By Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org
WORCESTER, Massachusetts (August 21, 2024) – There was a palpable buzz in the air on Wednesday morning at a crisp and cool Worcester Country Club for the inaugural Mass Golf Invitational Qualifier. The competition was put into place to identify two worthy participants from the amateur ranks to participate in the LPGA’s FM Championship Monday Qualifier.
Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill CC) showed off her power and precision with driver in earning medalist honors with a 68 (-2), and securing one of the two spots into Monday’s event. Joining Guleserian and a field of professionals on Monday will be, Carys Fennessy (Youth on Course/Mass Golf), who grinded out two playoff holes to earn the second and final spot.
These players have punched their ticket to TPC Boston and now move one step closer to playing in an LPGA Championship, here in Massachusetts. Thanks to Mass Golf’s partnership with the LPGA Tour, this opportunity was made available to the top amateur players within the Mass Golf ranks, and has protected their amateur status.
QUALIFIED: LILLIAN GULESERIAN
It didn’t take long for Worcester Country Club to show its teeth. Playing the first, Lillian Guleserian was greeted with a near impossible up-and-down from beyond the green, leading to an opening bogey. Unfazed by the early error, Guleserian’s cool demeanor, quick learning, and exceptional ball striking won the day.
The bogey was quickly eliminated with a birdie on the par-5 second. And her score flipped into the red numbers with another birdie on the par-5 fifth.
“(Worcester) reminds me of Dedham (Country & Polo Club), which I play a lot,” said Guleserian. “The greens, the way they’re sloped, and then the hills in the fairways. So I was able to take advantage of some of the par fives and par threes and tried to be consistent out there.”
From that point, Guleserian’s name never left the top of the leaderboard. On hole 13, a high-drawing approach shot spun down to within a foot of the hole, leading to a tap-in birdie. And then on the 15th, she was able to make it a clean-sweep of the par 5s with yet another birdie. Guleserian birdied all three of the par-5s at Worcester on Wednesday.
“Coming down the 17th hole, I started thinking about it,” added Guleserian. “I started thinking about it like, wow, it’s a big tournament I might qualify for, so I just tried to keep it going out there.”
QUALIFIED: CARYS FENNESSY
Having played alongside Lillian Guleserian the past few days at the New England Junior Invitational at GreatHorse, Carys Fennessy couldn’t have been shocked to see Guleserian’s name alongside hers at the top of the leaderboard.
What she was shocked to see, was her ball at the bottom of one of the nasty, hidden fairway bunkers on hole 7. Having to pitch out sideways, Fennessy was forced to settle for bogey. But with an opportunity to compete alongside some of the best professionals in the game, Fennessy was able to buckle down after making the turn.
Proper par after proper par was the recipe for much of the back nine. On the closing hole Fennessy safely reached the green in two, but her ball came to rest on the upper level of the severe two-tiered green. A closing bogey forced Fennessy to sit atop the 18th and wait.
Eventually, Fennessy’s fate was sealed, and a 2-for-1 playoff with Emma Abramson (The Ridge Club) was set. The players would play the 18th hole until a winner was determined.
The thing with bonafide champions is, if you let them hang around long enough, they’re destined to pull through.
Learning from her error the first time around, Fennessy hit a spectacular approach inside of 10 feet on the first playoff hole. With Abramson’s approach falling short in the greenside bunker, things were looking promising for Fennessy. However, Abramson’s bunker shot wowed the crowd, nearly falling for birdie, setting up a tap-in par. An understandingly cautious two-putt sent them back to the 18th tee for another playoff hole.
“To be honest, I didn’t play it the first time the way I wanted to,” said Fennessy about the 18th hole at Worcester. “So it was nice to be able to go out there and play it the way I had intended. And I hit two shots into that green during the playoff, almost in the same spot, and made pars both times.”
Again, Fennessy hit an approach pin-high, nearly in the exact same spot as her approach on the first playoff hole. This time the accuracy wore down Abramson. After a few miscues from Abramson, Fennessy was able to easily two-putt her way to victory…or should we say, into Monday.
No matter what the outcome on Monday, you can plan on seeing Fennessy at TPC Boston all week.
“It’s best of both worlds, I get to play on Monday and then hopefully make it into the rest of the week. But if not, I get to go watch some really good players if I don’t get a chance to play with them. So, look forward to it.”
The two qualifiers will now compete in the FM Championship Monday Qualifier at TPC Boston, an opportunity not often available to amateur golfers. Tee times will become available at a later date.
The LPGA Monday Qualifier is an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round, complete with a field of 48 players, that determines two (2) qualifying spots. The two qualifiers will receive entry into the FM Championship, which is also being contested at TPC Boston. The Monday Qualifier will be played at 6,598 yards, to a par of 72.
FM Championship Monday Qualifier
Location: TPC Boston
Date: Monday, August 26
Field Size: 48 Players
FM Championship
Location: TPC Boston
Date: Thursday, August 29-Sunday, September 1
TV Coverage: Main Broadcast on Golf Channel, Featured Groups Coverage
Tickets: Mass Golf has partnered with the LPGA Tour to offer an exclusive Ticket + Hat promotion. Click on the banner below to take advantage of this special offer.
Worcester Country Club may be understated, but don’t be fooled, it boasts a historical pedigree matched by few clubs in the country. They hosted the 1925 U.S. Open, the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927, and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1960.
In the upcoming second volume of The Massachusetts Golfer, we take a look beyond the club’s storied past, highlighting the way that Gil Hanse’s recent restoration work set the course for Worcester to retake its place among the nation’s best.
Donald Ross’ original design 1914 has been painstakingly restored, his brilliance found quite literally underground and resurrected. The result is a polished, golden age masterwork that stands the test of the modern game. We look forward to sharing the full story, in print, in your mailbox, this fall.
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