By: Steve Derderian
sderderian@massgolf.org
KINGSTON, Massachusetts (July 25, 2024) – There was an ironic stillness to moving day during the early part of the second round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament at Indian Pond Country Club. The low winds and tranquility brought a certain calmness to the secluded neighborhood club. But as the day progressed, the scramble was on, and the focus tightened as players jockeyed for position to set themselves up for a spot in Friday’s final round.
What resulted was the conclusion of two days of some of the best golf ever seen in this event’s history — something that would certainly make the event’s namesake blush.
On Thursday afternoon, Jack O’Donnell (Boston Golf Club) lit up the front nine with a 31, and though he stared back at his ball as it rested on the edge of the 18th as if it was mocking him after a long birdie bid from the fringe, his tap in concluded on of the best 36-hole performances seen in tournament history. Thanks, in part, to a hole-out for eagle from 100 yards on the par-4 3rd, the University of Michigan graduate student fired rounds of 67 and 66, good for 11-under and a four-stroke lead with 18 to play.
O’Donnell’s score was not the only history made at Indian Pond. The cutline of 2-over in the championship division smashed previous records since Mass Golf took over the operation of the event in 2018. In 2018, that mark was 5-over.
“It’s been fun the past two days,” said O’Donnell, the 2020 Mass Junior Amateur winner. “I’m hitting it well and putting it well, so it’s been pretty easy sailing. To be in the lead at the Ouimet is awesome; I haven’t won this one yet, so I’m looking forward to trying to get it done tomorrow.”
Good four, indeed.
Univ. of Michigan standout Jack O’Donnell closes out the front nine at 5-under 31 to move into the solo lead at 10-under here in the second round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament. #MassGolf @umichmgolf
Live Scoring: https://t.co/Tj4FQGIlQB pic.twitter.com/idi5zjo5eE
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) July 25, 2024
Isabel Brozena (Indian Ridge Country Club) also shared some history. At 7-under, she now has the lowest 36-hole score since the Women’s Division was introduced in 2004. While it wasn’t the blistering 66 from the day prior, her 1-under 71 was one of two scores under par as the recent U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur match play qualifier takes a 6-stroke lead to the final round.
“Obviously, you can’t be mad at an under-par round,” said Brozena, who, on the contrary, was laughing with her playing partners between shots and hit the ball with no trepidation. “I was a little bit less consistent than yesterday, but my putting definitely saved me on a couple of holes. So I think that helped keep me under par.”
Meanwhile, perennial Ouimet contender Frank Vana Jr. (Marlborough Country Club) maintained his lead in the Lowery Division (Seniors) at a score of 4-under as he seeks his 8th overall title in the event.
“The golf course is in really good shape, and I like it a lot, and I have a good group,” said Vana, whose only previous experience was Indian Pond was playing the Mother Son Tournament last year. “This is an important event, and there’s a lot of people here, so I’m always thrilled to play it.”
What’s next: The low 30 and ties in the Championship Division, as well as the low 12 and ties in the remaining divisions, advance to play the final round at Woodland Golf Club, which hosts the final leg of this championship annually. Located in the Newton village of Auburndale, Woodland was the home course of the event’s namesake, Francis Ouimet, as well as other national champions such as Ted Bishop and Jesse Guilford.
Scroll down for more on each division and notes from Day 2.
Without the fog, Isabel Brozena had the renewed function of her rangefinder on Thursday, and though it didn’t lead to another super-low score, she continued to answer when things could’ve gone sideways. Despite a bogey on the 10th after the turn, she responded with birdies on the 11th and 12th to get back on track. More noticeably, she was playing quickly, often taking just one waggle over the ball before delivering her next shot.
“For me, standing over the ball for too long doesn’t lead to good results,” she said. “If I can figure out what I want to do and accomplish it as quick as I can, I think it’ll be good.”
Brozena, a two-time MIAA girls’ golf state champion, is on the verge of her first Mass Golf championship win after several close calls in years past, including a third-place finish in last year’s Girls’ Junior Amateur. “It’s really great to know there’s a lot of college players in this and a lot of good amateurs,” she said. It’s good to know I can compete with them.”
Brozena will be paired with two of the three Smith sisters on Friday: the oldest, Morgan, and the youngest, Maddie. Though Morgan Smith (Vesper Country Club) made birdie on the 7th, the same hole she aced Wednesday, that was the lone one of the day. Still, the incoming Georgia transfer settled down at the end with a pair of pars to maintain solo second. Maddie Smith (Vesper Country Club), meanwhile, finished even-par both days, making three birdies Thursday to sit one back of Morgan and seven away from Brozena. They’ll tee off at 10:59 a.m.
Mekhala Costello (Blue Hill Country Club), who made the quarterfinals of the Mass Women’s Amateur last year, fired the best round of all the women on Thursday with a 2-under 70 to secure her spot at Woodland. Costello, who will play soccer at Amherst College this fall, kept a reasonably clean card with just one bogey and a pair of birdies on par-3s.
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
Jack O’Donnell seems to be more at peace with his game than ever. Though he earned a spot on the University of Michigan’s golf team, struggles with his mental game have been a barrier separating him from high-placing finishes and victories. But this year has been a turnaround. He won the two-day Amateur Invitational at New England Country Club and found a way to strike the ball better than ever.
“It’s probably the best it’s been ever,” O’Donnell said, talking about his overall golf game. “I definitely struggled a lot early in college mentally, but I’ve been able to get through that slowly and progress to this summer. Three or four years ago, I’d stand on a tee box and not be able to hit the ball 100 yards of the fairway, so keep grinding through it, and now I’m hitting it well.”
O’Donnell has been very business-like in his approach, even when things don’t go to plan. Despite a misplaced tee shot on the 9th, he stayed bogey-free by getting up and down for par from 140 yards and keeping his lead. He also topped his second shot into par-5 18th, but he still managed to save par.
“I was walking off the green with my buddy [caddy] Gavin and was saying, ‘Making pars like that is a lot better than making birdies every once in a while,'” O’Donnell said of his par save on the 9th.
O’Donnell finished T7 at Woodland last year and now has the chance to earn his best statewide win to date. “It’s one of the best parts of the Ouimet – you get a good course for two days, and then you get to finish at Woodland, so it’s a fun spot, and always in good shape.”
Fellow Boston Golf Club member Matt Williams has control of solo second at 7-under total. His scorecard Thursday looked like binary code if you replaced 0s and 1s with 3s and 4s. The Holy Cross men’s golf captain made birdie on all four par-5s with another on the par-4 6th to card a 67.
Among those in pursuit of O’Donnell is Conner Willett (Charles River Country Club), who is tied with UConn’s Ray Dennehy (Oak Hill Country Club) and Kevin Gately (Pembroke Country Club), who grew up in nearby Pembroke. Though he had a lone bogey after the rain delay, Willett ended his day with a birdie as the 2022 Mass Amateur winner earned another Friday tee time at Woodland for the fifth time in six years.
“It was a good round, definitely didn’t play myself out of it,” said Willett, who said Indian Pond wasn’t the best for his game due to lack of places to hit driver. “Tomorrow, I can finally get my driver back in play a bit more, and hopefully, it behaves.”
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While Vana’s total score of 4-under would likely make the final round at Woodland a formality, this year, it’s definitely not the case. The cutline of 5-over is the lowest mark since 2018, as five players are within five shots of the lead entering Friday.
Todd Ezold (Springfield Country Club), who was playing alongside Vana, sprung up the leaderboard with an eagle on the par-5 18th as he sits at 1-under. Former New England Senior Amateur winner John McNeill (Amateur Golf Tour of NE) sits in solo second at 2-under, following consecutive rounds of 71.
Defending champion Scott Copeland (Old Sandwich Golf Club) snuck it at the wire. The horn sounded with one hole to play, and though he made bogey on the closing 9th (his 18th) following the resumption of play, it was still good enough to give him a return invite to Woodland.
However, it’s hard to count out Vana, who undoubtedly knows Woodland better than the remaining contenders in the Lowery Division—his last three rounds on the final day at Woodland: 68, 66, and 68. The year prior, he was even-par 71.
The Lowery Division will tee off first in the event at 8 a.m. Vana, Ezold, and McNeill will begin at 10:17 a.m.
Weather Delay: An afternoon thunderstorm caused a 1-hour delay beginning at 4:19 p.m. However, play concluded with plenty of daylight.
Super Group: Matt Williams wasn’t the only player in his group to have a stellar day at Indian Pond. In addition to Williams’ 67, Patrick Frodigh made eagle on the 10th to finish 4-under 68, with Collin McMahon-Shea finished one back with a 69. Had they been playing a best ball format Thursday, they would’ve finished with a 13-under 59. Alas, all three safely made the cut.
New Tournament Low: Max McColgan (Nashawtuc Country Club) played himself into the final day at Woodland with a banner day. Not only did the 17-year-old Lincoln-Sudbury standout shoot a personal-best tournament score of 5-under 67, it was his first bogey-free round in competition.
Be Back In 2025: Indian Pond will host the 115th Massachusetts Open Championship next year from June 9-11. This will be the club’s first time hosting a Mass Golf signature championship, though it has also hosted the Mass Junior and Girls’ Junior, several championship qualifiers, team tournaments, and Member Days.
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