Headline: Jason Thresher Sets Pace at Day 1 of 107th MGA Open Championship; Leads By One Stroke at Worcester Country Club
For Immediate Release: June 13, 2016
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Jason Thresher fired a first-round score 3-under par 67 at Worcester Country Club to the lead the way at the 2016 MGA Open. |
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Worcester, Mass. — One year ago, Jason Thresher (Crestview CC) was on a high after finishing third at the Massachusetts Open Championship.
Fast forward one year and he finds himself in an even better spot… in first place after round one at the 107th Massachusetts Open Championship, which is being held this week at Worcester Country Club.
Despite windy conditions from start to finish, Thresher found a way to master the Donald Ross layout to post a score of 3-under par 67. He currently leads the way by one stroke over former University of Mississippi standout Blake Morris (Southbury, CT).
Thresher and Morris were two of only 10 players in the 150-player field to finish under par on Monday.
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107th MGA Open Day 1 Quick Links
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For Thresher, the road to Worcester is one that wasn’t the norm as far as touring pros go.
After all, the West Suffield native was a walk-on at Bryant University who worked himself into a four-year starter on a team that transitioned to Division I play by his senior year. He made the jump to the pro circuit in 2013 and has been working his way through the ranks ever since.
His performance on Monday could be a career changer.
“It was a really good round because I wasn’t really playing well coming into today,” said Thresher, who is 27 years old. “I made a couple of putts early and had some confidence going into the middle of the round and kept it going.”
Last week at the New England Open, Thresher came out firing on day one but then missed the cut after a second-round 78. He is hoping that his momentum today will propel him into the third day. The starting field will be reduced to the low 50 scorers and ties or anyone within seven strokes of the lead following Tuesday’s second round.
“It’s huge because you don’t have to come out tomorrow and try to shoot lights out,” said Thresher about his strong first round. “I was only out of position twice and other than that I wasn’t having to save round and I played really well.”
Thresher jumped out to a fast start by making birdie on two of his first three holes. He must have sensed it was going to be a good day when he holed a 15-foot birdie putt from beyond the hole on the 563-yard, par 5 2nd hole.
“It was a little too hard but it hit the center of the hole,” said Thresher with a smile.
He made the turn at 2-under par 33 and then made birdie on three of his next five holes and was an incredible 5-under par through 15 holes.
Although he suffered bogey on two of his final three holes, his final score was one that made the rest of field – many of who traveled thousands of miles to compete in Worcester this week – to shake their heads in awe.
"The greens are quick and it was tough today with the wind,” said Thresher. "But the course is in great shape and this is a great layout.”
In addition to Morris, who is in second place, a host of past MGA Open champions are well within striking distance.
Geoff Sisk (Marshfield CC), a six-time time winner of this event, and 2014 champion Ian Thimble (George Wright GC) are in a group that is T3 with scores of 1-under par 69. Three other former champions - Evan Harmeling (TPC Boston) - 2013; Michael Welch (Granite Links GC) - 2012; and Fran Quinn (Wachusett CC) - 1990 - are three back of the leader at even par 70.
Regardless of how he finishes, this year's MGA Open will be the last tournament for Paul Parajeckas (Pleasant Valley CC). After 40 years playing the field, he is ready to retire from the Bay State's top professional tournament.
As he rides into the sunset of what has been a memorable career, Parajeckas ends his MGA Open experience playing in the same field as his son Jason Parajeckas (Pleasant Valley CC), a qualifier on the Mackenzie Tour - Canada's Professional Golf Association's tournament. With limited time off between events, Jason returned to his native state to ensure he would not miss his father's final competitive event.
"This is a great opportunity to play with him in a competition because there is no telling how many times there is left to do that," said Jason. "It is bittersweet to know that I'll be playing in possibly his last event."
For Jason, who has found success from juniors through college and now at the professional level, the start to golf is something he would not have been able to do without his father's leadership.
Paul introduced Jason to the game at the age of three, when the younger Parajeckas was still hitting cross-handed. As Jason grew older and his father continued playing competitively, Jason's golf experience flourished. As a pre-teen, Jason recalls attending the New England PGA Pro-Am, where his start in competitive golf first began.
"He is the reason I kept at it," said Jason. "He has always been a motivator. As far as golf goes, he has always been the one I've looked up to."
While Jason ventured the country's golf scene, Paul has stayed close to his New England roots, with the last decade spent as the head golf professional at Pleasant Valley CC. Before that, he spent two decades at Woburn CC, rising to the ranks of head professional and superintendent.
For Paul, playing in the same tournament as Jason, only five groups ahead on the tee sheet, is something that he will cherish forever.
"I really want him to do well," said Paul. "He is trying to beat me and I'm trying to beat him. Especially to play in the Mass Open. I saw [Jason] tee off on the last hole. That's a special moment. You can't bring those moments back."
At age 66, Paul finds himself as the oldest player in the field.
With a resume that includes victories in every major tournament in the NEPGA Section, including the NEPGA Championship, the NEPGA Senior Championship (three times), the Wogan Player of the Year Championship (two times) and the Pro Match Play Championships (five times), amongst others, being able to end his tournament in the city he was brought up in is also something that makes this go around extra special.
"I've always looked for to playing in the Mass Open," said Paul. "It is like playing in our version of the Masters. It is the best players around the country."
As for what is next, Paul has no plans on leaving the game altogether. He still thoroughly enjoys teaching at Pleasant Valley and stated his desire to continue
"Golf is a game of a lifetime," said Paul. "I want to help people as much as I can. The young generation, or the older kids, or the golf professionals that are playing. If I can help their game, I want to."
In the meantime, he will have one final round left in his back pocket for day two of competition in Worcester. He will tee off at 1:55 p.m.
Two years ago, Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) came one shot short of winning the MGA Open title. He finished T2 that year following a three-man playoff at Weston Golf Club. The man he is tied with today – Ian Thimble – went on to win the top prize.
After posting an amateur-best score of 1-under par 70 on Monday in Worcester, however, Parziale – one of the 47 amateurs in this year’s field – is clearly poised to make another run at the low amateur and overall title.
“You try to win every event you play in,” said Parziale, the 2014 Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year. “It’s great to compete with these guys, and if you are lucky enough to be there in the end, then you just hope it happens.”
If successful, Parziale would become the first amateur since 1999 and only the sixth in history to win the Clarence G. Cochrane Memorial Trophy. He won low amateur honors at the MGA Open in 2009 and again in 2014.
Last year, the Brockton firefighter was unable to compete in this event after he advanced to U.S. Open Sectional qualifying, which was in direct conflict with the 2015 MGA Open Championship.
This time around, there were no conflicts and Parziale took full advantage on day one.
He made the turn at even par 35 and found himself 2-over par through 12 holes. It was then when he turned the complexion of his round around.
On the 528-yard, par 5 15th hole, Parziale recovered from a difficult chip and made a 10-foot birdie putt. He missed the green with his approach on the next hole but was able to recover with a critical par save.
“It was a difficult day, and I knew that going in,” said Parziale. “I made a few mistakes but I was pretty sure that everyone was doing that today.”
Parziale made sure that he found the green on the 460-yard, par 4 17th hole to set up a 7-foot birdie putt. He then drew applause from the gallery perched atop the 18th green complex when he sunk a 40-foot putt from off the front of the green.
“It is always good to play well the first round, but there is a long way to go,” said Parziale. “Tomorrow is a different day so I just try to keep going along.”
Parziale currently finds himself tied for low amateur with Patrick Frodigh (Dedham C&PC) and Matt Hutchins (Falmouth, ME), both of whom turned in scores of 1-under par 69 on Monday.
Hutchins was the 17th and final alternate to get into the field as he learned that he would be playing just yesterday morning.
Frodigh played alongside Nick McLaughlin (Far Corner GC) today. Last summer, the two competitors met in the final match of the 2015 Massachusetts Amateur Championship where McLaughlin prevailed by a score of 4 & 3 at Oak Hill Country Club.
"I hit the ball pretty well," said Frodigh, who plays golf at the University of Louisville. "The key to this course is hitting fairways and greens. When it's windy and you're close to the edges, it's tough. It was a pretty good ball striking day for me, and hopefully I can roll a few more putts in tomorrow."
The past 12 months have been busy for Nick McLaughlin.
The Far Corner GC member just concluded his senior season at the University of Virginia, where he competed in all five tournaments in one of the most challenging conferences in all of collegiate sports.
His best finish during his final year of collegiate eligibility came when he shot a 6-over par 222 at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate Golf Tournament over Columbus Day Weekend. There, he finished third best amongst the eight man Cavalier squad.
His senior season at Virginia came on the heels of a triumphant amateur season, highlighted by being named the 2015 Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year after winning five titles during that season.
McLaughlin's 1,050 total points accumulated were the result of victories at both the 2015 Massachusetts Amateur Championship and the 2015 New England Amateur Championship. Last year's victories included stops at regional tournaments, with wins at both the Hornblower Memorial Invitational and The Invitational.
Now, the 22-year old has his eyes on new adventures in Worcester.
For McLaughlin, still dawning his orange and blue colors from his four years at Virginia, this marks only the third tournament as a professional, a status he made official prior to the Cape Cod Open a mere two weeks ago. Despite his short tenure with professional status, the decision was one that was a long time coming.
"It is something I wanted to do for quite a while," said the former two-time MGA Junior Amateur champion. "Obviously, coming out of college and playing and practicing and all that time, I kind of felt it would have been a whole lot of work wasted to not try to do it. Five years from now, if I haven't done anything, at least I gave it a shot. That's the way I looked at it."
For McLaughlin, the approach to his game as a professional is no different than the one he took as an amateur last year.
"It's the same game," said McLaughlin. "If anything, it's made me more aware of every shot. Today was a good example. I was 5-over through nine. As an amateur, there isn't a huge difference between 35th place and 20th place, at least in my books. But now, when it might mean a difference of $500, it kind of gets your attention a little bit longer."
Money aside, the immediate focus for McLaughlin is on winning the Mass Open, a feat he hopes to accomplish after placing as the second lowest amateur at last year's tournament. He took advantage of the practice rounds that Worcester CC gave him last week and was shown the course by Shrewsbury native Scott Hawley.
"Scott showed me around," said McLaughlin of Hawley who playing in the MGA Open as a competitor for many years. "He showed me where and where not to miss it. For the most part, I did that today."
McLaughlin's 2-over par 72 after the first round on Monday keeps him among the others vying for the overall title.
Regardless of his final score, McLaughlin has his eyes set on the qualifying for the Web.com tour, the development tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour. Unable to attend qualifying school last year due to collegiate eligibility, which generally takes place in the fall and winter, he looks forward to starting this year with those goals in mind.
"For right now, I'm doing a lot of state Opens until I can aim for the Web.com qualifiers in the fall," said McLaughlin. "That is the goal right now."
Winning the MGA Open would undoubtedly be a step in the right direction.
Michael Thorbjornsen (George Wright GC) had already made MGA Open history before he even stepped foot onto the Worcester course on Monday. After all, Thorbjornsen, at the age of 14, became the youngest competitor to earn medalist honors at qualifying for this event just last month at Spring Valley CC.
Yet despite being the youngest Championship Proper competitor by three years, Thorbjornsen is looking to do more than just compete this week.
“At first it was pretty cool to be playing with pros,” said Thorbjornsen, who earlier this year captured a divisional title at the Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals. “In the end, it was just a normal tournament round where I was trying to shoot a low score.”
Thorbjornsen made the turn at 2-over par 75 and found himself even par through 14 holes after making birdie on the 438-yard, par 4 12th and 401-yard, par 4 14th holes. With the wind conditions not relenting in Worcester, Thorbjornsen made four straight bogies to finish with a round-one score of 4-over par 74.
“It was pretty difficult, especially with the wind because I don’t usually play that well in the wind,” said Thorbjornsen. “I started to figure it out towards the end, but on the the last couple of holes I just broke down and lost my swing.”
Before Thorbjornsen hit the amateur circuit, youth was served by Steven DiLisio (Salem CC) two years ago when he advanced to Championship Proper at the age of 16.
The 6-foot-2 DiLisio was a five-time MGA Junior Amateur Championship division winner and played high school golf first for St. John’s Prep (Danvers) and then for his final two years at Phillips Exeter Academy. This past spring, DiLisio announced that he will attend Duke University in the fall on a golf scholarship.
There is no doubt that Duke head golf coach Jamie Green was all smiles today when he checked the MGA Open leaderboard and saw DiLisio as one of the top amateur scorers with a 2-over par 72.
The Swampscott resident finished strong by playing his final eight holes at 2-under par including key birdies on the 15th and 18th holes.
DiLisio was playing alongside another young amateur – Billy Walthouse (Longmeadow CC) – who also posted a score of 2-over par 72 on Monday.
This past spring, Walthouse – a University of Rhode Island junior – competed at the NCAA Division I Regional Golf Championships held at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin. Walthouse earned that honor after a season in which he earned All-Atlantic 10 first-team honors for the second time. He won three tournaments and posted a career-low scoring average of 71.7.
The average age of this year’s field is 32.3 and there are a total of 13 competitors who are under the age of 21.
