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John McNeill Wins Rain-Shortened New England Senior Amateur Championship

9/15/2021

Bob Kearney (NH) earned the Super Senior Division title.

MANCHESTER, Vermont – John McNeill (Amateur Golf Tour of New England) of Stow, Massachusetts, McNeill said his opening-round 4-under 68 on Tuesday was his first bogey-free round in the past 30 years.

What he didn't know then was that's all it would take to take home his first-ever New England Golf Association title.

McNeill began Wednesday's second and final round four strokes ahead of Connecticut's Bob Murphy, Bill Hermanson, and Dave Jones, all tied for second place. Through 14 holes, McNeill was 1-under overall (3-over for round) and was holding a 1-stroke lead, but play was suspended at 1:11 p.m. for a dangerous situation (lightning). At 2:39 p.m., the second round was officially canceled, and scores were reverted to the first-round leaderboard.

"While we hoped to be able to finish the round, the weather forecast was unfavorable for the remainder of the day, and we were unable to complete play in a safe manner," said Greg Howell, Director of Operations for the New England Golf Association. "We are thankful to the players for their patience on a very difficult day. We also appreciate the staff and members of Manchester CC for being gracious hosts.”
ONLINE: RESULTS | ROUND 1 RECAP | NEW ENGLAND GOLF ASSOCIATION HOME PAGE
WHAT HAPPENED
After accepting his trophy, John McNeill said he would've loved to have closed out the round with a birdie on the final day. While that didn't exactly come true, he did cap off his round with a tremendous birdie the day prior.
McNeill said his adrenaline was pumping as he sat at 3-under, just one hole away from completing an immaculate bogey-free round. He chose hybrid on the 18th tee, which plays downhill and is a dogleg right, and his shot just trickled into the rough with a downhill lie 157-yards from the green. Then he hit what was arguably his best shot of the tournament, striping an 8-iron to 2-feet.
"I hit that club 150-yards, and I absolutely flushed it," McNeill recalled. "As I was blacking out over the 2-footer, I rolled it in for the 68. It was just one of those days when I had a good game plan, I was hitting the ball where I was aiming it, and when I had long putts, I was rolling them up to 1 or 2 feet."
[caption id="attachment_12810" align="alignnone" width="600"] John McNeill captured his first New England Golf Association title. (David Colt, file)[/caption]Had it not been for some in-round adjustments, though, McNeill might not have prevailed. Though the first four holes play pretty straightforward, according to McNeill, he needed to get up-and-down three times on the first four holes just to stay at even par.
"I wasn't hitting the ball very well on the first four holes," McNeill said. "Then something clicked on my tee ball on the 5th hole, and after that, I was just striping it."
McNeill made birdie on holes 8, 9 and 14 to pull into the lead, and while he didn't know where he stood at the time, it was plenty to take a commanding lead.
McNeill, who grew up near Syracuse, New York, also has a family connection to Vermont golf. His mother, Mary McNeill, is a three-time Vermont Women's Amateur champion and three-time runner-up in the championship.
"That was some really cool history to experience that," McNeill said.
The McNeill family also used to summer near Orleans Country Club, located in Northeast Vermont near the Canadian border.
"It's no great layout, but it was the kind of place where mom and dad could shove the kids out of the station wagon at 8 a.m., and my brother and I would just play golf all day, and it was formative there just enjoying the game."
McNeill has been a member of the Amateur Golf Tour of New England since 1992 and credits his exposure to different courses to finally finding success.
He also plays monthly at The Haven Country Club as a social member. After finishing T7 in the Ouimet Memorial Tournament, he said playing at The Haven helped him regain some confidence heading into late summer events.
"It's a really great place there," McNeill said. "I really doubled down on practicing the things I needed to fix up: getting up-and-down, being solid on short putts, and it paid dividends."
And while Mother Nature stood in the way of a full 36-hole championship, "In a way, I don't care how it happened, I'm just glad I had a good round yesterday," McNeill said.
Also taking him some hardware were Andy Congdon (Wyantenuck CC) and Bob Kearney (Bretwood GC, NH), who split the Super Senior Division (65-over) title by shooting 1-over 73 in the lone round that counted. Congdon was also 4-under through 10 holes on Tuesday after making consecutive birdies on holes 16-18 and hole 1.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
Manchester Country Club; Par-72
1 – John McNeill, Amateur Golf Tour New England (MA); 68
T2 – Bob Murphy, Brownson CC (CT); 72
T2 – Bill Hermanson: Black Hall Club (CT); 72
T2 – Dave Jones, Mohegan Sun GC (CT); 72
T5 – Mark Dennish, Old Sandwich GC (MA); 73
T5 – Chuck Tryder, Bellevue CC (MA); 73
T5 – Mark Vassalotti, Barnstable Golf (MA); 73
T5 – Andy Congdon, Wyantenuck CC (MA); 73*
T5 – Bob Kearney, Bretwood GC (NH); 73*
*Co-champions of the Super Senior Division (65-up)

John McNeill Takes Commanding Lead At 24th New England Senior Amateur

9/14/2021

John McNeill leads by 4 strokes at the New England Senior Amateur. (David Colt, file)

MANCHESTER, Vermont – For the second time in four years, the Green Mountain State is playing host to 120 of the best senior amateur golfers representing the six New England state.
John McNeill, of Stow, Massachusetts, stands above the rest after Tuesday's Round 1 as he shot a 4-under-par 68 with matching 34s on each nine.
McNeill, a longtime member of the Amateur Golf Tour of New England, has a pair has two top 10 finishes in this event, including placing T4 in 2018, which ironically took place at Vermont's Burlington Country club.
Connecticut's Bob Murphy (Brownson CC); Bill Hermanson, (Black Hall Club); and Dave Jones (Mohegan Sun GC) all sit four strokes back at even-par 72.
In total, 63 players made the cut at 7-over or better and will advance to Wednesday's final round, which begins at 8 a.m. Players, represented in all six states, will play in pairs, with McNeill teeing off in the final group at 9:45 a.m.
ONLINE: ROUND 1 SCORES | ROUND 2 STARTING TIMES
WHAT HAPPENED
After making par on his first seven holes, John McNeill closed out the front nine with birdies on the 8th (par-3, 187-yards), and 9th (par-4, 405-yards) to find himself in a tie for the lead at 2-under at the turn.
However, he distanced himself from the field with another birdie on the well-guarded green on the 14th (par-4, 387-yards) and closed out his round with a birdie on the 18th (par-4, 407-yards), a dogleg right.
McNeill, 60, who has previously qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur, is looking for his first championship victory on the New England stage.
He'll have to hold off a cohort that includes Connecticut's Bob Murphy, Bill Hermanson, and Dave Jones, all of whom shot even-par 72 to finish Round 1 tied for second place.
Andy Congdon (Wyantenuck CC) is among five players who shot 1-over 73. Through 12 holes, Congdon sat at 4-under, as he shot a 33 on the back nine that included birdies on holes 10 and 11, followed by four consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17, and 18 and 1. However, a pair of double-bogeys on the front nine led to a 40.
Congdon won the 2011 Massachusetts Senior Player of the Year Award and finished T7 with McNeill in the 2017 New England Senior Amateur.
Mark Vassalotti (Barnstable Golf), Chuck Tryder (Bellevue CC); and Mark Dennish (Old Sandwich GC) also sit a T5, alongside New Hampshire's Bob Kearney.
Jack Kearney (Westover GC), the 2018 champion sits at 2-over, while defending champion Frank Vana, Jr. is 3-over.
Both Bob Kearney, 65, and Congdon, 67, share the lead in the Super Senior Division (age 65-over).
LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND
Manchester Country Club; Par-72
1 – John McNeill, Amateur Golf Tour New England (MA); 68
T2 – Bob Murphy, Brownson CC (CT); 72
T2 – Bill Hermanson: Black Hall Club (CT); 72
T2 – Dave Jones, Mohegan Sun GC (CT); 72
T5 – Mark Dennish, Old Sandwich GC (MA); 73
T5 – Chuck Tryder, Bellevue CC (MA); 73
T5 – Mark Vassalotti, Barnstable Golf (MA); 73
T5 – Andy Congdon, Wyantenuck CC (MA); 73
T5 – Bob Kearney, Bretwood GC (NH); 73
ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND SENIOR AMATEUR
The New England Senior Amateur Championship dates back to the late 1990s when Metacomet Country Club in East Providence, Rhode Island played host.
Ed Fletcher won the inaugural title, taking home the Mass Senior Amateur title just two weeks later.
After nine years of the Championship, Mark Plummer became the first player to win the New England Amateur and New England Senior Amateur in a career, when the two-time Amateur Champion (1979, 1994) took home the 10th New England Senior Amateur in 2007. Plummer, a legend of golf in Maine and New England, was a semifinalist in the 1995 U.S. Amateur before bowing out to eventual champion, Tiger Woods.

New England Junior Amateur Championship: Massachusetts Dominates Awards, Ben James Becomes First Three-Time Individual Champion

8/17/2021

CUMBERLAND. Maine - This year's New England Junior Amateur Championship featured a couple of historic developments. Massachusetts became the first state to win both the boys and girls team championships in the same year, then on top of that, Ben James (Connecticut) became the first player ever in the history of the New England Junior to three-peat as an individual champion.
The Mass Golf Boys shot 5-under-par to top Connecticut by 15 strokes in the team division, while the girls shot 34-over-par for a 12-stroke win over the next closest team in Rhode Island. In the girls individual division, Annie Dai (Massachusetts) defeated her fellow Bay State teammate MacKenzie Whitney in a three-hole playoff to earn the girls individual champion distinction.
ONLINE: RESULTS | EVENT HOMEPAGE | PAST CHAMPIONS
Boys Division
All three rounds, the Massachusetts boys were buoyed by a strong team effort. The strong play of Colin Spencer, Weston Jones, and John Broderick helped them get out to a 22-stroke lead by the end of round two and the well-rounded efforts continued into round three.
Ryan Downes, Joey Lenane, and Ethan Whitney all aided in the scoring department and although the boys were not as sharp as they had been on Monday, they did more than enough to get by with the win.
“It’s awesome,” Spencer said. “We played really well the first 36 holes and kind of gave ourselves a little bit of a cushion which is always good. We didn’t have our best stuff today, but we were able to win. I had a blast and I can’t wait for next year.”
Broderick echoed the same sentiment as his teammate in regards to the win, a victory that the Mass Boys desperately wanted coming into the event.
“It’s awesome,” Broderick said. “All of us are really good players and I think we all knew coming in that we could we could definitely beat anyone. Team Connecticut was probably our biggest rival, but we knew we could beat them. Then, to all play well and do it is pretty awesome.”
Downes in particular really helped the team. Though he is just 15-years-old, Downes scored in all three rounds for his team and was a major contributor.
“I putted pretty poorly the first two days, but I actually hit the ball pretty well,” Downes said. “I was kind of a little bit of flip-flop today, I putted a little better, but I didn’t hit the ball as well. So it was kind of inconsistent and not what I was exactly looking for, but it feels good because my score counted all three days.”
The win for the boys was wire-to-wire and as a bonus, they get to share the victory with the girls. It's the first time since girls were introduced to the team competition in 2019 that a state has swept the team honors.
“A Mass Golf sweep is always great, that’s going to make a good headline,” Broderick said with a laugh. “That’s really exciting and I don’t know if it’s ever happened before, but it’s super exciting to win and see the girls do it too.”
It is history, and it certainly does make for a great headline for Massachusetts.
Girls Division
The Mass Girls didn't dominate from start to finish like their counterparts on the boys side did, but they ended with a bang. The girls shot 10-over-par on Tuesday to put some separation between themselves and the field and win by a commanding 12 strokes.
All three competitors played well. MacKenzie Whitney set the tone early, Annie Dai finished strong, and Keira Joshi provided a steady presence throughout.
“It kind of feels unreal because I know the girls were very tight coming into this,” Dai said. “The boys were way ahead, but we had some tough competition and I really wasn’t trying to look at the leaderboard in the middle to know because I knew that I would stress myself out. So, I just played until the last hole and then checked.”
Dai fired an impressive round of 3-over-par 74, better than her mark of consecutive 78's that she had shot earlier in the week. She knew that one or more of the girls needed to step up to grab a win and she went ahead and did so herself.
“On the first few holes I was feeling really confident because my drives were a lot more consistent and I was hitting a lot more greens, then I made a few birdie putts,” Dai said. “Towards the end I started three-putting and I think I ended up with five three-putts, but it still ended pretty well with my score.”
Overall, the girls were similar to the boys in how well-rounded their performance was. That is even more impressive when considering that is was the first time all three ever played in the New England Junior.
“It was really cool,” Joshi said. “Getting to be here is definitely fun. I’m super proud of Annie and MacKenzie, I was checking the leaderboard all day and they were 1 and 2, I was thinking go get them. It’s definitely fun.”
Not only did they win, but the girls created a bond that will last well beyond their time spent at Val Halla.
“I know both of them, obviously girls golf is a small world,” Joshi said of Dai and Whitney. “We’re all friends going into this, but it’s definitely been a fun experience on the bus, in the hotel, and meeting the girls from the other states. I’ve definitely made some new friends.”
In addition to the friends, the girls made some history too.
Individual Honors
Speaking of history, there may have been no accomplishment more impressive than that of Connecticut's Ben James winning the boys individual competition for a third consecutive year. James is the first competitor in the history of the New England Junior to do so.
“That achievement means so much to me,” James said. “This event, it’s my fourth time being here and I love our coach. We’re really good friends and with all of my friends just being here too it means a lot to win this event.”
James was under par in all three of his rounds shooting 67-66-66. He finished up the 54 holes with 1 eagle, 17 birdies, and just 6 bogeys. Jones is the No. 6 junior golfer in the world in the American Junior Golf Association Rankings and he showed why as he closes the book on his New England Junior career.
“It’s been a battle every year with me and the other competitors,” James said. “It’s just been awesome to kind of get it all together three consecutive times. I’ve played pretty well in all of them and I’m just happy to win my last one.”
More importantly, he was happy to do so alongside his friends.
“It was awesome,” he said. “We did our best with the COVID restrictions. We didn’t have too many, but we just had a lot of fun at the pool and we enjoyed ourselves. It was nice to spend some time with the girls too going out to get some ice cream. It was really fun.”
On the girls side of things, a playoff was needed to determine a winner. Both Annie Dai and MacKenzie Whitney shot 230 over the 54-holes and they had to shift from allies to competitors to determine a champion. Dai needed three holes to do so, but she eventually prevailed over the older Whitney to be crowned the individual champion.
“I feel kind of bad,” the 15-year-old said after the playoff with a laugh. “It was strange competing against each other when we came here together, but it was really fun to all play well.”
Winning and losing aside, Dai grew closer with Whitney over the course of the round and enjoyed playing and competing with her and Joshi.
“I didn’t know them that well,” Dai said of her teammates. ”Right before coming here I’d just met Keira in another competition or tournament, then we found out we were coming here together and we started talking more. When we got here we knew each other and with MacKenzie, I’d played with her a couple of times already. It was a lot of fun.”
Final Team Leaderboard (Boys)
1 – Massachusetts -5
2 - Connecticut +10
3 - Rhode Island +56
4 - Maine +60
5 - Vermont +77
6 - New Hampshire +94
Final Team Leaderboard (Girls)
1 - Massachusetts +34
2 - Rhode Island +46
3 - New Hampshire +49
4 - Maine +60
5 - Connecticut +62
6 - Vermont +126
Top Players From Each State (Boys)
Connecticut: Ben James; 67-66-66-199
Maine: Eli Spaulding; 69-72-71-212
Massachusetts: Colin Spencer; 70-64-70-204
New Hampshire: Bryce Zimmerman; 70-74-81-225
Rhode Island: Maxwell Jackson; 70-72-76-218
Vermont: Austin Giroux; 76-80-72-228
Top Players From Each State (Girls)
Connecticut: Kate Hong; 80-79-86-245
Maine: Ruby Haylock; 78-81-77-236
Massachusetts: Annie Dai; 78-78-74-230*
New Hampshire: June Doerr; 75-78-84-237
Rhode Island: Gianna Papa; 78-79-81-238
Vermont: Mia Politano; 97-91-86-274
*Won in playoff after tie with MacKenzie Whitney
Bay State Players Give Insight On Val Halla
The site of the offices for the Maine State Golf Association is also doubling as the host of the 2021 New England Junior Amateur Championship. Located at 58 Val Halla Road in Cumberland, Maine, the course is an ideal site for a tournament such as the New England Junior Amateur Championship.
The 18-hole track plays to a par-72 and the championship tees stretch back to 6,595 yards. With a 71.5 course rating and a slope of 130, the course presents a unique and exciting challenge for the Massachusetts players, especially when factoring in that none of them have played it previously.
The boys and girls certainly did not take long to get acclimated. Sunday's practice round was the first time all 8 Massachusetts players have ever been to the course, but having just the one round to adjust didn't reflect in their scores.
“It's super straightforward," MacKenzie Whitney said of the course. "There aren't really too many tricky shots you have to do. You just hit it straight and everything seems to work. Most of the par-4’s are the exact same, straight and then wedge in, two-putt for par.”
The design of Val Halla is simple, but the players still need to bring their best game with them to the course.
“You have to hit it well," John Broderick said. "Off the tee, if you’re not hitting it, you’re going to have some issues. There’s a lot of wedge opportunities, but you still have to hit it close. These greens are not crazy fast, but they can be firm in parts. You have to be in the right parts, some greens have a lot of break on them."
Weston Jones shared a similar sentiment regarding the course.
“It's a good course," Jones said. "It’s short, but it's not easy. You still got to hit some really good tee shots, some really good approaches, and then making putts is not an easy task out here. It’s difficult, which is great.”
The low scores help, but the Massachusetts players have certainly enjoyed their time they've spent at Val Halla. The crew played in a seven-some for the practice round on Sunday and that certainly helped them to gain some familiarity and comfort with their surroundings all while having some more fun.
“This has been an awesome experience," Colin Spencer said. “I wasn't really sure what to expect coming in, but it's fun. You can obviously make a lot of birdies which is just fun. It's nice to change it up a little bit, I’ve been at a lot of tough courses, so it's nice to play a course where you can make a bunch of birdies.”
They came in with little knowledge of the course, but the Mass boys and girls will certainly leave with some fond memories of the Val Halla track.
What's Next?
The New England Senior Amateur Championship will begin on September 14th at Manchester Country Club in Vermont.

New England Junior Amateur: Massachusetts Jumps Out To Leads In Both Divisions As Colin Spencer Ties Course Record

8/16/2021

CUMBERLAND. Maine - Two rounds of action are in the books at the 2021 New England Junior Amateur Championship being played at Val Halla Golf Course. On a picture-perfect first day of action, Colin Spencer (Cummaquid Golf Course), of Massachusetts, tied the course record in round 2 as his Bay State squad exerted their dominance in the early rounds.
Spencer led the charge for a strong performance for the Massachusetts boys who shot 18-under par to open up a 22 stroke lead on the rest of the field. Connecticut is the next closest team at 4-over par. On the girls side of the action, Massachusetts again nabbed a lead, albeit much slimmer than the one held by the boys.
ONLINE: RESULTS | EVENT HOMEPAGE | ROUND 3 STARTING TIMES | PAST RESULTS
Boys Division
Massachusetts had no shortage of strong performances on Monday. Led by the trio of Colin Spencer, Weston Jones, and John Broderick the team built up a large lead on the rest of the field.
Spencer had an impressive performance in the morning firing a 1-under 70, but he blew that mark out of the water in the afternoon carding 7 birdies on his way to shooting 64. That mark tied the course record at Val Halla set by Tom Hanson in 1993.
"The morning round was really boring," Spencer said. "I couldn't really get anything going, but I made a lot of good par saves. Then the second round was good...the putts I was making for par saves on the first 18, I was making for birdies on the second, which was good. We had an awesome couple rounds today...I'm excited for tomorrow."
Spencer led the charge for Massachusetts, but Jones himself finished one off tying the course recorded when he shot a 65 in his afternoon round. After a cold morning round in which he shot over par, Jones completely flipped the script his second time through.
“I was missing my tee shots," Jones said of his morning. "I had about three or four really bad tee shots. In the afternoon I really improved off the tee and with striking the ball well. I was putting the ball well in the morning, so it was about as good as I could have done with how I was hitting the ball. Then, when I started hitting it really well it all just kind of came together.”
Spencer and Jones headlined the afternoon, but it was Broderick who got things started the right way for the Bay State boys. He fired a 67 in the morning (4-under par and tied for the best round of the morning) and set the tone for his team.
“The morning I hit it great actually," Broderick said. "I had six birdies and five of them were almost gimmes, so that really helped me not have to be stressed on putts. It allowed for some great opportunities. I did definitely set the tone that you could shoot a good score on this course and it helped our team out.”
Massachusetts was solid in the morning round going 1-under, but they really picked things up in the afternoon shooting 17-under par as a unit. When they took a break for lunch, everyone knew they could do better.
“Aside from Johnny and Colin, we all kind of left a million shots out there and didn't play our best," Jones said. "We all thought alright, we know this course and we know these pins, we're just gonna play better. We all kind of had that confidence and it just led into to the afternoon round.”
Broderick was excited to see his teammates put on a show in the late round.
"I was just so pumped because I love this team," he said. "I think all of us, we really want to win as a team. Obviously all of us want to win as individuals, but I think more than individuals, we want to win as a team."
The group certainly made progress towards that goal on Monday.
Also standing out for his performance was Connecticut's Ben James. A two-time individual winner of the NEGA Junior Amateur Championship and the No. 6 ranked junior golfer in the World by the American Junior Golf Association, James shot 67-66-133 to lead the individual competition.
“I didn’t hit the ball great, but I putted and chipped really well," James said. "I was missing fairways with four irons, but my irons and distance control were really good. That was kind of saving me and my lag putting was very good. I was pretty much an automatic two-putt which is helpful.”
Overall, James had 10 birdies and 1 eagle for the day. Connecticut has won the past two NEGA Junior Amateurs (2019, 2018) and while they have ground to make up to do so again, James is happy to be back playing alongside his friends.
"It's awesome," he said. "I know all these guys and I've known all of them for a while. It's just really fun to kind of bond with each other and that's why I came back. Just to be with my buddies, it's so fun. It's one of the most fun weeks to get to stay in the hotel and be with my friends. I'm going to miss it."
Girls Division
The race for a victory in the girls division is much tighter. Massachusetts leads at 24-over, but they are just two strokes up on Rhode Island and five up on New Hampshire.
MacKenzie Whitney helped to get Massachusetts out in front by shooting 78-74-152 which not only built her team's advantage, but also put her in solo possession of first place on the individual leaderboard.
“This morning I wasn't really hitting my irons that well, so it was kind of a grind with that in the fairway, but I was putting and chipping really well today," Whitney said. "That helped and then this afternoon I just put it all together. My irons started going straight and everything was going straight, so it just worked out in my favor and then my putting was really good this afternoon.”
Whitney was added by the performance of fellow Massachusetts native Annie Dai who shot consecutive rounds of 78 . Dai, who is just 15 and playing in the event for the first time, struggled at times she said, but still made a positive impact for her team.
"I think this course is pretty straightforward," Dai said. “I definitely left some shots out there today, so my goal is to just improve from today. I’m not worried about the leaderboard. This is my first time and it's been really fun. I'm really honored to be part of the team.”
New Hampshire's June Doerr had herself a strong opening day shooting 75-78-153 to finish in solo second on the individual leaderboard and keep her team well within striking distance of a victory.
"The course is beautiful," Doerr said. "The greens were in great condition and it was really nice to be able to be out here and play two rounds. I was doing pretty well on most things, but having the course be in that sort of condition really helped me."
Doerr has her squad squarely in contention and the same can be said for the player who finished just two strokes behind her. Rhode Island's Vinny Papa, playing in her first NEGA Junior Amateur, finished solo third individually after shooting rounds of 77 and 78 for a grand total mark of 155.
“I hit a lot of greens in regulation, but then once I got to the putting green it wasn't so good," Papa said. "At the end I started getting the hang of it and maybe hitting it a little harder, but I did hit my drives well. I wanted to play as well as I could and improve as the days go on.”
Papa helped Rhode Island get to just two shots back of Massachusetts for the lead and their squad is looking to pounce on the opportunity to grab a win in the third and final round.
“I'm pretty excited because this is my first time here and my sister played in 2019," Papa said. "It’s really cool. The goal is actually to win. I think we can maybe pull it off tomorrow. I think all of us didn't play well and we're still in the mix. We can do it.”
Current Team Leaderboard (Boys)
1 – Massachusetts -18
2 - Connecticut +4
3 - Rhode Island +29
4 - Maine +44
5 - Vermont +53
6 - New Hampshire +55
Current Team Leaderboard (Girls)
1 - Massachusetts +24
2 - Rhode Island +26
3 - New Hampshire +29
4 - Connecticut +37
5 - Maine +45
6 - Vermont +88
Top Players From Each State (Boys)
Connecticut: Ben James; 67-66-133
Maine: Eli Spaulding; 69-72-141
Massachusetts: Colin Spencer; 70-64-134
New Hampshire: Bryce Zimmerman; 70-74-144
Rhode Island: Maxwell Jackson; 70-72-142
Vermont: Alex Leonard; 81-71-152
Top Players From Each State (Girls)
Connecticut: Kate Hong; 80-79-159
Maine: Ruby Haylock; 78-81-159
Massachusetts: MacKenzie Whitney; 78-74-152
New Hampshire: June Doerr; 75-78-153
Rhode Island: Gianna Papa; 78-79-157
Vermont: Jillian Miles; 92-92-184
Looking Ahead
The third and final round will once again be a shotgun start. Play is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m. Following the round, winners of the Championship Proper will be determined. The boy's and girl's team championship is determined by taking the 5 best scores out of the 7 total for the boy's and the 2 best scores out of 3 total for the girls.
Individual honors will be award to the low 54-hole finished among the boy's and the girl's. Boys leaders Colin Spencer and Benjamin James will go off together on Hole 1A. On the girls side, MacKenzie Whitney, June Doerr, and Vinny Papa will go off Hole 7.

Paladino Claims 92nd New England Amateur

7/22/2021

MILFORD, Connecticut – Standing on the 18th tee Cody Paladino (Wampanoag CC, CT) needed a par to win the 92nd New England Amateur Championship at Great River GC. Two perfect shots on the par 4 closer left him just 14 feet to negotiate. After just missing his birdie, he knocked home the winning par put from just outside a foot.

Following the winning put was an outpour of emotion from Paladino who immediately embraced his swing coach Tom Rosati. Brought to tears by his victory, Paladino then hugged his mother while getting cheers of support from the crowd surrounding the 18th hole.

ONLINE: RESULTS | EVENT HOMEPAGE | FUTURE SITES

When asked about what this win means, Paladino said “When you hear people win a big event they say, ‘You know I can't really put it into words.’ That is probably the best way to summarize how I feel.”

Having his fair share of close calls over the past two years added to the jubilation he felt on the 18th green “I can't even count how many second-place finishes and I think I'm up to four or five six second place finishes. So, you know, it just, it's amazing to finally have a victory.”

While he made it look easy, Paladino’s triumph came with a few charges from others in the field. Through 5 holes, the top of the leaderboard was bunched with Paladino and Xavier Marcoux (Nashawtuc CC, MA) at -8 and Jack Brown (Nashua CC, NH) at -7. By making par on holes 6-9, Paladino was able to separate himself from the group of leaders. Thanks to a few bogeys by the others, Paladino held a two-stroke lead heading to the back.

On the back, Paladino continued his steady play while Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC, ME) and Owen Quinn (Worcester CC, MA) kept themselves in the hunt by playing even-par golf over the first 10 holes. But it was Manuel that made the made the strongest charge on Paladino. Manuel’s charge started on 13, where he made birdie and carried the momentum to 15 where he poured in another.

The real excitement came on the 17th hole, which is a reachable par 5 for everyone in the field. After his tee shot found the fairway, Manuel delivered a beautifully flighted iron shot that landed just short of the green and ran up to 7 feet. He then jarred the eagle putt to get to -9 for the Championship.

“I knew I had to go for it on 17 but I wasn't in the best position. I just kind of ran it down there and that's what the shot called for.” Said Manuel. “And when I heard it was 5 to 10 feet I was like, ‘oh wow’ I didn't even know I was putting. Then to make that putt was pretty big.” A closing par on 18 left Manuel just one shot short of a playoff.

Jack Brown (Nashua CC, NH) was one of Paladino’s closest competitors throughout the day. A bogey on 14 took him out of contention for the title, but back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 got him to -8 for the Championship and into solo 3rd. He and Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC, MA) joined Paladino as the only players to break par in all 3 rounds of the Championship.

Nicholas Waddington (Manchester CC, RI) posted an impressive 66 on Thursday. He started his day with nine straight pars before getting circle-happy on the back 9. He made 4 birdies and an eagle to shoot a 6-under 30 and get to -2 for the Championship. Waddington finished the Championship T6.

Final Leaderboard
1 – Cody Paladino: Wampanoag CC (CT) (-10) 66-71-69
2 – Caleb Manuel: Brunswick GC (ME) (-9) 72-67-68
3 – Jack Brown: Nashua CC (NH) (-8) 70-68-70
4 – Matt Parziale: Thorny Lea GC (MA) (-6) 70-69-71
5 – Owen Quinn: Worcester CC (CT) (-4) 66-73-73
T6 – Nicholas Waddington: Manchester CC (CT) (-2) 71-77-66
T6 – Xavier Marcoux: Nashawtuc CC (MA) (-2) 69-67-78

Top Players From Each State
Connecticut: Cody Paladino -10
Maine: Caleb Manuel -9
Massachusetts: Matt Parziale -6
New Hampshire: Jack Brown -8
Rhode Island: Bobby Leopold +1
Vermont: Jared Nelson E

Next Up For The NEGA
The New England Golf Association has two more Championships to be played in 2021, the New England Junior Amateur and the New England Senior Amateur. The Junior Amateur will be contested at Val Halla Golf Course in Cumberland, Maine from August 15-17. And the Senior Amateur will be hosted at Manchester Country Club in Manchester, Vermont from September 14-15.

Looking ahead to next season, the New England Amateur will head to Rhode Island. Alpine Country Club (Cranston, RI) will play host to the best players in New England for the 93rd New England Amateur. Next week Alpine CC will host the Rhode Island Stroke Play Championship.

Nothing New for Marcoux; Former Champion Leads by 1

7/21/2021

MILFORD, Connecticut – Heading into the final round of the 92nd New England Amateur Championship, it’s a former champion that holds the solo lead. Xavier Marcoux (Nashawtuc CC, MA) followed up his opening round 69 with a 67 on Wednesday at Great River GC. Those two rounds have him at (-8) and in the lead by one.

One shot back of Marcoux is Cody Paladino (Wampanoag CC, CT) who is at (-7) and enjoying a home game this week. Paladino was the only player from Tuesday’s trio of leaders to break par once again on Wednesday.

ONLINE: LEADERBOARD | ROUND 3 STARTING TIMES | EVENT HOMEPAGE

Marcoux’s 67 was topped by no one on Wednesday, and it was a steady diet of greens in regulation that helped him get there. “I have been just keeping my head down and taking it one shot at a time. My putting has been a key for me. But I have been hitting my irons really well, which has given me a lot of good looks at birdie.”

After his round, Paladino talked about his level of comfort playing in Connecticut this week. “My instructor, Tom Rosati, is the Director of golf here at Great River GC, so I am down here all the time. I play the course once in a while, but there is definitely a comfortability factor for me here.”

As is often the case in the New England, afternoon thunderstorms halted play on Wednesday. The horn blew at 1:25 p.m., but before it did two of the three overnight leaders had completed their rounds. Owen Quinn (Worcester CC, MA) started his round with a birdie on 1, but was tripped up in the middle of his round. He was able to steady the ship with a timely birdie on 17 to get him back to (-5) and squarely in the mix.

Bobby Leopold (Wannamoisett CC, RI) played his second round in a very similar fashion to Quinn. He made an early birdie but caught the bogey-bug through the middle of his round, dropping to 3-under. Like Quinn, he made birdie for the second straight day on the par-5, 17th hole. A closing par on 18 got Leopold into the clubhouse at 4-under, which has him in the mix heading into the final round.

Also completing his round before the suspension of play was Anthony Burnham (Purpoodock GC, ME). Burnham made the biggest jump among the players that finished their round before the horn blew. His 69, which featured 4 birdies and just 1 bogey, helped him climb up the leaderboard, and in a position to make a run for the title in the final round.

Play resumed at 3:12 p.m. after a 1 hour and 47 minute suspension of play. Jack Brown (Nashua CC, NH) and Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC, MA) had no trouble with the break in action. Brown finished the day birdieing two of his last five holes to shoot 68 to get to (-6) for the Championship. Parziale shot 69, making an eagle and a birdie in his closing stretch to get to (-5) and just 3 shots back of the lead.

Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC, ME) finished off his fantastic round just before darkness. After shooting even-par on Tuesday, Manuel poured in the birdies on Wednesday, leading to a 5-under par 67. That was good enough to get Manuel up to T4 alongside Brown and Parziale.

Leaderboard After Round 2*
1 – Xavier Marcoux: Nashawtuc CC (MA) (-8) 69-67
2 – Cody Paladino: Wampanoag CC (CT) (-7) 66-71
3 – Jack Brown: Nashua CC (NH) (-6) 70-68
T4 – Owen Quinn: Worcester CC (MA) (-5) 66-73
T4 – Matt Parziale: Thorny Lea GC (MA) (-5) 70-69
T4 – Caleb Manuel: Brunswick GC (ME) (-5) 72-67
7 – Bobby Leopold: Wannamoisett CC (RI) (-4) 66-74
T8 – Matt Camel: Round Hill Club (CT) (-3) 69-72
T8 – Cameron Sheedy: Vesper CC (MA) (-3) 74-67
T10 – Joseph Harney: Charles River CC (MA) (-2) 72-70
T10 – Mike Kennedy: New Haven CC (CT) (-2) 71-71
T10 – Anthony Burnham: Purpoodock GC (ME) (-2) 73-69
*Play suspended due to darkness; not all competitors have completed round 2

Event Schedule
With a few players still to finish round 2, play will resume on Thursday at 7 a.m. Round 3 will begin at 7:30 a.m. with competitors playing in twosomes. The final group of Marcoux and Paladino will tee off at 11:54 a.m. A trophy presentation will take place immediately following the completion of play.

Top Players From Each State
Connecticut: Cody Paladino (Wampanoag CC) -7
Maine: Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC) -5
Massachusetts: Xavier Marcoux (Nashawtuc CC) -8
New Hampshire: Jack Brown (Nashua CC) -6
Rhode Island: Bobby Leopold (Wannamoisett CC), -4
Vermont: Jared Nelson (Rutland CC) +1

About The Venue
Great River Golf Club is situated on the banks of the Housatonic River in Milford, Connecticut. The course was designed by Architect Tommy Fazio and boasts several Golf Course Accolades from top publications like Golf Digest and Golfweek. The course features a parkland-style front 9 and a links-designed back 9, with water coming into play on each hole.

This is the first time the New England Amateur Championship has been contested at Great River GC, but it’s hosted its share of premiere events like U.S. Open Qualifying and U.S. Amateur Qualifying. The last 5 New England Amateur Championships held in the Nutmeg State were at: Hartford GC (2016), The Course at Yale (2010), Race Brook CC (2004), New Haven CC (1998), and Woodbridge CC (1990).

6's Wild on Day 1 of the New England Amateur Championship

7/20/2021

Photo Credit : Dalton Balthaser - RIGA

MILFORD, Connecticut – The 92nd New England Amateur Championship saw 142 players tee it up in Tuesday’s opening round. Three of those players, all representing different states across New England, signed for a 6-under 66 to grab a share of the early lead at Great River GC (CT).

Owen Quinn (Worcester CC, MA), Bobby Leopold (Wannamoisett CC, RI) and Cody Paladino (Wampanoag CC, CT) shot 6-under-par, and did so in a variety of ways.

ONLINE: LEADERBOARD | ROUND 2 STARTING TIMES | EVENT HOMEPAGE

Quinn was the first in the clubhouse at (-6). Starting on the 10th hole on Tuesday, Quinn got off to a smooth start, but really got hot in the middle of his round. Three straight birdies on holes 17, 18 and 1 got him to (-5). He added another birdie on the par-5 6th, to get it to (-6), before the 7th hole, which played as the most difficult on the course, dealt Quinn his only bogey of the day. A timely bounce-back birdie on 8 got him back to (-6), where he would finish his round.

After winning the Rhode Island Amateur Championship on Sunday, it was no surprise to see Bobby Leopold in good form. During the Rhode Island Am last week, Leopold credited his ball striking as the key to his victory. Tuesday was no different “I started on 10, and hit an okay shot, thought maybe I was a little tired. But then I really started to hit the ball well. I gave myself chances the whole time. It’s a quirky golf course, you’ve got to plot yourself around, and hit the right shot. Sometimes it takes driver out of your hand because it’s better being in the fairway.”

Leopold’s ball striking was evident on the scorecard as well. After making par on his opening hole of the day (the par-3 10th), Leopold proceeded to make birdie on every remaining par-3. And the game plan remains the same for tomorrow “Game plan is the same. I like the way I played it today. I like what I chose to hit off the tee. Get to the fat parts of the green.”

Cody Paladino was the third player to post 66 on Tuesday. The symmetry in scoring was a writer’s dream. His bogey-free round featured birdies, in order, on a par-5, then a par-4, then a par-3. It worked so well, he did it again. His final 3 birdies, which were made over 3-straight holes, again came on a par-5, then a par-4, then a par-3. Paladino is no stranger to the top of the New England Amateur Leaderboard. Last year, he was T6 after the opening round and finished T11.

Connecticut Players Dominate Morning Play

Morning play saw 8 players break par, with 7 of them hailing from Connecticut. The trio of Chris Ayers (Goodwin GC, CT), Matt Camel (Round Hill Club, CT), and Austin Cilley (Lake of Isles GC, CT) all shot matching 69’s to share the early lead at -3.

Ayers had the cleanest of cards among the three morning players at 3-under. His double-bogey on 5 was the only blemish. But his dominance of the par-5’s was the real story of his round. He made birdie on every par 5 at Great River GC - holes 3, 6, 13, and 17.

Ayers, who will be playing his Graduate Year at the University of West Florida, played the first of the Par-5’s as a 3-shot hole, hitting a wedge to kick-in range. He then leaned on some big drives to birdie the rest. “The rest of them I got there in two, or at least on the fringe in two. I took care of business today on the par 5’s. I drove it very accurate and long, which obviously helps a lot on the par 5’s.”

Having never seen the course before, Ayers was very pleased with his round. In looking ahead to tomorrow, the only change to the game plan will be on hole number 4. “Number 4 was very difficult. Tomorrow I will be more aggressive off the tee. Today I left myself too far back, but tomorrow, I’ll try to leave myself a better number in.”

Matt Camel made an early bogey on the par-5, 3rd hole, but then played his next ten holes at 4-under par. His eagle on 17 helped erase bogies on 14 and 18. Austin Cilley started his round on hole 10, and like Camel, used an eagle on 17 to erase bogeys on 14 and 18. Cilley closed strong with birdies on 6 and 9 to finish the day.

The other five players to break par all shot a 1-under-par 71. Four of those five players hail from Connecticut, with the only non-Connecticut player in the group being Max Ferrari (Framingham CC, MA).

Leaderboard After Round 1
T1 – Owen Quinn: Worcester CC (MA) (-6) 66
T1 – Bobby Leopold: Wannamoisett CC (RI) (-6) 66
T1 – Cody Paladino: CC of Farmington (CT) (-6) 66
T4 – Matt Camel: Round Hill Club (CT) (-3) 69
T4 – Austin Cilley: Lake of Isles GC (CT) (-3) 69
T4 – Chris Ayers: Goodwin GC (CT) (-3) 69
T4 – Xavier Marcoux: Nashawtuc CC (MA) (-3) 69
T8 – Ben Kelly: Blue Hill CC (MA) (-2) 70
T8 – Jack Brown: Nashua CC (NH) (-2) 70
T8 – Matt Parziale: Thorny Lea GC (MA) (-2) 70

Event Schedule
Round 2 is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. off both the 1st and 10th tee on Wednesday. Following Round 2, the field will be cut to top-60 and ties. The Final Round is scheduled to take place Thursday.

About the New England Amateur Championship
New for 2021, the New England Amateur will be contested as a 54-hole Championship, with 18 holes played on each day of the competition. The field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes. Previously the event was a 72-hole Championship with 36-holes being played on the third and final day.

This year, qualifying took place in June at four different venues: Indian Pond CC (MA), Haverhill CC (MA), Battleboro CC (VT), and Tunxis CC (CT). Medalists (and Co-Medalists) of the qualifiers:

Indian Pond: Jared Winiarz (Norton CC, MA)
Haverhill: Jack Tobin (Marlborough CC, MA) & Eric Boulger (Walpole CC, MA)
Battleboro: Mike Kennedy (New Haven CC, CT)
Tunxis: Matthew Chorches (Hartford GC, CT), Joe Ensign (TPC River Highlands, CT), and Matt Conti (Walpole CC, MA)

In 2020, John Broderick (Dedham C&PC, MA) won the rain-shortened event in a playoff over Nick Maccario (Bradford CC, MA) at Concord CC (MA). Xavier Marcoux, who recently qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship, won the event in 2019 at The Quechee Club (VT). The last time the New England Amateur was held in Connecticut was in 2016 at Harford GC. That year James Turner (Bass Rocks GC, MA) ran away with the title, winning by 5 strokes.

Dree Fausnaugh Captures New England Women's Amateur Title

6/30/2021

By Dalton Balthaser, RIGA
RUMFORD, R.I. – When Dree Fausnaugh made the turn in the final round she sat three shots behind Day Two leader Mia Grzywinski.
Instead of thinking she had to press and try to make birdies, she stuck to her game plan.
“I went into today knowing that Mia is a great player that doesn’t make any mistakes,” said Fausnaugh, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H. “She hits the ball really straight and doesn’t miss any putts. I knew she would be tough to catch.”
Fausnaugh’s bogey-free final round of 68 was good enough for a one-shot victory in the New England Women’s Amateur Wednesday at Agawam Hunt (par 71, 5,781 yards) in Rhode Island.
Fausnaugh finished with a three-day total of 3 under.
Grzywinski bogeyed three of her final four holes to finish at 2 under for the tournament. One shot out of getting into a playoff after her final round of 71.
“When I made my way back across the street to No. 15 (par 4, 365 yards) that’s when I felt things change,” said Grzywinski, 20, of Farmington, Conn. “At Agawam Hunt, coming across the street signifies getting to the end of the round. I was tired and I just trying to hang on. Maybe that wasn’t the best attitude to have.”
Grzywinski had a two-shot lead when she reached the tee on No. 15. But then she bogeyed the next three holes to fall one shot behind. She had a 25-footer at the last (par 4, 401 yards) to get into a playoff, but it came up just short.
“The goal should always be to hit the best shot that I can at each time,” said Grzywinski, a rising junior at Quinnipiac University. “That’s the biggest thing I learned.”
Fausnaugh had work of her own to do. She found herself in the greenside rough for her third. It was a fairly simple chip but the pressure made it much more difficult.
“I hit a ton of those chips before,” said Fausnaugh. “I knew it was close, but I didn’t know exactly where I stood, and I think that helped me ease any pressure I would have felt. I am happy I didn’t know where I stood. I felt the pressure over that putt, but I didn’t miss a 3-footer all round and I wasn’t going to miss it on the last.”
She didn’t.
“I was just trying to play my own game,” said Fausnaugh. “I wasn’t sure where I was on the leaderboard. I knew that I was within a few shots but didn’t know for sure. I tried to pace myself throughout the round. I wanted to stay at 3 under and I was focused on that.”
Throughout the round, Fausnaugh stayed in her own element. She stayed mentally focused on what she needed to do on each given shot. She never got too high or too low. She stayed calm under pressure, and it paid off in the end.
She’s the first golfer from New Hampshire to claim the New England Women’s Amateur since Dana Harrity who won the event at Keene Country Club in 2014 in her home state.
“Winning this event gives me a huge confidence boost,” said Fausnaugh. “This is the biggest win of my career. Being able to come out here and beat the best female golfers in New England is awesome.”
Tournament Division
Kibbe Reilly of Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island claimed the Tournament Division with a three-day total of 248. She won by three shots over Kim Pappathanasi of Renaissance (Mass.)
She carded a final round of 77 (par 71, 5,508 yards).
“When you get all six New England states together it is a huge deal,” said Reilly, 65, of Providence, R.I. “To be able win a division of the New England Women’s Amateur means a lot.”

Grzywinski Surges Late To Take Lead At New England Amateur

6/29/2021

By Dalton Balthaser, RIGA
RUMFORD, R.I. - Mia Grzywinski made the turn in 2 over and was visibly frustrated.
“I was angry after making the turn in 2 over,” said Grzywinski. “I was starting to feel tired and I was hungry.”
Temperatures once again reached the high 90s Tuesday with a real-feel temperature of 110 degrees at its peak.
Grzywinski aided by a back nine of 4-under, is the player to beat after a second round of 69 in the New England Women’s Amateur at Agawam Hunt (par 71, 5,815 yards).
A total of 71 players made the cut with 54 coming from the Championship Division and 17 coming from the Tournament Division.
Her two-day total of 2 under is good enough for a two-shot lead over Dree Fausnaugh who sits at even par. Grzywinski shot 71 in the opening round.
“My game turning around had more to do with being tired than anything,” said Grzywinski, 20, of Farmington, Conn. “Because I was tired I was more relaxed, and I just had to trust myself. I took a lot of the mental game out of it.”
She got back to even par on her round with birdies on Nos. 11 (par 3, 121 yards) and 12 (par 5, 416 yards).
Then the floodgates opened.
She carded three consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 (par 4, 365 yards), 16 (par 3, 133 yards) and 17 (par 4, 349 yards).
It was a crisp 8-iron from 138 yards to 10 feet on No. 15. She got away with a thin 7-iron on 16 that cozied up to three feet. And on No. 17 she smoothed a pitching wedge from 110 yards to two feet.
She bogeyed the last to halt all the momentum she built but was still smiling when she finished.
Throughout the round her mental attitude was one only of positivity. When she was struggling on the front nine, she kept smiling and kept her head up. You could catch her laughing with her boyfriend turned caddie Chris Fosdick, a good player in his own right at the University of Virginia.
“I have been working hard on my mental game,” said Grzywinski. “I read if you are smiling when you aren’t happy it helps you get rid of any bad thoughts. It has worked well for me.”
Grzywinski recently won the Hartford Women’s Open in June after a final round of 4 under-par 66. While she wasn’t in the lead heading into the final round, there was plenty she learned from that experience.
“I was behind by one shot in the Hartford Women’s Open,” said Grzywinski, a rising junior at Quinnipiac University. “And I can’t say I have been in this type of position before when it comes to sleeping with the lead. I will come in with no expectations tomorrow. I will take it one shot at a time. I am going to come out here and stay calm, have fun and play.”
Fausnaugh carded a round of 71, the exact same round as Monday. But birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 (par 4, 421 yards) put her in solo second. She hit a 5-iron on a string from 170 yards to six feet on the challenging last.
“Today’s round was really a grind,” said Fausnaugh, 24. “I shot the same score on Monday that I did today but yesterday was a much smoother round. I tried to not get ahead of myself. There are a lot of birdie holes out here, I must stay patient. Ending with two birdies was huge for my confidence heading into tomorrow.”

Molly Smith Leading After Round 1 Of New England Women's Amateur

6/28/2021

By Dalton Balthaser, RIGA
RUMFORD, R.I. – The temperatures played a part in Day One of the New England Women’s Amateur.
Severe heat and humidity gave each golfer in the field a challenge. Trying to stay hydrated and keep their energy levels up.
Molly Smith stayed cool.
Smith, aided by a steady driver and iron game, seized the Day One #NEWAmateur lead with a round of 70 (1 under) Monday at Agawam Hunt (par 71, 5,825 yards).
She holds a one-shot lead over Mia Grzywinski of Connecticut and Dree Fausnaugh of New Hampshire who both carded 71s
Her under par round was the only one of the day out of the 93 total competitors.
“I have played a lot of tournament golf recently,” said Smith. “I realized I was playing too conservatively. I was playing to the front of the green as opposed to hitting it the right distance. This course is receptive to approach shots. I tried to play the yardage and choose a club that would get me to the hole.”
Smith’s start matched the weather, red-hot.
“The biggest key for me playing in hot and humid conditions is to have a dry glove,” said Smith, of Vesper Country Club (Mass.). “I carry four gloves. When it is hot, and your hands get sweaty I keep that in mind.”
She birdied three of her first eight holes and made the turn in 2 under.
She two-putted for birdie on No. 4 (par 5, 459 yards) after hitting a 3-wood on a rope from 225 yards to 15 feet.
Smith canned a 40-footer for birdie on No. 7 (par 4, 300 yards) and a 10-footer on No. 8 (par 3, 127 yards).
Her final birdie of the day came on No. 12 (par 5, 416 yards) where she rolled in a tap-in birdie after a crisp chip.
“I need to roll more putts in,” said Smith, 16, of Westford, Mass. “I had some good birdie looks on the back nine and I didn’t convert them. I wasn’t confident in my putter and that is not the attitude you want to have. I need to trust my putter and things will work out.”
Smith recently qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. with a round of 1-over-par 73 at George Wright Golf Course in Massachusetts.
She will be in the final pairing for Day Two, but there is plenty of golf to be played. Smith said she doesn’t want to get ahead of herself.
“I read somewhere recently that if you are swinging well things will work out,” said Smith. “You will make more putts. There are still two rounds to go so if I can keep that mindset and stay patient, I like where I stand.”
Defending champion, Megan Buck of Thorny Lea Golf Club (Mass.) shot an opening round of 74 and sits in a tie for seventh.
She started 4 over through the first two holes but rebounded with four consecutive birdies. She will look to become the first person to successfully defend the New England Women’s Amateur since clubmate Shannon Johnson did it in 2018-19.
“I was proud of myself after that start, I stayed calm,” said Buck, 33, of North Easton, Mass. “This is a 54-hole event so you can’t get too frustrated too quickly.

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