Novkioff Finishes Impressive Golf Career at Mamaroneck

Hayden Novikoff remembers shaking on the tee box when he started playing varsity golf for Mamaroneck in eighth grade.

Four years later the nerves have gone down, and he has settled into the routine of being one of the area's top high school golfers.

Novikoff's progression was capped off by a fifth-place finish at the Section 1 tournament and a trip to the states for the first time. Though he didn't play his best at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club at Cornell University, it was still a fitting end to a great career.

Novikoff qualified for the Section 1 tournament with a 3.9 differential, which meant his average score was 3.9 strokes over par. On the first day at Scarsdale Golf Club, he shot a 72 to place in the top three.

"I was hitting every fairway, every green," Novikoff said. "My putting wasn't that on but I didn't even need it, that's how well I was hitting."

He followed up with an 81 on the second round at Dutchess Country Club, a tight course with blind holes, but his first-day round gave him enough of a cushion.

Needing to place in the top 9 among golfers in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Southern Dutchess Counties in order to make the state tournament, Novikoff's two-round total of 153 was good enough for fifth place.

"I was ecstatic," Novikoff said. "In the beginning of the season this was my goal, so I was really happy."

Novikoff carded 83-84 at the state tournament. He struggled in rainy, windy and cold conditions in the first round, and then struggled to make up ground in the second day.

"I think a lot of people were anxious to go low after the first day, and that's what happened to me too," Novikoff said. "That's what caused me to not relax, and I lost my focus a little. It was nowhere near where I could have done."

Still, the final tournament didn't take away from what Novikoff was able to accomplish during his final season. The senior will now play club golf at Richmond.

"It was by far my best season out of the five I played (for Mamaroneck)," Novikoff said. "I like how I progressed throughout the year. This is definitely the best I've played since 8th grade."

The Tigers actually had a second player qualify for states — Emma Hjarne will be playing in the girls tournament this weekend. The sophomore shot a two-round score of 190 to place in the Top 9 in the sectional tournament and advance to the state tournament at SUNY Delhi.

"Emma has a great swing," Mamaroneck coach Adam Rizzuti said. "Her family goes to Sweden every summer and she plays golf the entire summer. She has a great attitude about it too. I'm looking forward to having her the next few years."

The team as a whole finished 4-11 against a tough schedule, which featured opponents like Edgemont (14-1), Scarsdale (13-2) and White Plains, whose only losses were to Edgemont and Scarsdale.