuesday’s second round of the 96th New Jersey State Golf Association Open Championship at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.

The 34-year-old Hall, who is director of instruction at Upper Montclair Country Club, is looking to become the first back-to-back New Jersey state champion since Ed Whitman accomplished the feat in 1995-96.

Starting on hole 10, Hall birdied the par-4, 400-yard 13th hole, and after a bogey on 14, followed with birdies on 15, 17, and 18 for a front-nine 32 to move to 10-under heading to his back nine, three shots better at the time than amateur and Metuchen High School graduate Jeremy Nevius of Metuchen Golf & Country Club.

“The fire is lit for tomorrow (Wednesday). I played really steady with one silly bogey on the front nine and then I missed a couple of shots with bad yardages on the back nine,” Hall said. “I feel like I will be right there.”

Hall’s back nine was a different story as he shot a 1-over 37 with disappointing bogeys on seven and nine to enter Wednesday’s final round in the final group, but on a sour note.

“I feel good with my game and if I show up and play tomorrow like I’m capable of, I will have a chance,” Hall added.

Nevius, who grew up in nearby Mountainside and is an upcoming senior at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, put up his own fight and it paid off.

Jeremy Nevius (Mike Moretti/NJSGA)

Also starting on the 10th hole, Nevius bogeyed his first hole of the day, but responded nicely with birdies on 12, 13, 17, and 18 to record a front nine score of 3-under 32 and ended with no bogeys on his back nine with three birdies tallied on holes 1, 4, and 7.

“I know I can play well on this course and that’s the confidence I had going after the first round. Today was a completely different day, different swing, a new game,” said Nevius. “My swing today just didn’t feel that great. To end this round at 3-under par, in my mind, is pretty incredible. I just fought really well out there and to know I’m playing in the last group isn’t bad either.”

Hall and Nevius will tee off in the final group Wednesday around 11 a.m.

Brent Studer of Metedeconk National Golf Club (4-under, 71-67–138) is alone in third place and Richard Terga of Mountain Ridge Country Club and Alexander Hicks of Stone Harbor Golf Club (70-69–139) both are tied for fourth place.

136 players (65 professional, 61 amateur) started on Monday in the 54-hole, stroke-play tournament over the par-71, 6,845-yard renovated venue and after Tuesday’s second round, the field was cut to the lowest 50 scorers plus ties for Wednesday’s final round.

Last year, Hall fired an 11-under (68-69-68–205) to cruise to a seven-shot victory over a-Max Greyserman of Cresmont Country Club in capture last year’s championship at Rockaway River County Club in Denville.

Opened in 1928 and headquarters to the NJSGA, Galloping Hill is the first county-owned and only the second public facility to host a New Jersey State Open since Asbury Park Golf Club in 1930.