Becky Pernicone went straight from last week’s New Jersey PGA National Junior Qualifier, held at Rossmoor in Monroe Township, to her teaching pro for some putting lessons.
The Marlboro High School senior-to-be won the girls 16-17 age division by five strokes after rounds of 80-86 on the par-72 course. However, a faulty putter cost her the chance to challenge for first overall (she would finish fourth) in the two-day event (July 10 and 11).
"The first day I played really good, I thought I’d shoot in the 70s," she said. "But I had 36 putts. My putting killed me. The greens were slow and everything was off. Getting the timing was hard. I like fast greens.
"I had a horrible day the second day," she added. "Nothing was working. It was just one of those days. I was just trying to get up and down from everywhere. I didn’t have the right tempo."
Pernicone persevered on a day when nothing was working right, and saved her tournament by not coming apart. Her 86 enabled her to hold on to first place in her age group.
The next day, Pernicone was at her home course, Forsgate Country Club, for some putting lessons from her coach, teaching pro Chris Dunton.
"She told me I was breaking down with my wrist," Pernicone explained. "I worked on following through with my putt with my wrist firm."
Mission accomplished after many a putt on the practice green.
Despite her putting woes, her win at Rossmoor was the latest success in what has been a fine summer for Pernicone. She is rapidly proving herself to be one of the top players in the state.
The week before the NJPGA Junior Qualifier, she was second at the Nike Tournament at the Pebble Creek Golf Course in Colts Neck.
Pernicone and Brianne Vega tied for first place overall in the girls’ competition after carding 84s. A sudden-death playoff determined the winner, and Vega captured first place parring the par-3 18th hole, the first of the sudden-death competition. Pernicone found the bunker and had a near-impossible lie. She did hit her second shot on the green and made Vega putt out to win.
Prior to the Nike Tournament, Pernicone had her first experience in match play, competing on the Metropolitan Women’s Golf Association team, made up of players from New York and New Jersey, that competed against Massachusetts and Connecticut in a three-way Ryder Cup-style match play at the Fairfield (CT) Country Club. Pernicone led the Metros, picking up all six points available. She was the only one on the team to have a perfect score.
"I liked match play a lot," she said. "I’d rather play that than stroke play. You don’t have to worry about shooting a high score on a hole. You can be a little more aggressive.
"I played extremely well there at Fairfield," she added. "I had very few putts that day."
The summer success comes on the heals of her high school season where she finished fourth at the first-ever girls’ state championship held at Forsgate. She had won her qualifying tournament at the Rumson Country Club.
Pernicone attributes her emergence this summer to two things: playing on the Marlboro High School boys’ golf team and starting a weight training program.
"Playing with the guys really helped a lot," Pernicone pointed out. "I played and practiced every day and they pushed me to play better. I wanted to be able to hit the ball as long as they do and beat them. That made me a better player."
Pernicone, who was used to having her opponent driving the ball 50 yards past her when playing against the boys in high school, now finds herself the longest off the tee.
Now she knows the feeling of hitting the shorter iron to the green.
"I started lifting weights this year and that has helped," she noted. "I have a training program designed to improve the muscles in my arms and legs that I use in the golf swing.
"I am driving the ball much longer and controlling it more," she added.
At Pebble Creek, Pernicone won the girls’ longest drive competition, air-mailing one 240 yards.
Pernicone has tournaments scheduled throughout the rest of the summer and she has just one goal in each, to win.

