By Steve Derderian
sderderian@massgolf.org
SOUTH YARMOUTH, Massachusetts (August 5, 2024) – The Massachusetts Junior Amateur and Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur, both Powered by KOHR Golf, were contested in the same year for the first time in the 1930s, back when golfing icons included the likes of Bobby Jones & Gene Sarazen and Patty Berg & Glenna Collett.
The kids now have different (and more) role models to aspire to. And now for the first time, these longstanding championships come together simultaneously at the same venues in a Cape Cod region known for family-friendly fun. Under clear, balmy skies Monday, Bass River Golf Course and Bayberry Hills Golf Course hosted the opening round of the Junior Amateur and Girls’ Junior, respectively.
“It’s great to support the junior golfers in the state,” said Dennis Hoye, Manager and Head Golf Professional for Yarmouth Golf. “The courses are in great shape. The maintenance crew has done a great job. I’ve been a PGA Member for 30 years, and it’s been amazing to see the changes in junior golf from when I was young playing.”
In both competitions, the standout leaders after Day 1 feature familiar foes — moreso friends. In the Junior Amateur, New England Amateur champion CJ Winchenbaugh (Oyster Harbors Club) was a birdie shy of a course record by shooting a bogey-free 7-under-par 63. He finished one stroke ahead of reigning champion Carson Erick (Boston Golf Club), who will join Winchenbaugh as a teammate at Georgetown University. The two met in the final match last year and could potentially get a rematch this year.
Meanwhile, 2024 Ouimet Memorial Tournament winner Isabel Brozena (Indian Ridge Country Club) and Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill Country Club) picked up their springtime rivalry by trading the lead throughout the day. Though Guleserian finished with a birdie, Brozena one-upped her by making eagle at the finisher to shoot 8-under-par 64.
After two rounds of stroke play, the best 16 will advance to match play, which will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at Bayberry Hills.
Scroll down for more on each event, plus notes and video highlights from Day 1.
📸 A picturesque summer day on the Cape for day one of the 91st Mass Girls’ Junior & 106th Junior Ams powered by KOHR Golf. pic.twitter.com/71CBlkaNqp
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) August 5, 2024
With little wind and a course significantly shorter and more wide open than last year at GreatHorse, the bustling Bass River was practically rendered defenseless against the smooth-swinging CJ Winchenbaugh and Carson Erick. Winchenbaugh went bogey-free, going 2-under on the back before making consecutive birdies on holes 3-5, nearly making eagle on 7, and almost holing out for eagle on the 8th.
“You have a lot of wedges and a lot of birdie opportunities, and the par fives you can get there in two, so the birdies are out there; I just managed to make them today,” Winchenbaugh said. “It’s just nice having a cushion going in tomorrow, knowing I can just kind of play my game tomorrow, and I’ll be fine. A high seed definitely helps.”
Winchenbaugh and Erick may well be on a collision course again this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from being buddies this week. Winchenbaugh, whose family summers on Cape Cod, is hosting Erick at his home this week, as the two competitors will be teammates in the coming years. Winchenbaugh will start Georgetown this fall, while Erick is taking a gap year and will start college in 2025.
“It was fun playing last year in the finals,” said Winchenbaugh, who made an impressive run to the Round of 16 in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. “If I’m going to lose to someone, I’d rather lose to a future teammate. I’d love to see him in match play again.”
CJ Winchenbaugh made it look…too easy? A 7-under 63 has him atop the leaderboard on day one of the Mass Junior Am powered by: KOHR Golf pic.twitter.com/hCctZzZAN2
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) August 5, 2024
Erick made his lone bogey to start the round on the difficult par-3 10th and nearly made another on the closing 9th. After getting blocked out on his approach, his shot found the bunker. Still with plenty of room to work with, he took a few wiggles and placed it to about 5 feet and pumped his fist when he got up-and-down to cap off a 64.
“I feel great about today,” said Erick, who also made seven birdies. “I couldn’t really have asked for too much better. I feel like I took advantage of the par fives and just really tried to keep it clean, didn’t want to force anything, take it out of play. On the 9th, I had a very clear shot of what I had in mind. It worked out the way I wanted to, and it was a good up-and-down to end the day to keep the momentum going.”
Erick echoed Winchenbaugh’s sentiment about possibly matching up once again, “When we’re at tournaments together, we’re rooting for each other,” Erick said. “He’s had an incredible summer. I hope we both have a great week again, and it’d be fun to play him again.”
Barnstable High School standout Colin Gleason, who grew up playing public golf at both Olde Barnstable Fairground and Hyannis Golf Course, seems to be carrying the flag for Cape Cod natives so far. Gleason finished 5-under 65 for a share of third place with Max McColgan (Nashawtuc Country Club), who led all afternoon players with a bogey-free round.
Gleason won the Pre-Junior Division (age 16 and under) last year but missed match play by one stroke. That, and playing close to home, is serving as motivation.
“I gotta represent the Cape Cod boys,” said Gleason, who finished with an eagle on the 7th and a birdie on the 8th to move into a solid position. “Last year…when I would hit bad shots, I would get a little fast and wouldn’t take my time and not take it seriously, but I just got to understand bad shots are going to happen. You got to rebound from them, and that’s the big difference.”
After he finished, he had to hurry off down the road to Wianno Golf Club, where he works in the cart barn and bag room.
For the first time this year, match play has been introduced into the Girls’ Junior Amateur championship. Last year, the low 12 and ties qualified for the final round of stroke play, but now the goal is to get into the low 16.
After 18 holes at a peaceful Bayberry Hills, Isabel Brozena and Lillian Guleserian are likely to grab the top two spots after they fired 8-under 64 and 7-under 65, respectively. Who will be No. 1 and No. 2 could go either way based on how they’ve competed since the spring. During the spring high school golf season, Guleserian edged Brozena in the MIAA North/Central/West Regional Championship, but Brozena won the MIAA state championship the week after. Perhaps this will be the rubber match, especially if they compete head-to-head in match play.
“We’ve been playing neck and neck with each other, and so to have her right in front of me and just watch her make birdies all day, that obviously helps you play better,” Brozena said of Guleserian. “Me and Lillian have similar gameplay. We both like to hit really long drives.”
That they did, as both took advantage of reachable par-5s on the par-72, 5,511-yard layout. Brozena also had a clear view of Guleserian’s 15-foot birdie putt on the 155-yard par-3 17th and, seeing that, followed suit, bringing her to 6-under heading to the final hole. Guleserian’s second shot on the 18th sailed over the green and was in a buried lie. However, she managed to tap it onto the green, getting her to about 10 feet for birdie, which she made.
“I like ending on par fives. No matter where you play, it’s always I feel like I can almost get to them most of the time,” Guleserian said. “Being able to finish like that with the birdie definitely makes me feel good about tomorrow.”
Following the tricky up-and-down birdie from Guleserian, Brozena, who was watching Guleserian from the trailing group all day, responded by reaching the green below the pin in two and was visibly excited when the eagle putt fell for a spectacular round of bogey-free 8-under.
“I was 6-under going into 18, and 8-under just sounds a lot better, so I wanted to make eagle, and that putt was really big,” said Brozena, who endorsed the new format, especially coming off making match play in this year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur.
It’s a battle for birdies between Isabel Brozena and Lillian Guleserian, who are currently tied for the lead at Bayberry Hills 😬 #MassGolf pic.twitter.com/t9w79MhhJW
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) August 5, 2024
Sandwich natives Emma Abramson (The Ridge Club) and Riley Eames (Student Member/MIAA) currently share third place at 2-under. Abramson, a rising sophomore at Williams College, made a birdie putt from inside 10 feet pin high on the closing hole. Aimes, who attends Tabor Academy, also made birdie at the close.
The Girls’ Junior also features divisions for its youngest and higher handicap players. West Newton’s Isabella Arone (Brae Burn Country Club), who is part of the KOHR Golf Academy, shot 79 in the Silver Division (Handicap Index 10.2 and higher) for a commanding 14-stroke lead. Natick’s Hazel Hegstrom (Student Member/MIAA) shot 2-under 34 for a three-stroke lead in the Junior-Mite Division (Ages 13 & under). Both divisions will conclude play Tuesday at Bass River and are not eligible for match play.
The mid-Cape town of Yarmouth offers some of the best public golf on Cape Cod, with Bass River being a long-lasting gem popular with locals and tourists alike. Right off the jump, you get a shot at birdie with the shortest par 4 on the course, which is drivable for many players who wish to risk it.
Opened in 1900 as a private club, Bass River was redesigned and expanded by golf course architect Donald Ross in 1914. The sweeping 18-hole layout features wide fairways, small greens, and views of Bass River. The signature hole, No. 18 (169-yard par 3), plays across marshland to an elevated and severely sloped green with a steep embankment in front.
In addition to hosting several qualifiers, Bass River most recently hosted the 2018 Massachusetts Women’s Stroke Play Championship for the Baker Trophy and the 2014 Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship with Bayberry Hills, its sister municipal course just 8 minutes away by car (about 25-30 by bicycle, if you were so inclined).
Bayberry Hills will be highlighted in Tuesday’s recap.
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