THOMPSON, Connecticut (September 17, 2024) – It took a bit longer for Mother Nature to awaken on Tuesday. Thanks to lingering, heavy fog, the first round of the New England Amateur Championship at Quinnatisset Country Club was delayed by an hour.
The wait was worth it. What unfolded was a picture-perfect day accompanied by a gentle breath of wind. Outside of the occasional tee shot, the only break in silence was that of race cars accelerating their way around Thompson Speedway, located 3 miles through the woods.
With one day of play in the books, Andy Drohen (The Ranch GC, MA) leads the way in the Senior Championship at 6-under-par, and Kevin Carey (Dennis Pines GC, MA) sits atop the Super Senior Championship leaderboard at even par.
With two holes left in his round, former Massachusetts Amateur Champion Andy Drohen sat one back of the lead. On 17, he became just the fourth player to birdie the hole on the day, pulling into a share of the clubhouse lead. Then, on the par-5 finisher, Drohen hit a nifty little downhill chip that came to rest six feet from the hole.
The short, hard-breaking putt tried to sneak past the left edge, but caught just enough of the hole to spin a full 360° before dropping. The birdie vaulted Drohen into the lead heading into Wednesday’s final round.
On a day when the navigating the greens seemed to be of utmost importance, Criag Platt (Mill River CC, CT) was the quickest to get there. After missing his first green of the day (hole 10), he went on to hit the next 17 in a row.
“The key was no three-putts today,” said Platt. “That was my goal coming in, just hitting a lot of greens, and not trying to three-putt.”
Platt is no stranger to this stage, or position. He was the leader after one round of play back in 2022 at Black Rock CC (MA). That year he held his own in the final round, and finished T3, but was bested by Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC, MA) who fired a 65 to claim victory.
“Two years ago, I was in the same position, so hopefully I can finish it off this year and get it done.”
Former Champion (2021) John McNeill (Amateur Golf Tour of NE, MA) is also still in contention after shooting even-par (72) in the opening round. And while the leaderboard shows McNeill at level, his round was anything but.
“I probably won’t make a 47-footer tomorrow, but if I don’t hit it in the water on nine, yeah,” added McNeill. “Golf isn’t always about getting what you deserve. But, you know, overall, I had some bad breaks, some good breaks, even par – I am happy to take it.”
The New England Senior Amateur is a no-cut event, where players are re-paired for the final round, which is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. The leaders will tee off at approximately 1:45 p.m.
Super Senior Championship
One of the unique aspects of the New England Senior Amateur Championship is the fact that it is essentially two championships in one. All players in the field play the same tee set and are eligible for the Senior Championship. Those players ages 65 and older are also eligible for the Super Senior Championship.
Leading the way amongst the Super Seniors is Kevin Carey (Dennis Pines GC, MA). His round was highlighted by an eagle on the 17th hole, and birdie on the 18th.
Bob Reni (CC of New Bedford, MA) is just one back of the lead after offsetting four bogies with three birdies in carding a 73 (+1).
A couple of Massachusetts stalwarts Jack Kearney (Westover GC, MA) and Donald Reycroft (Bayberry Hills/Bass River, MA) are lingering close behind, having shot 74 (+2).
Alongside them at 2-over-par is Craig Steckowych (Portsmouth CC, NH), a former New England Amateur Champion, who made five birdies on the day, including two-straight to close out his round.
“I four-putted twice today, so you get kind of sensitive to it,” said Steckowych in describing the birdie on nine, his last hole of the day. “So, I hit the putt. It was a bad putt. Happened to go in. You saw me walk off, I was like ‘got no chance’, and it went in.”
Steckowych also echoed what many others were saying about the test at Quinnatisset. “If you leave the shots in all the right places, you can do okay here. I made some birdies, but I made a couple of doubles too, and it’s easy to do.”
Also at 2-over-par is John Herbert (Rockledge, CT), Richard Stevens (EClub of Connecticut).
Ace Alert
Playing the par-3, 7th hole on Tuesday, Thomas Caron (Bangor Municipal GC, ME) took an 8-iron and knocked it in the hole. It was the second ace of his career. His first also came during a competitive round, some years back at Waterville CC during the Maine Amateur Championship. Luckily for Caron’s wallet, Quinnatisset does not sell beverages of the adult type, on site.
Senior Championship Leaderboard
1 – Andy Drohen (MA); 66 (-6)
2 – Craig Platt (CT); 67 (-5)
3 – Timothy Murray (CT); 68 (-4)
4 – Jeff Fisher (MA); (-2)
Top Scores From Each State
Connecticut – Craig Platt; 67 (-5)
New Hampshire – Craig Steckowych; 74 (+2)
Maine – Thomas Caron; 77 (+5)
Massachusetts – Andy Drohen; 66 (-6)
Rhode Island – Brian O’Leary; 73 (+1)
Vermont – Greg Birsky; 78 (+6)
Like many golf courses situated alongside state borders in New England, Quinnatisset Country Club (Thompson, CT) is a proud member club of both the Connecticut State Golf Association and the Rhode Island Golf Association.
The golf course was originally constructed as a 9-hole layout in 1901 by over 200 craftsmen and laborers, imported from Italy. The group cleared 100 acres of woodland, built magnificent stone walls, and laid out what was probably the first significant golf facility in Northeastern Connecticut.
In addition to the huge walls surrounding and running through the course, the Italian craftsmen constructed a large stone water tower standing alongside the first tee, and four large stones cairns around the pond. The water tower and wells not only supplied water for the course but for several area farms and houses. The massive stone walls, which greatly add to the beauty and uniqueness of the property, were large enough for the owner, Norman B. Ream, to walk his horse on as he supervised the construction of the course.
The 9-hole course opened in 1901 and expanded to 18-holes in 1966. The course was then reconstructed by Roger Rulewich in 2004, which brought a completely new layout to the storied land.
It is now a course which rivals all in the area. Quinnatisset Golf Course has contributed to the cultural significance and played a colorful role in the lifestyle of the community for over a century. Today it provides a means of recreation for over 400 members residing in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, who come to challenge the par 72 layout.
*Source – Quinnatisset Country Club
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