CALLICOON – The golfing started out as hot as the weather last Friday, as 64 two-man teams teed it up for the 44th Annual Sullivan County Democrat Golf Tourney at the Villa Roma.

And in the end, two high school buddies – Sean Semenetz and Joe Winski – showed why they are the winningest team in Democrat history and the newest members of the tournament Hall of Fame.

They defeated Jared Kubenik and Gregg Semenetz Jr., 3-2, in a match that saw an amazing stretch of golf on the back nine.

“All four players really battled in the heat,” Tournament Sponsor Fred Stabbert III said. “It was a great match to watch.”

Sean Semenetz would also set the all-time record for individual wins at the Democrat, posting his 10th individual title. And with partner Joe Winski, the duo now has nine wins as a team, another record.

But it wasn’t easy.

Jared Kubenik and his partner, Gregg Semenetz Jr., fired a blazing 66 over the par-72 layout on Friday to earn the top seed in the Championship Flight.

The Semenetzes are brothers, and their partners are each lifelong friends from high school, which made the finals match even more fun at watch as family members looked on nervously.

But all friendships were put on the back burner on Sunday as the two teams battled it out in 86-degree weather to see who would take home the title.

It wasn’t an easy road for either team to get back the Championship, as fourteen past champions were in this year’s field, a new tourney record.

“There were some amazing players who came back,” Tourney Sponsor Fred Stabbert III. “The field was ultra-competitive and it seems every year its gets harder and harder to make it to the finals.”

But experience and “home course” knowledge seemed to pay off for the four friends, who grew up playing at the Villa Roma.

As both teams began the Championship Match on Sunday  – which would be their fifth 18-hole round of the weekend – the heat and four round of golf had taken a little toll.

But like the championship calibre players they are, they picked up their game when it counted, rolling in some birdies and even an eagle on the second to last hole.

There were no birdies recorded in those first few holes, as each team was grinding out pars and staying close to each other. Semenetz Jr. had a couple of beautiful approach shots, helping his team stay just 1 down to Semenetz and Winski after four.

On the rest of the front nine, Winksi and Semenetz began to pull ahead withWinski sinking a 20-foot birdie on the eight, and Sementz recording a birdie on ten, ballooning their lead to three up. But Kubenik and Semenetz Jr, seasoned in this kind of tournament, started to bring their game together on the back nine. 

They cut the lead to 3-up after the 12th, where Kubenik drained a birdie after hitting a great approach shot to four feet. He also recorded a birdie on the par-3 thirteenth, hitting to four feet on the downhill hole. You could feel that Kubenik and Sementez Jr had the momentum. But on 15, Sementz put an end to that in dramatic fashion, getting an eagle on that hole and effectively shutting the door on their comeback. 

Each one of his [Sean Semenetz] shots on the par five hole were perfect; the drive, the approach, each of them, just in the right spot. And he showed that he had his nerves completely under control as he sank the 8-foot eagle putt.

With the match now dormie, Kubenik and Semenetz Jr. could do no better than tie the 16th hole, and the match was over. 

It was a finals match full of great golf.

2025 Democrat Results 

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT 

(First round)

Kubenik-Gregg Semenetz Jr. d. Vlaun-Schneider

Flores-DelaCruz d. Kleiner-Mazalatis

Cohen-Etess d. Joe Meyer-Bowers

Dykstra-Mathis d. Devantier-Tallman

Tyler White-Pickell d. Cory VanKeuren-Paulson

Sean Semenetz-Winski d.  Cardo-Kilcoin

Wheeler-Herzog d. Decker-Scuderi

John and Jordan Meyer d. Husson-Thomas

(Quarterfinals)

Kubenik-Gregg Semenetz Jr. d. Flores-DelaCruz

Cohen-Etess d. Dykstra-Mathis

Sean Semenetz-Winski d. Tyler White-Pickell

John Meyer-Jordan Meyer d. Wheeler-Herzog

(Semifinals)

Kubenik-Gregg Semenetz Jr. d Cohen-Etess

Sean Semenetz-Winski d. John and Jordan Meyer

(Finals)

Sean Semenetz-Winski d. Kubenik-Gregg Semenetz Jr.

FIRST FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Kleiner-Mazalatis d. Vlaun-Schneider

Joe Meyer-Bowers d. Devanter-Tallman

Cardo-Kilcoin d. Cory VanKeuren-Paulson

Decker-Scuderi d. Husson-Thomas

(Semifinals)

Kleiner-Mazalatis d. Joe Meyer-Bowers

Cardo-Kilcoin d. Decker-Scuderi

(Finals)

Kleiner-Mazalatis d. Cardo-Kilcoin

SECOND FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Kennedy-Kesten d. Ira and Zach Steingart

Logan White-Siegel d. Roseo-Thomas

Gregg Semenetz Sr.-Phillips d. Rymer-Winter

Wambach-Fedorka d. Katz-Bishop

(Semifinals)

Logan White-Siegel d. Kennedy-Kesten

Wambach-Fedorka d. Gregg Sementz Sr.-Phillips

(Finals)

Wambach-Fedorka d. Logan White and Siegel

ThirD FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Nate Steingart-Pirnos d. Newberg-Barnovsky

Gandula-Nardi d. Hamlin-Franke

Taylor VanKeuren-Hyatt d. Ray and John Wunderluch

Klemm-Wortman d. Donnelly-Donnelly

(Semifinals)

Nate Steingart-Pirnos d. Gandula-Nardi

Klemm-Wortman d. Taylor VanKeuren-Hyatt

(Finals)

Nate Steingart-Pirnos d. Klemm Wortman

Fourth FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Andrew and Fred Stabbert d. Herman-Hubert

Alan and Ryne Wolberg d. Lake-Schock

Park-Meirowitz d. Seletsky-Luczyski

Boomer Russell-Ottino d. Alex Etter-Rosenfeld

(Semifinals)

Alan and Ryne Wolberg d. Andrew and Fred Stabbert

Park-Meirowitz d. Boomer Russell-Ottino

(Finals)

Park-Meirowitz d. Alan and Ryne Wolberg

fifth FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Feeney-Clancy d Fischer-Calkin

Brewer-Appel d. Cole-Annabel

Kevin Clifford-Donovan d. Coyne-Werbalowski

Andrew and Jon Etter d. Patrick Clifford and Jack Russell

(Semifinals)

Brewer-Appel d. Feeney-Clancy

Kevin Clifford-Donovan d. Andrew and Jon Etter

(Finals)

Brewer Appel d. Kevin Clifford-Donovan

Sixth FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Cody and Steve Vegliante d. Pratt-Keech

O’Brien-Reimer d. James-Hogan

Hendrickson-Pomeroy d. Johnston-Clark

Matthew and Scott DuBois d. Colin and Bob Whitaker

(Semifinals)

O’Brien-Reimer d. Cody and Steve Vegliante

Matthew and Scott DuBois d. Hendrick-Pomeroy

(Finals)

Matthew and Scott DuBois d. O’Brien-Reimer

SEVENTH FLIGHT

(Quarterfinals)

Willis-Jakatis d. Haberli-Mirch

Gallo-Roth d. Kelly-Mapes

Ng-Conway d. Fenton-Marston

Walsh-Walsh d. Esselman-Barrett

(Semifinals)

Gallo-Roth d. Willis-Jakatis

Ng-Conway d. Walsh-Walsh

(Finals)

Gallo-Roth d. Ng-Conway

Qualifying scores

Kubenik-Gregg Semenetz Jr. 64

Cory VanKeuren-Paulson 68

Wheeler-Herzog 69

Joe Meyer-Bowers 69

Devantier-Tallman 69

John Meyer-Jordan Meyer 70

Sean Semenetz-Winski 71

Flores-DelaCruz 71

Kleiner-Mazalatis 72

Husson-Thomas 72

Cardo-Kilcoin 72

Dykstra-Mathis 73

Cohen-Etess 73 Decker-Scuderi 73

Tyler White-Pickell 73

Vlaun-Schneider 73

Ira and Zach Steingart 74

Gregg Semenetz Sr. - Phillips 74

Wambach-Fedorka 74

Logan White-Siegel 75 Roseo-Thomas 75

Katz-Bishop 76

Rymer-Winter 76

Kennedy-Kesten 77

Nate Steingart-Pirnos 77

Taylor VanKeuren-Hyatt 77

Donnelly-Donelly 78

Hamlin-Franke 79

Gandulla-Nardi 79

Klemm-McCallum 79

John and Ray Wunderluch 79

Newberg-Barnovsky 79

Herman-Hubert 79

Park-Meirowitz 80

Alex Etter-Rosenfeld 80

Lake-Schock 80

A. and R. Wolberg 80

Boomer Russell-Ottino 81

Seletsky-Luczyski 81

Andrew and Fred Stabbert 81

Feeney and Clancy 82

Coyne-Werbalowski 82

Patrick Clifford-Jack Russell 82

Brewer-Appel 82

Cole-Annabel 83 Andrew Etter-John Etter 83

Kevin Clifford-Donovan 83

Fisher-Calkin 83

Pratt-Keech 84

Johnston-Clark 84

Matt and Scott DuBois 84

O’Brien-Reimer 84

James-Hogan 86

Colin and Bob Whitaker 86

Hendrickson-Pomeroy 86

Steve and Cody Vegliante 86

Willis-Jakatis 87

Ng-Conway 87

Esselman-Barrett 88

Gallo-Roth 89

Kelly-Mapes 89

Jim Walsh and Brandan Walsh 89

Fenton-Marston 91

Haberli-Mirch 91