Jamie Slonis delivered when it mattered most, birdieing the 18th hole to capture the 68th New Jersey Senior Amateur Championship at Suneagles Golf Club for his first individual New Jersey Golf title.
The Tavistock Country Club member posted rounds of 72 and 73 to finish at 1-over 145, one shot ahead of fellow Tavistock member Tom Gramigna.
Slonis entered the final round two strokes behind first-round leader Christopher Housen but quickly closed the gap with birdies on two of his first three holes. Housen, who opened with a 2-under 70, struggled to an 80 on Thursday and fell out of contention.
That left Slonis and Gramigna battling for the title. Gramigna gained the upper hand with consecutive birdies at Nos. 11 and 12, but difficult wind and thick rough kept the championship tight down the stretch.
Slonis arrived at the par-4 18th tied for the lead and converted his birdie opportunity to move one ahead. Playing in the group behind, Gramigna had a chance to force a playoff but narrowly missed his birdie putt, leaving him runner-up at 2-over 146 (72-74).
The victory reversed a result from more than two decades earlier. Gramigna defeated Slonis for the 2005 New Jersey Mid-Amateur title, but the longtime friends have since enjoyed considerable success together, including consecutive New Jersey Senior Four-Ball titles in 2025 and 2026.
Slonis' breakthrough also came shortly after an appearance at the U.S. Senior Amateur at Baltimore Country Club. Initially an alternate, he gained a place in the field and advanced through stroke-play qualifying before being eliminated in the opening round of match play.
After multiple close calls, including two runner-up finishes in the New Jersey Mid-Amateur, Slonis finally secured his first individual state championship.
Harris Podvey closed with an even-par 72 to finish third at 3-over 147. Former champion Bill Charpek matched the low round of the day with a 72 to share fourth at 4-over 148 with Gregg Angelillo.
The final round also produced an unusual double at the 110-yard par-3 seventh, where Jamie Vieser and Bill Cody each made a hole-in-one.
