WATERBURY, Vermont - After taking a big lead in Round 1, Massachusetts' Morgan Smith never looked back at the New England Women's Amateur Championship, coming away with the Championship and Junior Division titles at the Country Club of Vermont on Wednesday.

Massachusetts' Sana Tufail made a late move in the standings to finish as Runner-Up. Sue Curtin, also of Massachusetts, captured the Tournament Division and Senior Division trophies with a 9-over 225. 

Smith ended the event with a 7-under 209. She is the first junior to win the event since Rhode Island’s Anna Grzebian in 2003 and the first teenager to do so since Rhode Island’s Samantha Morrell accomplished the feat in 2010. 

“It’s my first ever pretty big tournament win so I’m really happy,” Smith said.

Though she held a significant lead for much of the competition, Smith didn’t let the advantage alter her strategy.

“I just kind of stuck to the game plan of playing my own game,” she said. “Obviously going into today there’s a little bit more pressure since it’s the final day of the tournament and I had a bit of a bumpy start, but I was able to turn it around still play pretty good today.”

Smith’s Day 3 performance was highlighted by a string of three birdies on the front nine — capped off with an eagle on the par-4 7th hole — and two straight birdies on holes 17 and 18 to secure the win.

Her final score, a 7-under 209, was the best 54-hole mark in the championship since Grzebian recorded a 206 in 2006. 

Tufail shot a 5-over 221 en route to her Runner-Up finish after surging on the back nine. She shot a 34 on holes 10 through 18, the best back-nine score of the day.

She again preached “damage limitation” as the key to her success throughout the championship, though she feels she had room for improvement on her play earlier in the event.

“I’m getting better the second and third rounds but I think it’s just being able to start off the first round better,” she said. “And again, that may be constant preparation, learning the course a bit better in the practice rounds, knowing where to be and where not to be, but I’m definitely very happy with the way my game is trending.”

Tufail tied with Massachusetts native Molly Smith for the second-best Round 3 score with an even-par 72, one stroke back of Morgan Smith. 

Molly Smith's 72, a five-stroke improvement from the second round, moved her into a tie for third with the University of Maryland's Angela Garvin, another Massachusetts competitor, at 7 over. 

The Legends Division champion was Vermont's Elizabeth Walker, who finished the championship with a 37-over 253. Vermont's Reggie Parker made a valiant comeback attempt with an 82 in the round, the best mark in the division on Wednesday, but could not overcome a six-stroke deficit from the first and second rounds. Walker also defeated 2021 Legends Division winner Kibbe Reilly of Rhode Island, who shot a 42-over 258 and finished third.

"It was great," Walker said. "I'm excited to have been the best 65-and-over." 

Curtin said she “surprised herself” at the championship, which marked her return to competition after a bout with COVID-19 that forced her to withdraw from multiple tournaments.

“I just really tried to be patient with myself and was really fortunate to end up on the right end of it,” she said.

After ending the first round on Monday with a solid lead, Curtin had to spend parts of Rounds 2 and 3 fending off Senior Division runner-up Pamela Kuong of Massachusetts and third-place finisher Debbie Johnson of Connecticut.

“I knew going into today Pam and Deb were gonna be really hard,” she said. “They weren’t just gonna hand this to anyone, especially [with] the number of times I’ve played against Pam. She’s such a good player and such a good competitor and she’s never gonna let up. I went into today knowing that, I knew I had to work pretty hard for this and I think that’s what pushed me and I just really tried to stay as patient as possible.”

Kuong finished two strokes back of Curtin with an 11-over 227 after nearly making birdie on her final hole. Johnson finished tied with Connecticut’s Jen Holland with 18-over 234s.
​
The low net score was shared by Johnson and Massachusetts' Joanne Gagnon at 6 over.

The championship will return to Connecticut next year for the first time since 2017. 

WATERBURY, Vermont - The greens at the Country Club of Vermont are known to throw quite the challenge at competitors who dare face them, but Massachusetts' Morgan Smith of Vesper Country Club stayed the course Tuesday to take an 8-stroke lead heading into the final round of competition at the New England Women’s Amateur Championship. 

Smith finished with a 3-under 69 for the second day in a row to put her 6 strokes under for the championship, where she's also the only player who remains below par. Her second-round performance included 3 back-nine birdies, giving her a round-best 34 on the back half. 

"I gave myself a lot of good looks, a couple that didn't land today but I did make some which is good," Smith said. "You have to be smart out there. You have to stay on your toes because one bad shot here, it gets pretty bad. You have to take your safer lines and play aggressive to those safer lines." 

Massachusetts' Sana Tufail of Southborough Golf Club also recorded a 69 to tie Smith for the best round score, giving her a 9-stroke improvement between Days 1 and 2, the biggest chance out of all players at the top of the leaderboard. 

"I think it was learning the course," Tufail said. "Damage limitation is definitely key, that you can pick up the birdie opportunities but sometimes if you're in trouble and you make a bogey, you just accept it and you move on." 

Tufail now sits in fourth, 3 strokes back of Massachusetts golfers Shannon Johnson and Angela Garvin, who are tied for second at 2 over. Johnson was the only player other than Smith and Tufail to finish under par on Tuesday. 
​
​Catie Schernecker and Molly Smith, who are also Massachusetts natives, are in the hunt at 7 over through two rounds. 

In the Tournament Division, leader Sue Curtin of Massachusetts' Boston Golf Club narrowly held off fellow Bay State competitor Pamela Kuong of Charles River Country Club to maintain her position atop the division by one stroke. 

Curtin entered the day with a comfortable lead but spent much of the afternoon in a back-and-forth battle with Kuong, who shot a division-leading 3-over 75 during the round. After rolling in two birdies during the round, a double bogey on the 18th hole put Curtin at a 6-over 78 for the afternoon. Heading into Wednesday, Curtin is seven strokes above par, while Kuong is eight over.

Also knocking on the door are Connecticut golfers Debbie Johnson, who is 11 over par, and Jen Holland, who is one stroke behind Johnson. Holland has a six-stroke advantage over the next lowest-scoring competitors, Massachusetts' Melissa Hem of Dedham Country & Polo Club and Vermont's Becky Montgelas of Ekwanok Country Club.

Curtin and Kuong lead the Senior Division as well. At the front of the pack in the Legends Division are Elizabeth Walker of Vermont with a 25-over 169 and Kibbe Reilly of Rhode Island with a 26-over 170. 

​WATERBURY, VT – With the only under par round of the day, Morgan Smith of Vesper Country Club in Massachusetts, has set herself up with a 4-stroke lead at the start of the New England Women’s Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Vermont.
 
The 18-year old carded 6 birdies in her opening round, but the story of the day was her climb out of a 3-hole slump of bogeys on the front nine to bring her back into the red by the end of the day.
 
“I thought I played very well today,” said Smith. “It’s a tricky golf course with fast greens. You have to miss in the right places and get the ball on the right tear of the greens or it’s very tricky. I swung well and hit a couple key shots and I made a good amount of birdies which helps.”
 
Throughout the round, Smith kept her composure and managed her game without being too worried about the numbers. “The wind was a lot stronger on the front I thought and it was easy to just get a little of track. I didn’t take the bogeys personally because the misses weren’t that off they just got up in the wind and it knocked it down so I just shook it off.”
 
Smith attributed her putting to being one of the bright spots for her today. “I putted pretty good too, obviously more could have dropped but I lagged some long ones close and made a few 5-8 footers that made a difference.”
 
Heading into tomorrow, Smith knows just how important it is to not get too far ahead of herself with the lead that she has. “Going into tomorrow obviously there is still a lot of golf left to play, just going to stick with my game plan- fairways and greens and trying to give myself as many good looks as possible.”
 
There are several familiar Massachusetts amateurs at the top of the leaderboard, including her younger sister Molly Smith. The Bay State contingent makes up nine of the top ten spots after 18-holes. 2020 Champion, Megan Buck, sits tied for sixth and just inside her are three of the four past Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Champions, Angela Garvin, Shannon Johnson (2018 & 2019 NE Women's Amateur Champion), and Catie Schernecker.
 
In the Senior Division, Sue Curtin of Boston Golf Club in Massachusetts, also has a comfortable 4-stroke lead, carding a 1-over 73 on the day. Rounding out the top three is a tie for second at 5-over by Jen Holland from Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Connecticut and Pamela Kuong of Charles River Country Club in Massachusetts.
 
There are two tee sets in the New England Women's Amateur Championship. The Championship tee is a gross-only competition played from approximately 5700 - 6000 yards (yardages subject to change). The Overall Champion, Runner-Up, and Junior Champion will be awarded from this tee set. The Tournament tee is a gross & net competition played from approximately 5600 - 5800 yards (yardages subject to change). The Senior & Legend Champion will be awarded from this tee.
 
After tomorrow’s round, the field will be cut to the low 50 players (and ties) after 36-holes. The 50 players will be made up of a prorated number of players from each tee set based on the number of players registered.
 
The host site of this year’s Championship, the Country Club of Vermont, is set in Vermont’s Green Mountains in the valley between the Worcester and Mansfield Mountain ranges. The scenic 18-hole course was designed by Canadian architect and amateur golfer Graham Cooke in 1998. In addition to having a front nine “reminiscent of the Irish Links, it’s known for its bent grass greens, tees and fairways framed by blue grass rough and outlined by native fescues.

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. 

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.

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.
 
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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.

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).
 

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.