FALMOUTH, Maine – Joey Lenane felt his time was coming soon. So many times in recent weeks, he had gotten off to great starts only to be overtaken later in the tournament.
This week was different. The North Carolina State standout established himself as the guy to beat from the get-go. He took a four-shot lead into Thursday's final round of the 94th New England Amateur Championship at The Woodlands Club in Maine. And when the rest of the field turned up the heat Thursday, he answered. Despite some nervy moments down the stretch, including a tee shot on the 18th that nearly hooked into a water hazard, Lenane prevailed, finishing 7-under-par total for a two-stroke margin over his friend and 2020 winner John Broderick (Dedham Country & Polo Club).
After tapping in for par, he shared a hug with his father and caddie Tim as the growing gallery applauded the biggest victory of his life.
"I feel like my game has been in a good place ever since I got back home from school, and it's nice to see it pay off," said Lenane, a 19-year-old from Dedham, Massachusetts, who plays out of Boston's George Wright Golf Course. "It's really nice to be able to get it done this week." 
With the victory Lenane also becomes the first person since Jim Salinetti in 2000 to win the New England Amateur on Maine soil. 
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Walking up the 18th may have felt like an eternity for Lenane. Taking driver off the tee for just the third time of the day on the challenging, tree-lined course, Lenane's ball moved left toward the water hazard guarding the entire left side of the hole. Though he was leading by two strokes, a drive through the red stakes may have brought a double-bogey finish into play and made a playoff a possibility. However, Lenane lucked out as his ball ended safe from danger.
"First thing I'm thinking is I'm going to be dropping like 400 yards back," Lenane said smiling. "I said 'let's just try to get a shot on the green regardless if it's in play or not and try to get in with bogey at worse.' The volunteer said they heard it come down but didn't see it. [My playing partner] Caleb Manuel told me you should go up and look up a little further, and we get up there and my dad saw it was plugged in the rough." From there Lenane hit a wedge above the hole and two-putted his way to victory.
Though the nerves showed up late, Lenane started the round in a good spot. He made birdie on the second hole, followed by another on the difficult uphill par-4 4th, which is guarded with four "coffin" bunkers stacked all the way up to the green. After a birdie on 10, he increased his lead to five strokes, but then some of the oil started leaking. He made bogey on the par-5 11th after striking his tee ball into the water and added another bogey on the par-5 16th. Despite that, Lenane didn't lose focus, trusting in his training for these moments.
"I just stuck to my routine. I felt like I did a good job making good decisions and narrowing down on a small target," Lenane said. "I kept telling myself just keep doing that. It's worked the last two days."
It's not surprising that John Broderick was the one who made things the most interesting Thursday. Despite going even-par over the past two days, the Vanderbilt redshirt freshman said he's been playing the best golf of his life. With consecutive birdies on holes 9, 10, 11 and 12, he clawed his way to three back, and then two once Lenane made a bogey on the 11th.
"Being seven back, I knew I had to play well today," said Broderick, who shot a course record 62 at Essex County Club in last week's Massachusetts Amateur Championship. "I still hit the same shots off the tee on every hole. I was hitting it well, so I pretty much had a look at the pin every time. It's hard to win. I've learned that the hard way the past month, as I've played so well, and I've just come short a few tournaments. It just wasn't fully my week."
​Despite that, he was still happy for one of his closest friends in golf.
"I've spent so many nights at Joey's house ever since I was like 12," Broderick said of Lenane. "It's great to see us both play great golf. When you're 13, this is the kind of stuff you dream of being: 1-2 in a tournament. I'm sure I'll get him next time."
Ryan Scollins, Lenane's high school teammate at Xaverian Brothers, didn't know he was in the field until Monday. Scollins, who plays out of both Bald Peak Country Club (NH) and Franklin Country Club (MA), didn't get a practice round, and with an opening 41 on the front nine Tuesday it showed. However, the Holy Cross commit shot 32 in his final nine and shot under-par rounds of 70 and 71 on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, to finish T3.
“I was striking it great. Down the stretch, I was just trying to hang in there,” Scollins said. “These are all the best college players from New England. To be able to compete against them, to be hanging with them, is massive.”
Connor Goode (Glastonbury Hills CC-CT), who played in the final group, started with a bogey after sailing his approach over the green, but he responded well, finishing with a 1-under 71 on Thursday to match Scollins at T3. 
Ricky Stimets (Worcester Country Club) finished inside the top 10 for the second straight year thanks in part to the tournament's lone ace. Playing the 190-yard downhill 17th, which was also playing down wind, Stimets had the perfect strike as it trickled into the cup for what he said is the "lucky 13th" hole-in-one of his life.
The low 20 and ties from this year's championship are exempt into the 2024 New England Amateur Championship which will take place at Laconia Country Club in the Lake Winnipesaukee region of New Hampshire.
​Leaderboard
1 - Joey Lenane; George Wright GC (MA); 70-67-72--209 (-7)
2 - John Broderick; Dedham C&PC (MA); 72-72-67--211 (-5)
T3 - Ryan Scollins; (Bald Peak CC-NH); 73-70-71--214 (-2)
T3 - Connor Goode; Glastonbury Hills CC (CT); 72-71-71--214 (-2)
5 - Caleb Manuel; Brunswick GC (ME); 70-71-74--215 (-1)
T6 - Mac Bredahl; Sandy Burr CC (MA); 75-73-68--216 (E)
T6 - Ricky Stimets Worcester CC (MA); 75-71-70--216 (E)
T6 - Ethan Whitney; Oak Hill CC (MA); 72-73-71--216 (E)
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Top Scores From Each State
Connecticut – T3 (-2) Connor Goode; Glastonbury Hills CC
New Hampshire – T3 (-2) Ryan Scollins; Bald Peak CC
Maine – 5 (-1) Caleb Manuel; Brunswick GC
Massachusetts – 1 (-7) Joey Lenane; George Wright GC
Rhode Island – T19 (+5) Bobby Leopold; Wannamoisett CC (RI)
Vermont –  T6 (E) Garren Poirier; Rutland CC

FALMOUTH, Maine – The last time the New England Amateur Championship was held in Maine, one the state's own Reese McFarlane took home the title. 
Five years later, Mike Arsenault Jr. is hoping he can follow suit. Arsenault (Val Halla GC), of Scarborough, shot a 4-under 68 on Tuesday at The Woodlands Club, giving him a one-stroke lead over tightly-contested leaderboard. 
Thomas Harrison (Old Sandwich GC-MA) is the closest at the moment after shooting a 3-under 68, while Maine Amateur champion Caleb Manuel (Brunswick GC) and Joey Lenane (George Wright Golf Course-MA) finished 2-under in the opening round. 
Round 2 will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday. At the conclusion of the second round, the field of 144 will be reduced to the 60 low players and ties for the final round Thursday.
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Arsenault made birdie on five of his first seven-holes on the tree-lined course to settle into the rhythm Tuesday. After finishing in the top 10 in the past two Maine Amateurs, he is hoping that this is finally the week for a breakthrough. Despite finishing his opening nine with a pair of bogeys, Arsenault shot 1-under on the front nine to keep the lead for the day. 
"I putted really well, and that’s how golf goes. You putt well, you play well," said Arsenault, who knocked down seven birdies total. 
Lenane, playing on softened greens from rains from the previous days, made birdie on four of his first 11 holes. He got up-and-down for birdie early in the round (par-5 11th), but his best came on the sixth (his 15th of the day) when he made a 30-footer.
On the tree-lined course, Lenane was focused on being in the fairway, and his putter got going at the right time.
"There are not many holes I hit driver, it’s pretty tight,” Lenane said. “I took the aggressive route and hit driver, which is one of the rare times to get aggressive on this course. It paid off.”
Thomas Harrison (Old Sandwich GC-MA) got himself in the conversation again with a 3-under 69, featuring a bogey-free start on the back nine to start the day and finishing even-par on the front.
Manuel managed three birdies and one bogey, but he had the chance to be even higher, as many of his 15 to 20 footers burned the edge. Still, the University of Georgia standout who won the Maine title with a dominating 11-stroke victory, should be a factor over the next couple days.
Woodlands member Michael Madden, 15, is among a large pack of eight golfers who finished even-par and are well within contention through the first third of the competition. With five birdies and five bogeys Tuesday, Madden is hoping for more of the former going forward
“I aimed for the big part of the fairway," Madden said. "You just have to avoid those really big numbers that ruin your entire round.”
​Leaderboard
1 - Mike Arsenault, Jr, Val Halla GC (ME); -4; 68
2 - Thomas Harrison; Old Sandwich GC (MA); -3; 69
T3 - Joey Lenane; George Wright GC (MA); -2; 70
T3 - Caleb Manuel; Brunswick GC (ME); -2; 70
5 - Nick McLaughlin; Far Corner GC (MA); -1; 71
T6 - Matt Williams; Boston GC (MA); E; 72
T6 - Michael Madden, Woodlands Club (ME); E; 72
T6 - Michael Walsh, Burlington CC (VT); E; 72
T6 - John Broderick; Dedham C&P Club (MA); E; 72
T6 - Connor Goode,; Glastonbury Hills CC (CT); E; 72
T6 - Garren Poirier; Rutland CC (VT); E; 72
T6 - Taylor Bellemare; Ekwanok CC (VT); E; 72
T6 - Mathew Smith; Manchester CC (VT); E; 72
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Top Scores From Each State
Connecticut – T6 (E) Connor Goode; Glastonbury Hills CC
New Hampshire – T14 (+1) Ryan Scollins; Bald Peak CC & Jack Pepin (Atkinson Resort & CC
Maine – 1 (-4) Michael Arsenault; Val Halla GC
Massachusetts – 2 (-2) Thomas Harrison; Old Sandwich GC
Rhode Island – T26 (+2) Kevin Silva; Montaup CC
Vermont –  T6 (E) Michael Walsh; Burlington CC; Garren Poirier; Rutland CC; Taylor Bellemare; Ekwanok CC; Mathew Smith, Manchester CC
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About The Woodlands Club
Located just minutes outside of Portland, The Woodlands features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jim and George Fazio that has hosted everything from state amateur events to Korn Ferry Tour events (formerly the Hogan Tour & Nike Tour).
The course debuted in 1988, with the project involving breaking and moving more than 35,000 cubic yards of rock.
This is the second time the New England Amateur is being held at Woodlands, the first being 2006 when Rhode Island's Brad Valois won by two strokes, shooting 1-under 287 over the 72-hole tournament. The championship is now contested over 54 holes.
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