VOORHEESVILLE, N.Y. — Woodstock Golf Club head pro Chris Sanger is closing in on his first Northeastern New York (NENY) PGA Section Player of the Year title after winning the section’s Match Play Championship at Colonie Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
Top-seeded Sanger won his third match play championship with a 4 and 3 win over No. 3 Scott Battiste of the Eagle Crest Golf Club in the 18-hole finale.
Earlier in the morning semifinal, Sanger ousted No. 5 Jeremy Kerr of Van Schaick Island Country Club, 3 and 2.
The 39-year-old Sanger scored a pair of lopsided wins in the first two rounds with a 7 and 6 win over No. 16 Marc Levesque of Wyantenuck Country Club and a 5 and 3 victory over No. 9 John Souza of Ballston Spa Country Club on Tuesday.
Sanger’s play was so good that he never had to go past the 16th hole in his four matches. He only trailed briefly early in two matches.
Chris Sanger reads his putt on the 14th hole during the third round of the 55th PGA Professional Championship at Twin Warriors Golf Club on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
“I played pretty well and didn’t make too many mistakes,” Sanger said in an phone interview with the Freeman following his win in one of the four major golf tournaments for club pros in the Northeastern New York Section . “I hit a lot of good approaches and that’s kind of the strength of my game. If I drive the ball well, I usually do OK because my approach play is pretty solid. I was hitting it pretty close and I didn’t miss any short putts.”
Sanger hasn’t mathematically clinched the player of the year title yet over second-place Scott Berliner. But after winning the match-play event, the chances are slim that Sanger can be caught by the Glens Falls Country Club pro with only the section’s Tour Championship left on the schedule Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at the Saratoga Spa Golf Course.
“I’d have to shoot a couple high numbers and Scott would have to win it,” Sanger said. “If I just play solid golf, I think I’ll be all right.”
The Woodstock Golf Club pro has had one of his best seasons as a club professional. He now has four wins this season. He won his first NENY PGA Professional Championship, which is one of the section’s majors, with a two-day total of 4-under-par 140 on Aug. 4 and 5 at the Eagle Crest Golf Club in Clifton Park, New York.
“This year it’s been really consistent play,” Sanger said.
Sanger said he has always liked the format of match play in area tournaments.
“You just have to play one opponent at a time,” Sanger said. “I try to eliminate mistakes and not beat myself. Just keep the ball in front of me and try not to make any bogeys. If the guy beats me playing well, so be it.”
Sanger, a Red Hook resident, said Colonie Golf and Country Club reminds him of Red Hook Golf Club where he grew up playing golf and worked as a pro before taking the job at Woodstock.
“Plus, the conditions were great and I’ve played there a ton of times so I know the course really well now,” Sanger said.
Originally Published: September 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM EDT
