HAVERHILL, Massachusetts (June 26, 2025) — Playing the 18th hole at Haverhill Country Club was rarely a problematic task for Maddie Smith (Vesper Country Club), attack it with the same plan for every tee shot. A baby cut followed by a comfortable wedge was the objective, and Smith was successful off the tee four out of the five times she played the hole this week. 
Playing her 47th hole of the week Thursday in a playoff to determine the winner of the New England Women’s Amateur, Smith slipped on the dampened tee box and pulled her tee shot left. However, even with the tricky lie, Smith had an angle and committed fully to her next shot, which clipped part of a tree but rested 8 feet from the cup, unbeknownst to her, until walking up to the green.
“I thought I might be in trouble… and then I started to hear people clapping,” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Oh, it must be on the green' because I thought any chance of me getting that ball on the green was a good shot. And then I got up there, and it was 8 feet. So I was pretty excited.”
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Smith drained the putt for birdie after her competitor, Amelie Phung (eClub of Connecticut), missed her birdie bid in the head-to-head playoff. Smith then breathed a sigh of relief just before getting doused with water by 2024 champion Carys Fennessy and a few other spectators who came to watch on the breezy, overcast day. Smith is not the first of her family to take home the trophy of the New England Women’s Amateur. Her older sister, Morgan, won the event in 2022 and 2023. 
“It’s pretty exciting,” Smith said. “Coming out here playing in a great field, a great week, a great course, and there's nothing better than to come out with a trophy.”
The final round started off with the lead in the hands of Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill Country Club), the 2024 Mass Golf Girls’ Junior Player of the Year and Penn State commit. Guleserian started with a 2-shot lead, but by the turn, it had slipped from her grasp due to an errant tee shot that led to an untimely triple-bogey on the par-5 8th. She continued to battle, shooting just 1-over the rest of the way and finishing in solo third at 2-over-par total. 
Smith climbed into the lead with a 6-foot birdie putt on hole 14, and though she bogeyed the next, she parred the remainder of the round to send her to the playoff. The first playoff hole left both players with 15-20 foot putts for birdie, each of them sniffing the hole. Returning down the hill to the 18th tee box, Phung hit her drive down the middle while Smith’s drifted to the left under a tree. While Smith stuck her next to just 8 feet, Phung left herself a longer putt, around 10.
This is not the first win for Smith, who won the 2023 Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship and was knocking on the door at several others over the past year. Smith, who played in the 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur, placed 4th in the 2024 New England Junior Amateur, 5th in the 2024 Ouimet Memorial Tournament, and was top 10 in this event last year. 
When she won the New England Women's Amateur at her home course of Marshfield Country Club in 1995, Tara Connelly (The Kittansett Club) called it the most gratifying victory of her career. Nearly 30 years later, she's still finding ways to win hoist trophies in this event.
Connelly captured her third consecutive Senior Division title by following up a tough opening round of 5-over 41 with back-to-back rounds of 1-under 71. Her final round on Thursday was a masterclass in staying composed, even when the margin narrowed late.

Tara Connelly won the Senior Division title for the third consecutive. (Teddy Doggett)[/caption]Despite opening with a bogey, Connelly found her groove on the front nine, carding three birdies on the 4th, 6th, and 8th holes to build a 3-shot lead heading into the final stretch. On the par-3 15th, after leaving her tee shot just short of the green, she three-putted for bogey, a rare stumble that opened the door for Debbie Johnson (Blackhawk CC-CT), who made a remarkable up-and-down for par after hitting a tree with her tee shot. That pulled Johnson within two.
Unfazed, Connelly sealed the victory in bold fashion. Playing the extremely reachable par-5 17th (409 yards), she pulled a 9-wood, a club she added to the bag at age 50.
“Yesterday, I hit the seven wood, and I should have hit the nine wood," said Connelly, whose approach skipped over the green during Round 2 on Wednesday. Today, it was a little closer, and I was like, 'Now it's not even really a nine wood, it really should be a five iron.' But I'm like, 'I like the looks of the 9-wood.' And I was like, 'Yep, we'll use it.' So I kind of hit an easy grip-up 9-wood and just let the wind take it in there.”
The result: A close approach and a made eagle putt that all but locked up her third straight title. “I just decided to start the week if it was a par 5, and I was going for it two, that I was going to go for it two. Like, don't kind of half commit to the shot. So that's kind of just how I played it, and let it fall where it may, and that one worked out.”
And the feeling of winning certainly never gets old.
“It's really neat because we have a pretty tight group in New England," Connelly said. "It's been all different kinds of ways the last couple of years and had a rough start Tuesday, so I feel fortunate enough to pull it together and get it going.”
The New England Women's Amateur also recognizes the low scorer in the Legends Division (age 65+). This year's Sydney Arnold Legend Champion Trophy went to Danielle Lee (Renaissance), who finished with a three-day, 45-hole total of 200, firing consecutive rounds of 78 over the past two days.
Next year's New England Women's Amateur is set to take place June 23-25, 2026, at Concord Country Club in New Hampshire. The club previously hosted in 1978, won by Rhode Island's Julie Greene.

HAVERHILL, Massachusetts (June 25, 2025) — With the back nine at Haverhill Country Club open for business Wednesday, players took advantage, the most notable being Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill Country Club).
Guleserian fired a smooth 3-under-par 33 after the turn with four birdies and a bogey, contributing to her score of 3-under 69 for the day at the New England Women’s Amateur Championship.
She started the birdie train off early on the back nine, with an 8-footer catching the edge of the cup and falling in on the 10th. On holes 12 and 14, Guleserian was right on target, leaving her 7-foot and 3-foot putts. Hole 17 gave Guleserian another birdie, with a close chip from the fringe and another 8-foot make. 
The 2024 Mass Golf Girls’ Junior Player of the Year was 1-over-par after just nine holes on day 1 and set herself a strategy for the full 18 today.
“With those shorter par fours and short par fives… I tried to play a little more conservative on the front and then take advantage of the back,” Guleserian said. 
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While Guleserian sits two strokes ahead of second place, she is well aware of the full 18 open to scoring Thursday. 
“It feels good to have a little bit of a cushion, but I know there’s a bunch of people up at the top of the leaderboard that could put in some good rounds tomorrow,” Guleserian said. 
For her plans on Thursday, Guleserian will stick to her motto: patience. 
“I think my main thought out there today was just to be patient,” said Guleserian, an incoming first-year at Penn State University. “Three bogeys in a row is not great, but I felt confident that I could make up some ground and make some birdies on the back.”
Sitting right behind Guleserian on the leaderboard is Amelie Phung (eClub of Connecticut), tied for second with Maddie Smith (Vesper Country Club). With an eagle on the par-5 6th, Smith held the lead at 1-under at the turn. She gave a couple of shots back on the 13th and 14th but made a birdie on the 17th to get within two shots of the lead held by her fellow Team Massachusetts U.S. National Development Program teammate. 
Phung was tied for first after Tuesday’s round and, after bouncing between bogeys and birdies, remains at even par. Noticeable holes for Phung were 11, 14, and 17, earning birdies on each as she aims for her first title in the event.
“This is one of my favorite tournaments, I get to meet a lot of new people,” said Phung, the runner-up in a playoff in 2024. “It’s a new course for me, and any new course is an opportunity to get a new look and different experience.” 
At first glance, the course might seem easy, but it proves difficult for any length player. With tree-lined fairways on almost every hole and multiple elevation changes, Haverhill Country Club can be a challenge for anyone. Although the course is a new sight for Phung, she is paying attention to the elevation changes in the course and getting a few tips from the members.
“I paid a lot of attention to how I play the elevation,” Phung said. “A lot of the members have been friendly and giving me advice on how I play the greens and how to attack the different holes. It’s been a lot of concentration on the course and how you position yourself.” 
Jayne Pardus (Boston Golf Club) wore her motto of the day on her navy cap, “FUN” printed in large pink letters. Such was the case on the par-4 14th hole (277 yards) when she holed out from eagle using a 56-degree wedge from about 60 yards out, giving her enough for a one-stroke lead on the field. Even a dreaded four-putt on the 17th was negated by the fact that she was on the green in two.
Pardus, who has qualified for the past two U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (Round of 32 in 2023), remains just a stroke ahead of Tara Joy-Connelly (The Kittansett Club), who has won the past two Senior Division titles. 
A previous winner of the Championship Division in 1995 and 1996, Joy-Connelly shot the low round of the day at 1-under 71, kicked off by some redemption on the opening hole. Her second shot was in the rough Tuesday and found the hazard leading to a triple-bogey. Her second shot Wednesday instead found the green and set up a birdie putt. She added two more on the 6th and 11th for a solid round.
“I was out of sorts yesterday, so starting off with the birdie today was nice,” said Joy-Connelly, who despite playing a practice round, finally got a full look at the full 18 in Round 2. “I didn’t play the back nine when I came up late Saturday afternoon, so I skipped a few holes. But I just kept picking a target and aiming at it.”
Round 1 leader Pamela Kuong (Charles River CC) and Debbie Johnson (Blackhawk CC-CT) will also give chase as they sit three strokes back at +6, 114. Haverhill member Kim Grady also made the cut, knocking down a birdie on the par-4 11th.
Top Scores (Total To Par) From Each State (Championship Division)
Connecticut – Amelie Phung (eClub of Connecticut) (E)
Massachusetts – Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill CC) (-2)
New Hampshire –  Delaney Nadeau (Cochecho CC) (+9)
Rhode Island –  Adriana Eaton Kirkbrae CC (+4)
Vermont – N/A
Top Scores (Total To Par) From Each State (Senior Division)
Connecticut –  Debbie Johnson (Blackhawk CC) (+6)
Massachusetts –  Jayne Pardus (Boston GC) (+3)
New Hampshire – Amy Dickison (Breakfast Hill GC) (+16)
Rhode Island – Trish Labossiere (Triggs Memorial GC) (+37)
Vermont –  Amy Butcher (Lakeside-VT) (+23)
Maine – N/A
Notes & Notables

• A total of 34 players in the Championship Division and 17 in the Senior Division made the cut for the final round Thursday. The Championship cut line was +14, 122 (27 holes), and the Senior Division had a cut at +23, 131 (27 holes).

• Merrimack College made its presence known all over Haverhill CC this week, and not just because the Warriors have called it home since 2016. From tee to green, those navy and gold bags popped up across the championship field thanks to current team members Jillian Johnson (Hatherly CC-MA); June Doerr (Abenaqui CC-NH); Mya Murphy (MIAA-MA); Charlotte Cute (Ocean Edge GC-MA); Eva Gonzales (Eva Gonzales Overlook CC-NH). Merrimack alum Jacquelyn Stiles (Nashawtuc CC-MA) was also into the field.
• Amy Butcher (Lakeside-VT), 68, the oldest among the senior players in the field at age 68, made the cut on the number.
• Haverhill Country Club sits on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Next year’s event will be fully in the Granite State as Concord Country Club (NH) will host next year’s playing of the event June 23-25. The club previously hosted in 1978, won by Rhode Island’s Julie Greene.

HAVERHILL, Massachusetts (June 24, 2025) – The New England Women’s Amateur Championship began on a blistering day, with the opening round limited to only nine holes for the 96 players in the field. 
Day 1 delivered what most expected: a crowded leaderboard and not a ton of separation. Maddie Smith (Vesper Country Club-MA) and 2024 runner-up Amelie Phung (eClub of Connecticut-CT) set the early pace at even-par 36. But with a brutal heat and just nine holes to work with, big mistakes loomed, and many players were simply trying to hold steady. In the end, eight players finished within a shot of the lead, leaving the door wide open heading into a full 18-hole round on Day 2.
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This week, Smith will look to win the title that her older sister, Morgan Smith, won in 2022 and 2023. The University of Memphis commit started her campaign with a birdie on the par-4 5th and managed the course well throughout. Her only slip was a three-putt on the uphill 9th green playing back toward the clubhouse. 
Phung is back in the field after making it into a playoff with eventual champion Carys Fennessey in the 2024 New England Women’s Amateur. Since then, Phung has graduated high school, committed to play on the inaugural Rice University women’s golf team, and has competed in several elite junior events across the country. In 2021, she competed in the Drive, Chip & Putt National finals with her sister Alexandra. On Tuesday, she took advantage of the short par-5, 6th (440 yards) to get back to even par.
As for the rest of the field, six players finished tied at 1-over 37, including Holy Cross rising junior Julianna Megan, who is spending her summer at the Orchards Golf Club (MA) as a Product Engineering Intern at Callaway Golf. 
In her New England Women’s Amateur debut, Megan made birdie on the opening hole and added another on the par-3 4th to help keep her in contention. 
“The yardage was playing well for me,” said Megan, a native of Hooksett, New Hampshire. “I’m usually on the shorter side of hitting, so it was nice that I didn’t have to worry about that for this tournament. I had some key drives that set me up, so just looking to hopefully take this momentum into tomorrow.” 
Megan was also paired with two fellow Division I golfers, Merrimack’s Charlotte Cute (Ocean Edge GC-MA) and Stonehill’s Jaelyn Deboise (Springfield Country Club-MA), who was celebrating her 21st birthday. “There’s a lot of great players here, so it’s cool to play with them and see all my friends,” Megan said. 
Blue Hill members Lillian Guleserian and Mekhala Costello, who led Massachusetts to a Griscom Cup week a few weeks ago, also carded 37 along with Sophia Lewis (Newton Commonwealth GC-MA) and Cindy Cao (eClub of Connecticut-CT), the 2025 Massachusetts Women’s Stroke Play champion. 
Even par set the pace in the Senior Division as well, with Jayne Pardus (Boston Golf Club-MA) and Pamela Kuong (Charles River Country Club-MA) tied at the top after nine. The two are no strangers to a tight race, as they have competed in several USGA Championships in recent years and battled it out for last year’s Massachusetts Women’s Senior Amateur title.
Kuong stayed steady on the scorecard throughout her round, carding a bogey on the third hole but earning a birdie on the ninth with a 5-foot-putt. On her best approach of the day, Kuong thought her shot was short and was pleasantly surprised to find a tap-in birdie available to her. 
“I know I can’t go long on that [green], and obviously I must have hit it well enough that I was so sure that was Deb’s ball,” said Kuong, who congratulated her playing partner Debbie Johnson (Blackhawk Country Club-CT) upon walking up to the green.“I mean, you get lucky breaks here and there.”
The top of the leaderboard has been a familiar place for Kuong, who won the 2024 Massachusetts Senior Women’s Amateur, as well as this event in 2011. 
While the birdie pushed Kuong to the top of the leaderboard, her short game was the steadiest part of her day. 
“My short game saves on one and two were my best because that could have set my round off so poorly,” Kuong said. “I think the start, getting up and down on those holes, helped me a lot.”
Fellow Mass Golf members Irene Haley (Ferncroft Country Club-MA) and Susan Curtin (Boston Golf Club-MA) finished the day three shots off the lead. Another notable performance on the course was from Kim Grady, a Haverhill member. Grady has a recent string of wins on the home course, with the Women’s Club Championship in 2023 and 2024 and the Tournament of Champions in 2024. Currently, Grady sits at solo fifth in the senior women’s division, firing off a 40 with five straight pars in the middle of the round.

Tournament Format
The 2025 New England Women’s Amateur Championship is a 45-hole stroke-play tournament divided into two divisions. The Championship Division is played from a course length of roughly 6,000 yards and is open to players with a Handicap Index of 10.0 or below. The Senior Championship is played from approximately 5,500 yards in length, open to players 50 years and above, and requires a Handicap Index not exceeding 18.0.

Top Scores From Each State (Championship Division)
Connecticut – Amelie Phung; 36 (E)
New Hampshire –  Eva Gonzales; 38 (+2) Maine – Jade Haylock; 38 (+2)
Massachusetts – Maddie Smith; 36 (E)
Rhode Island –  Kylie Eaton; 38 (+2)
Vermont – N/A
Top Scores From Each State (Senior Division)
Connecticut –  Jen Holland; 41 (+5), Debbie Johnson; 41 (+5)
Massachusetts –  Jayne Pardus; 36 (E), Pamela Kuong; 36 (E)
New Hampshire –  Amy Dickison; 41(+5), Julie Rivers; 41 (+5)
Rhode Island – Trish Labossiere; 47 (+11)
Vermont –  Kimberly Barkyoumb; 45 (+9)
Maine – N/A

About Haverhill Country Club 
Since opening in 1925 on the old Brickett Farm, Haverhill Country Club has remained a hidden gem on the Massachusetts–New Hampshire border. Designed by renowned architect Wayne Stiles, the course was praised early on as “ideal in every way,” with broad fairways threading through native woods and natural elevation. The blind downhill tee shot on the first hole and the towering flagsticks on the 9th and 18th greens paint that picture clearly. 

​This year marks the first time Haverhill is hosting this championship. The inaugural winner, Joanne Goodwin, a 2014 inductee into the Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame, claimed the title in 1957 and again in 1958. Her father, Hal Goodwin, was the longtime head professional at the club. 

Now celebrating its 100th anniversary, the club continues to stand out for its championship-caliber golf course and deeply engaged membership. Despite the heat, several members graciously volunteered their time as spotters and live scorers. 

“I feel like this place is one of a kind in this area and stands the test of time against most golf courses in the state,” said Director of Golf Todd Cook. “Having the players here at this ability level and a championship run by the New England Golf Association and Mass Golf is special. It’s nice to have it here in the 100th year and see what they think of the golf course.” 
“The course is in absolutely mint condition,” Pam Kuong said after her round. “There were no ball marks, the greens were very fast and tricky, but they prepped this course well.”  

Recent enhancements, including work to holes 8 and 16 and a master plan by architect Robert McNeil, have elevated the experience. The formerly tree-lined right side of eight had become a drainage nightmare. With McNeil’s guidance, the area was reshaped by tree removal and is now far more playable and visually striking. 

At its core, the layout remains faithful to the Stiles blueprint. The 100-year-old greens are among its defining features. “[Superintendent] Max Sheridan takes so much pride in this place,” Cook said. “We don’t need to do anything crazy; the course is already in fantastic shape.”