BRETTON WOODS, New Hampshire – On the second and final day of the New England Senior Amateur Championship, Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC; MA) emerged victorious after a tight race to the finish Wednesday at Mount Washington Resort Golf Club. The Senior Amateur marks the final NEGA event of the season.

Vana, 58, who took home an NEGA victory for the first time, followed up a 3-under-par 69 with a 2-over 74 to finish 1-under overall and edge defending champion Bob Kearney (Bretwood GC; NH) and Gary Shover (Williston GC; VT) by 1 stroke.  "I’ve been playing in NEGA events for a long time, so it was nice to check that box off,” said Vana, a 2016 Mass Golf Hall of Fame Inductee. “We play a lot of great tournaments, and it’s nice to win this one.”

Dave Szewczul (TPC River Highlands; CT) placed T4 overall but earned the Super Senior Division (65-over) with an overall score of 1-over 145.

ONLINE: FINAL SCORES | PHOTO GALLERY | PAST CHAMPIONS | NEGA SENIOR AMATEUR HOMEPAGE

After a cold, blustery practice round Monday, the 120 players in the field got comfortable, yet still relatively windy, conditions on both days, with firm greens and fairways.​

​Vana started in the final pairing at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and rolled in eight straight pars to stay at 3-under. However, he dropped to 1-under after a  double bogey on the 9th hole. Despite making birdie on the  11th and 12th holes, he added another double of the 14th to pull into a tie with Szewczul. Vana, however,  said he was unfazed down  the  stretch as he was able to 2-putt for par on the final four holes to earn the victory. On the final hole, he rolled his 40-foot birdie putt to  about 2 feet and was able to finish with a tap-in par.  

"It didn't really bother me," Vana said of the two double-bogies. "I felt in control; I just hit a couple of bad shots. Both are hard holes. I didn't hit good shots and paid the price."

Shover, who has won four consecutive Vermont Senior Amateur Championships, followed up a 1-over  73 with 1-under 71 on Wednesday to move into contention, but two bogies on the back nine proved costly.  Kearney, meanwhile, had four birdies and two bogeys on the front nine. Kearney made par eight times on the back nine, but like Vana, made double bogey on the 214-yard, par-3 14th hole, which only had five birdies made Wednesday.

​Szewczul, a legend in the Connecticut Amateur circuit, was tied at 71 with Jack Kearney (Westover GC) for the Super Senior lead after Round 1, but Szewczul shot a 74 on Wednesday to edge Kearney by a stroke.

Tai Lee (Granite Links GC; MA) shot the low round for the final day with a 2-under 70 to finish T6 with five other players. Also notable, Shawn McLoughlin, 77, (Ridgewood CC (CT) shot two strokes below his age in Tuesday's  opening round, and finished with a 78 in the  final round. 

Final Leaderboard
1 - Frank Vana; Marlborough CC (MA); -1; 143
T2 - Gary Shover Williston GC (VT); E; 144
T2 - Bob Kearney; Bretwood GC (NH); E; 144
T4 - Michael Mertes; Crumpin-Fox Club (MA); +1; 145
T4 - Dave Szewczul; TPC River Highlands (CT); +1; 145
T6 - Tai Lee; Granite Links GC (MA); +2; 146
T6 - David Boggini; Manchester CC (CT); +2; 146
T6 - Darren Corrente; Wannamoisett CC (RI); +2; 146
T6 - Brian Cain; CC of Vermont (VT); +2; 146
T6 - Craig Steckowych; Portsmouth CC (NH); +2; 146
T6 - Jack Kearney; Westover GC (MA); +2; 146

Top Finisher From Each State
Connecticut – T4 (+1) Dave Szewczul
New Hampshire – T10 (E) Bob Kearney (Bretwood GC)
Maine – T12 (+1) Len Cole (Falmouth CC); Keith Patterson (Biddleford-Saco CC)
Rhode Island – T12 (+1) Bruce Heterick (Metacomet CC); Darren Corrente (Wannamoisett CC)
Vermont – T12 (+2) Brian Cain CC (CC of Vermont); Gary Shover (Williston GC)
 
For more information, visit the NEGA web site at negagolf.org. Follow the NEGA on social media @NEGA_Golf.
 
==============================
About the New England Golf Association (NEGA): negagolf.org
The New England Golf Association ®, established in 1926, is a 501(c)3 amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In addition to serving the needs of golf in New England, the organization's primary purpose is to conduct the following premier tournament events: New England Amateur Championship ®, New England Junior Amateur Invitational, New England Girls’ Junior Amateur Invitational, and New England Senior Amateur Championship

BRETTON WOODS, New Hampshire – The 23rd annual New England Senior Amateur Championship made its return to the Granite State as 120 players comprising all six New England states competed on a blustery Tuesday at the Donald Ross-designed Mt. Washington Resort Golf Club. By the end of the day, four players finished with a share of the lead at 3-under-par 69.
The Championship will conclude with the final round Wednesday, with tee times beginning at 8 a.m.

ONLINE: LEADERBOARD | ROUND 2 TEE TIMES | NEGA SENIOR AMATEUR HOMEPAGE

In the morning wave, Massachusetts players Andrew Falcone (Plymouth CC) and Frank Vana (Marlborough CC) rose to  the top of the leaderboard, making five and six birdies, respectively, to shoot 3-under. James Staffieri (Salem CC; MA) and Connecticut's Bob Murphy (Brownson CC) matched them in the afternoon as both finished their round by making birdie on the 18th.

Murphy will tee off at 1:35 p.m. Wednesday, while Falcone, Vana and Staffieri have the final tee time at 1:45 p .m.  All four players have a chance to win the NEGA Senior Amateur for the first time. 

Don Foberg (Plymouth CC; MA); shot a 2-under 70 and leads the Super Senior Division, which consisted of players 65  years and older. He is also T5 overall with Connecticut's Richard  Malafronte (Indian Hill CC).

Defending champion Bob Kearney (Bretwood GC; NH) is currently T10 after firing an even-par 72  in the opening round. 
 
Day 1 Leaderboard
T1 - Andrew Falcone; Plymouth CC (MA); -3; 69
T1 - Bob Murphy; Brownson CC (CT); -3; 69 
T1 - Frank Vana; Marlborough CC (MA); -3; 69 
T1 - James Staffieri; Salem CC (MA); -3; 69 
T5 - Don Foberg; Plymouth CC (MA); -2; 70
T5 - Richard Malafronte; Indian Hill CC (CT); -2; 70
T7 - Dave Szewczul; TPC River Highlands (CT); -1; 71
T7 - Jack Kearney; Westover GC (MA); -1; 71 
T7 - Ronald Laverdiere; Crumpin-Fox Club (MA); -1; 71 

Top Performers From Each State
Connecticut – T1 (-3) Bob Murphy
Massachusetts – T1 (-3) Andrew Falcone; Frank Vana; James Staffieri 
New Hampshire – T10 (E) Bob Kearney (Bretwood GC)
Maine – T12 (+1) Len Cole (Falmouth CC); Keith Patterson (Biddleford-Saco CC)
Rhode Island – T12 (+1) Bruce Heterick (Metacomet CC); Darren Corrente (Wannamoisett CC)
Vermont – T12 (+2) Brian Cain CC (CC of Vermont); Gary Shover (Williston GC)
 
For more information, visit the NEGA web site at negagolf.org. Follow the NEGA on social media @NEGA_Golf.
 
==============================
About the New England Golf Association (NEGA): negagolf.org
The New England Golf Association ®, established in 1926, is a 501(c)3 amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In addition to serving the needs of golf in New England, the organization's primary purpose is to conduct the following premier tournament events: New England Amateur Championship ®, New England Junior Amateur Invitational, New England Girls’ Junior Amateur Invitational, and New England Senior Amateur Championship

Concord, Massachusetts – A hot and humid morning gave way to afternoon thunderstorms causing a 5 hour weather delay. Due to the delay, the originally scheduled 72 hole Championship at Concord Country Club (MA) was reduced to 54 holes. Following the delay, John Broderick (Dedham C&P Club; MA) was the player to hoist the Harry B. McCracken, Jr. Trophy awarded to the winner of the New England Amateur Championship.
 
Prior to the delay Broderick, who is just 16 years old, was playing a fine round of golf after coming into the day as the leader by two. Starting his round on hole 10, Broderick had a run of steady pars to start his round before making one of his only two bogeys of the day at the difficult par-3 15th hole. He bounced back quickly by taking care of business on the par-5’s (17 & 1), making birdie on both. With Nick Maccario (Bradford CC; MA) making a run of his own, Broderick needed a birdie on one of the closing holes to grab a piece of the lead. He did that on the 7th hole (his 16th hole) with a birdie that got him to 4-under par for the tournament.
 
Then the weather turned.
 
Following a few nice shots and a good lag put on 8, the horn blew for a dangerous weather situation. After a 5-plus hour delay, Broderick made his way back out to the 8th hole, knowing exactly what he needed to do. He knocked in his 2-foot par putt and then stepped right up and delivered a beautiful shot right over the flagstick on 9. His two-putt par tied him with Maccario and sent the two to a playoff.
 
On the first playoff hole (13), both players made standard 2-putt pars. They then stepped up to the 14th hole, with white stakes lining both left and right, and delivered perfect drives up the right center of the fairway. Broderick played first and put the pressure on, hitting his approach shot to 5 feet. Maccario followed with a fine shot of his own, just outside of Broderick. Almost certain he would need birdie, Maccario put a good stroke on his birdie attempt, but just burned the edge. Wasting no time, Broderick quickly moved in and buried his birdie putt for the win.
 
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"It's amazing. It really shows that I'm at that level now. I really improved so much in the last year. At the start of the year, I wasn't really playing my best. I played the GolfWeek Junior Open last week and I really found something in my swing. Coming into this tournament, I felt really great. It really shows I can play with these guys and I can beat these guys." said Broderick.
 
Talking about the approach shot on the winning hole, he added “I had 132 yards, which I actually had the exact same number earlier and I hit a soft pitching wedge and I hit it past the hole for a tough two-putt. My caddie was like, just try to hit a bomb gap wedge and I just a bomb gap wedge to 5-6 feet. “
 

 
Maccario’s 3rd Round 67 was enough to propel him to the top of the leaderboard just before the weather delay. Heading into the Final Round, Maccario was 2 strokes off the lead. Starting the day on the tenth hole, he made par on his first three holes before hitting his approach shot tight on 13 leading to his first birdie of the day. On his final hole, Maccario hit a proper shot, 15 feet past the front pin, and two-putted for a closing par.
 
Talking about finishing 2nd at both the Massachusetts and New England Amateur, Maccario said “Two seconds, the fields are super deep, these guys are so good. John's 16 years old. That's outrageous, I was not doing this at 16, so credit to him. I feel like I hit it good. He made birdie to win so credit to him for doing that.”
 
The round of the day came from Mike Calef (Pine Oaks GC; MA) who shot final round 66. He made 8 birdies on the day, leading to his impressive score of 4-under par, and propelling him into a tie for 6th place at (+3).
 
Jared Nelson (Rutland CC; VT) was the only other player to shoot under-par in the final round. He finished off his round with an impressive up-and-down from a tough spot right of the 9th green. In total, Nelson made 5 birdies which helped him to a 1-under par 69 and a 5th place finish.
 
Other top scores from Thursday included a pair of even-par 70’s by James Imai (George Wright GC; MA) and Bill Forcier (Wannamoisett CC; RI).
 
Final Leaderboard
1 – John Broderick; Dedham C&P Club (MA) (-4) 69 *Won In Playoff
2 – Nick Maccario; Bradford CC (MA) (-4) 67
3 – Caleb Manuel; Brunswick GC (ME) (69) (-2) 69
4 – Christian Emmerich; Kernwood CC (MA) (+1) 71
5 – Jared Nelson; Rutland CC (VT) (+2) 69
T6 – Mike Calef; Pine Oaks GC (MA) (+3) 66
T6 – Timothy Umphrey; Tatnuck CC (MA) (+3) 74
 
 
Top Finishers From Each State
Connecticut – T9 (+4) James Sheltman (Alling Memorial GC)
Massachusetts – 1st (-4) John Broderick (Dedham C&P Club)
Maine – 3rd (-2) Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC)
New Hampshire – T8 (+4) William Huang (GC of New England)
Rhode Island – T14 (+6) Bobby Leopold (Wannamoisett CC)
Vermont – 5th (+2) Jared Nelson (Rutland CC)
 
Next up for the NEGA is the Senior Amateur Championship at Mt. Washington Resort GC in Bretton Woods, NH on September 15th and 16th. For more information, visit the NEGA web site at negagolf.org. Follow the NEGA on social media @NEGA_Golf.
 
==============================
About the New England Golf Association (NEGA): negagolf.org
The New England Golf Association ®, established in 1926, is a 501(c)3 amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In addition to serving the needs of golf in New England, the organization's primary purpose is to conduct the following premier tournament events: New England Amateur Championship ®, New England Junior Amateur Invitational, New England Girls’ Junior Amateur Invitational, and New England Senior Amateur Championship

​Concord, Massachusetts – On Wednesday, the morning wave of players were greeted with a light rain to start the day. By the end of the day it was hot and sunny as competitors finished play on day two of the 91st New England Amateur Championship. And the player everyone is chasing is 16-year-old John Broderick (Dedham C&P Club; MA).
 
Broderick shot the round of the day making 7 birdies en route to a 5-under par 65. Starting his day on the back 9, he birdied 3 of his first 5 holes. His only blemish of the day was a double bogey on 15, but he bounced back quickly with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17. Broderick finished strong, shooting a bogey-free 33 on the front nine.
 
“It felt great, honestly leading up to this tournament I felt good I really like this course. I played some high school golf here. I love the course and I love the front nine. Yesterday my driver was just not that good. I kind of scrapped it around the course, but today I had 12 putts inside twelve feet. I was just hitting it great all day. I feel great going into tomorrow.” said Broderick.
 
In the morning, it was a round of 2-under par (68) by Jack Tegan (TPC of Boston; MA) that set the pace. Tegan got off to a good start, making birdie on 11, his second hole of the day. After a bogey on 18 (his 9th hole), he kept a clean card on the front with birdies on six and seven. His 68 helped move him to one-under par for the tournament and into a tie for second place. Tegan was able to take advantage of softer conditions brought on by the morning rain.
 
“The game feels pretty good, the course was softer today, you could hit your shots the right yardage and they’d stop or spin. I had an earlier tee time so everything was soft. The only hard part is some of those pins you just can’t be in the wrong side. If you put yourself in some good spots and make a couple putts.” said Tegan.
  
The other players to finish at 1-under par after two rounds of play included William Huang (GC of New England; NH), who played alongside John Broderick. Nick Maccario (Bradford CC; MA) shot a bogey-free 67 to jump into the group at 1-under. Round one co-leaders Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC; ME) and Timothy Umphrey (Tatnuck CC; MA) shot matching 73’s to stay in the mix at 1-under par.
 
Only four other players were able to muster rounds under par on the day, all shooting 1-under par 69: Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC; MA), Tommy Dallahan (Hartford GC; CT), Bill Forcier (Wannamoisett CC; RI), and Herbie Aikens (Old Sandwich GC; MA). Parziale’s 69 got him to even par for the tournament and into a good position for the final two rounds. Dallahan got back to +1 for the tournament, also a good position heading into Thursday while Forcier’s 69 helped him make the cut on the number.
 
ONLINE: ROUND 2 SCORES | ROUND 3 STARTING TIMES | NEGA AMATEUR
 
The Best From Each State
After two rounds of play the top scores from each state were:
Connecticut – T9 (+1) Tommy Dallahan (Hartford GC)
Massachusetts – 1st (-3) John Broderick (Dedham C&P Club)
Maine – T2 (-1) Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC)
New Hampshire – T2 (-1) William Huang (GC of New England)
Rhode Island – T9 (+1) Andrew O’Leary (Pawtucket CC)
Vermont – 12th (+2) Bryson Richards (CC of Barre)
 
Play will resume on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. when the remaining 46 players begin play in round 3. Players will go off in twosomes off split tees. Round 4 will also take place Thursday, beginning shortly after round 3.
 
A Tew Club Championships at Concord Country Club
Take a quick walk around the clubhouse at Concord Country Club and you will see many artifacts showcasing the proud history of the club. One name you’re sure to see is John Tew, longtime member and five-time Club Champion at Concord. Tew won his first Club Championship in 1976 at the age of 21, and the last of his five in 1985.
 
You would think 5 Club Championships was impressive, but that’s nothing compared to the 12 Club Championships he also won at the Wianno Club down on the Cape. At Wianno, Tew won his first Club Championship in 1972 at the age of 17. In collecting his 12 Championships, he accomplished the feat of winning a Club Championship in 5 different decades.

Tew is still a proud member at Concord CC and carries a handicap ranging from 3-5 throughout the season.
 
Super Conditions at Concord Country Club
One thing that every player can agree on at the 91st New England Amateur Championship is the beauty and condition of the golf course. Peter Rappoccio has been the Superintendent at Concord Country Club for 11 years and is also the president of GCSANE and the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation. Members and players alike have been raving about the course throughout the week and it has been easy to see why.
 
Following his round on Wednesday, Jack Tegan said this about the course: “The course is so nice, even when it was soft and got a lot of rain, there were no mud balls off the tee or anything. It’s a perfect course.”

Along with his normal crew, Rappoccio has brought in a secret weapon to help maintain the course throughout the Championship. Rappoccio’s father, also Peter, was a longtime (40 years) Superintendent at Silver Springs CC in Connecticut, but has come out of retirement to join the crew for the week.
 
For more information, visit the NEGA web site at negagolf.org. Follow the NEGA on social media @NEGA_Golf.
 
==============================
About the New England Golf Association (NEGA): negagolf.org
The New England Golf Association ®, established in 1926, is a 501(c)3 amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
 

​Concord, Massachusetts – Early Tuesday morning, the first tee shots were struck at Concord Country Club, marking the start of the 91st New England Amateur Championship. In total 144 players from all 6 New England states teed it up on a warm and sunny day. At the end of the day it would be UConn Huskies past and future atop the leaderboard.
 
Of the morning wave of players, it was former Husky, Timothy Umphrey (Tatnuck CC; MA) who set the pace with a round of 4-under par 66. Umphrey made 6 birdies in total and had a run of 4 birdies over 6 holes in the middle of his round. “I put myself in good spots on the greens and I got a few putts to go. In the middle of the round I had a good birdie streak and hit good wedge shots and made some putts.” said Umphrey.
 
In the afternoon, it was a future Husky, Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC; ME) who fired a matching 66. Like Umphrey, Manuel made 6 birdies on the day. He credited his string of 3-stright birdies as being the key to his round “I birdied five, six and seven so that got me to 3-under, but I was just staying patient and knew that par would be a good score out there today.” Talking about Concord CC, Manuel said “It’s definitely firmer and faster than the courses up in Maine. I just kept it below the hole and kept it in play, hitting it in the right spots. I expected it to be a little tougher than the last couple of years.”
 
ONLINE: ROUND 1 SCORES | ROUND 2 STARTING TIMES | NEGA AMATEUR
 
Other top rounds from the morning wave included a 3-under par 67 by Christian Emmerich (Kernwood CC; MA) and 1-under par 69 by Andrew O’Leary (Pawtucket CC; RI). Emmerich and O’Leary both took care of business on the two par 5’s at Concord CC, making birdie on both. Emmerich made 5 birdies on the day while O’Leary made 4.
 
With the heat cranked up in the afternoon, only one player other than Manuel was able to shoot under par. Richard Dowling (Golf Performance Center; CT) finished strong with birdies on seven and eight (his 16th and 17th hole of the day) which helped him to 1-under par 69. Dowling, a longtime supporter of the NEGA Junior, presented by Junior Golf Hub, was the low amateur from Connecticut at the 2019 New England Amateur.
 

Timothy Umphrey shot a morning 66 to set the pace at the New England Amateur (David Colt)
 
Leaderboard After Round 1
T1 – Timothy Umphrey; Tatnuck CC (MA) (-4) 66
T1 – Caleb Manuel; Brunswick GC (ME) (-4) 66
3 – Christian Emmerich; Kernwood CC (MA) (-3) 67
T4 – Andrew O’Leary; Pawtucket CC (RI) 69
T4 – Richard Dowling; Golf Performance Center (CT) 69
T6 – Max Ferrari; Framingham CC (MA) (E) 70
T6 – James Sheltman; Alling Memorial GC (CT) (E) 70
T6 – Ryan Tomaso; Kohr Golf Center (MA) (E) 70
T6 – Jack Brown; Nashua CC (NH) (E) 70
T6 – James Imai; George Wright GC (MA) (E) 70
T6 – Cody Paladino; CC of Farmington (CT) (E) 70
T6 – Max Hutter; Weston GC (MA) (E) 70
T6 – Liam Gill; Marlborough CC (MA) (E) 70
 
The first New England Amateur was conducted in 1926 at Rhode Island Country Club and was won by Frank C. Newton of Massachusetts. The Championship has been held annually since then, with a four-year hiatus during WWII from 1942 - 1945. Over the years, the Championship has been won by some of New England Golf's greats including Brad Faxon, Bill Andrade, James Dirscoll, and Jim Renner. The event was contested as a Match Play Championship until 1971, when the format was changed to current model of 72-holes of Stroke Play.
 

 
Fun With The Pairings
As is the case in many championships, there were a number of fun and interesting pairings on day 1 of the 91st New England Amateur.
 
Two groups were comprised of past champions. At 8:14 off of hole 1, it was the group of Xavier Marcou (’19 Champion; MA), Reese McFarlane (’18; ME) and Bobby Leopold (’17; RI). At 1:43, off of hole 1 was the group of James Turner (’16; MA), Nick McLaughlin (’15; MA) and Matt Parziale (’09; MA). The other past champion in the field is Brian Higgins (’10; MA) who was paired with Timothy Umphrey.
 
One group was comprised of players whose father is the Head Professional at their member club. This group included Jacob Zaranek (Brattleboro CC; VT), Cooper Griffin (Woodland GC; MA), and Colin Spencer (Cummaquid GC: MA).
 
Play will resume on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. with the second round of the New England Amateur.
 
For more information, visit the NEGA web site at negagolf.org. Follow the NEGA on social media @NEGA_Golf.
 
==============================
About the New England Golf Association (NEGA): negagolf.org
The New England Golf Association ®, established in 1926, is a 501(c)3 amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In addition to serving the needs of golf in New England, the organization's primary purpose is to conduct the following premier tournament events: New England Amateur Championship ®, New England Junior Amateur Invitational, New England Girls’ Junior Amateur Invitational, and New England Senior Amateur Championship