Entering the final week of qualifying for the 114th Massachusetts Amateur Championship, there were still plenty of spots up for grab in the field. In those three events, 31 guaranteed an invitation into next month’s historic championship, taking place July 11-15 at Concord Country Club. The rest of the field will consist of alternates. To see the full list, CLICK HERE
The championship is open to amateur golfers who have an active Mass Golf Membership and whose Handicap Index® does not exceed 4.4 (at the time of registration).
At Monday’s qualifier at Pine Brook Country Club in Weston, 11 players advanced to the championship. Arthur Zelmati (George Wright Golf Course) earned medalist honors with a 2-under-par 68. The 2020 Mass Mid-Amateur champion shot 31 on the back nine with four birdies, including on holes 13, 14 and 15.
Matthew Conti (Walpole Country Club), the senior captain for the Southern New Hampshire University men’s golf team, shook off an opening double bogey and tallied four birdies to shoot 69. First-time qualifiers include Justin Efron, a Pine Brook member, as well as teenager Patrick Kilcoyne (Woodland Golf Club) and Matt Gorman (Cape Club of Sharon). All three shot 74 to make it above the cutline.
Over at Ludlow Country Club on Monday, two GreatHorse players stood above the rest as Pat Pio and Matthew Naumec shot 67 and 68, respectively, to lead the group of eight qualifiers. Pio lit up the back nine with five birdies, including his final two holes, to shoot 5-under. Naumec, the low amateur at this year’s Mass Open, had four birdies on the front nine and cruised the rest of the way.
Jared Winiarz (Norton Country Club), of the University of Hartford, shot 1-under 71 to earn a return invite to the championship, as did Michael Knight (Twin Hills Country Club), Matthew Gilardi (Country Club of Pittsfield), and Ben Kelly (Blue Hill Country Club). John Kelly (Twin Hills Country Club), the 2014 Mass Amateur winner, and Ludlow member Michael Bechard, who plays for the Division II Eckerd College golf team, shot even par to snag the final qualifying spots.
In Hyannis, Joe Walker (Dennis Pines Golf Club) led 12 qualifiers by shooting 1-under 70 to finish as medalist. Despite going 3-over on the front nine, Walker closed with a bogey-free 32 on the back with four birdies, including on hole 10, 12 and 13. Walker, the 2012 Mass Senior Amateur champion, is set to be among three players in the field who are 65 and older, alongside Steve Camara (Ferncroft Country Club), 67, and Don Reycroft (Bayberry Hills Golf Course), 66.
Georgetown University’s Conner Willett (Charles River Country Club) eagled the 14th and was among six to shoot 2-over 73, while James Robbins (Renaissance), who will soon head to Bucknell University, was among five to shoot 3-over 74. James Henry (Andover Country Club) shook off a late double bogey by making birdie on holes 17 and 18 to make the cut at 74 and qualify for the first time. Daniel Cappucci (Boston Golf Club), who made the semifinals in the 2016 Mass Amateur, eagled the 10th, helping him make the cut at 3-over.
HERE IS THE COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIERS AND ALTERNATES FROM THIS WEEK’S MASS AMATEUR QUALIFIERS:
MONDAY, 6/20
QUALIFIERS (Pine Brook CC-Par 70)
Arthur Zelmati, George Wright Golf Course; 68
Matthew Conti, Walpole Country Club; 69
Matt Vaughn, Charles River Country Club; 72
Glen Sutton, Belmont Country Club; 72
Maxwell Campion, The Country Club; 73
Stephen Quillinan, Renaissance; 74
Justin Efron, Pine Brook Country Club; 74
Matt Gorman, The Cape Club of Sharon; 74
Patrick Kilcoyne, Woodland Golf Club; 74
Peter Hartmann, Blue Hill Country Club; 74
Josh Biren, Pine Brook Country Club; 74
ALTERNATES
Christian Jensen, Wedgewood Pines Country Club; 75
Mike Doughty, Blue Hill Country Club; 75
Samuel Bush, George Wright Golf Course; 75
David Selbovitz, Thomson Country Club; 75
Eric Raisman, Pine Brook Country Club; 75
Jake Shuman, Blue Hill Country Club; 75
Jason Clary, Thorny Lea Golf Club; 75
Kurt Goetjen, Granite Links Golf Club; 75
MONDAY, 6/20
QUALIFIERS (Ludlow CC-Par 72)
Pat Pio, Greathorse; 67
Matthew Naumec, Greathorse; 68
Michael Knight, Twin Hills Country Club; 71
Matthew Gilardi, Country Club of Pittsfield; 71
Ben Kelly, Blue Hill Country Club; 71
Jared Winiarz, Norton Country Club; 71
John Kelly, Twin Hills Country Club; 72
Michael Bechard, Ludlow Country Club; 72
ALTERNATES
Jacob Finard, Pine Brook Country Club; 73
Luis Teixeira, Ludlow Country Club; 73
Jonathan Nuger, Belmont Country Club; 73
WEDNESDAY, 6/22
QUALIFIERS (Hyannis GC-Par 71)
Joe Walker, Dennis Pines Golf Club; 70
Jake O’Rourke, Bayberry Hills / Bass River; 73
Rory O’Donnell, Harmon Golf; 73
Joseph DeStefano, Oakley Country Club; 73
Robert Tarallo, Thorny Lea Golf Club; 73
Conner Willett, Charles River Country Club; 73
David D’Entremont, Long Meadow Golf Club; 73
Henry Smith, Edgartown Golf Club; 74
James Henry, Andover Country Club; 74
David Currey, Brae Burn Country Club; 74
Daniel Cappucci, Boston Golf Club; 74
James Robbins, Renaissance; 74
ALTERNATES
Tim Hall, Walpole Country Club; 75
Drew Cratty, Harmon Golf; 75
CJ Winchenbaugh, Oyster Harbors Club; 75
Markus Pierre, The Kittansett Club; 75
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