Headline: Final Round of 107th MGA Open Championship Set for Wednesday at Worcester CC; Thresher, Hutchins, Frodigh & Parziale Featured in Final Two Groups
For Immediate Release: June 14, 2016
 |
From top: Matt Hutchins, Patrick Frodigh, Matt Parziale and Jason Thresher will be featured in the final two MGA Open groups on day three at Worcester CC. |
|
 |
 |
 |
Worcester, Mass. — It was a text that Matt Hutchins (Falmouth, ME) may keep forever.
On Sunday morning, the rising Chico State sophomore received a message on his phone saying that a spot had opened up and he was next in line as Alternate No. 17 to play in the 107th Massachusetts Open Championship at Worcester Country Club.
-------------------------
107th MGA Open Day 2 Quick Links
-------------------------
“I got a text on Sunday at 7am that a last-minute withdrawal had happened and it said if I wanted to play I could,” said Hutchins. “I was like ‘yeah, sure’. I had never seen the course before, but I just wanted the opportunity.”
Playing alongside two veteran pros – one of whom was Kevin Johnson (CC of Halifax) who spent much of his career on the PGA and Web.com Tours – Hutchins took full advantage of the opportunity.
As a 19-year-old amateur, Hutchins currently stands T2 and just one stroke back of leader Jason Thresher (West Suffield, CT) heading into the third and final round of one of the region’s most prestigious professional events in the region.
“I just tried to look at it [as a chance to] get better as an individual and get better every day and improve my game,” said Hutchins. “If I can do that, hopefully I can play well.”
Thresher leads the way with a two-round score of 4-under par 136. Hutchins and Patrick Frodigh (Dedham C&PC) are in second place, while Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) is in fourth place.
All three of those competitors are amateurs, and fellow amateur Billy Walthouse (Longmeadow CC) is part of a group of three who are T5. In total, nine amateurs advanced to the third and final day of competition.
Thresher and Hutchins will be paired together in the final round set for Wednesday in Worcester.
“I have never been in a position having a lead going into the final round,” said Thresher, who finished T3 at the 2015 MGA Open. “It will be completely new to me. The most experience I had was being in the second to last group last year at the Open.”
New experiences will be abound in that final group, especially for Hutchins.
Yet despite his age (he just finished his freshman year of college), lack of event experience (it’s his first time in Championship Proper), status (he was an alternate) and knowledge of the course (he had never played Worcester CC until Monday), Hutchins has the confidence of a veteran.
“I just tried to have fun,” said Hutchins, a graduate of Lincoln-Sudbury High School whose family recently relocated to Maine. “I had a good friend on the bag so I tried to go out there and play my best and the score was what it was.”
For the past two days, he has competed on the Worcester layout like it was his home course. He posted a first-round score of 1-under par 69 on Monday and then backed that up with a 2-under par 68 on Tuesday.
“I have played a lot of Donald Ross courses and this is definitely my favorite one,” said Hutchins. “It is a really cool layout, and you can hit a lot of different shots. It is just a really cool course.”
His day-two round in Worcester was highlighted by a 25-foot eagle putt made on the 483-yard, par 5 5th hole. He finished with one eagle, one bogey and 16 pars.
“I only missed one green today,” said Hutchins. “It helped that I was on a lot of greens today and just two putted my way around the course. I made a lot of pars and fortunately got a couple of putts to drop.”
As a junior golfer in the Bay State, Hutchins was a two-year captain of his high school golf team and finished as high as sixth at the MGA Junior Amateur Championship. He also represented Team Massachusetts at the 2014 New England Junior Amateur Championship.
“It was steady golf,” said Hutchins of his Tuesday round. “I just tried to make a lot of pars because there are a lot of tough holes out there.”
Hutchins will have plenty of amateur company on the third and final day.
While Hutchins was finishing up on the back nine, Frodigh was signing his scorecard for a 2-under par 68. Frodigh and Hutchins posted identical scores on Monday and Tuesday.
“Me and my caddie had a fun time out there and there was no pressure really,” said Frodigh. “We went out and played pretty similar to yesterday. We got off to a slow start but made a couple of birdies and eagles coming in. We had a lot of fun.”
Frodigh was joined the first two days with Nick McLaughlin (Far Corner GC). The recently turned pro grew up playing junior golf with Frodigh and also bested him in the final match of the 2015 MGA Amateur Championship last July.
“It means everything,” said Frodigh about being paired with McLaughlin this week. “Last summer I had a chance to win the Mass Amateur against Nick in the finals. I am in a similar position now. Last year was a learning experience, and I took a lot away from it. Tomorrow I am going to go out like I have the past two days and just have a good mindset and hopefully roll in a few putts.”
Frodigh finished his second round with three birdies and an eagle – his second straight this week – on the 483-yard, par 5 5th hole.
Perhaps his biggest shot, however, came on the 165-yard, par 3 13th hole – his fourth hole of the day – which changed the complexion of his round.
“I was 2 over through four and then made a nice birdie on that par 3,” said Frodigh. “ That jumpstarted me I think … I made a nice putt; a really fast putt coming down the hill. I was lucky to hit the hole.”
Frodigh went on to play 5-under par golf through his next 12 holes including that eagle on the 5th hole.
“By teeing off in the morning the greens were faster and smoother than yesterday,” said Frodigh. “I blew my first putt from 20 feet 15 feet past. It was downwind and it was a bit of an adjustment for the first four or five holes but after that I was good.”
On Tuesday morning, Parziale was seen darting from the golf course to his car and speeding off along Rice Street. He didn’t have time to stop for a snack or even a glass of water for the road. He was just hoping to be on time for work.
Parziale works for the Brockton Fire Department, and he was scheduled to work on Tuesday afternoon.
The scene was similar to that of two years ago.
Upon learning that he finished T1 through 54 holes at the MGA Open Championship in Weston, Parziale asked to use his father’s cell phone so that he could call his colleagues and hopefully find someone to cover his shift at the station until the playoff concluded.
Such is the life of an amateur golfer.
After firing a 1-under par 69 on Monday, Parziale found himself 3-over par through his first nine holes on Tuesday. Although frustrated by three early bogies, Parziale was also thinking about the fact that his shift would not end until 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday and a less-than-stellar round-two score might result in an earlier-than-wanted tee time on day three.
“That concerned me,” said Parziale. “When I was making bogies I knew that it was going to be a problem, but I was lucky to make some birdies.”
Parziale responded to the call and played 4-under par golf through his final 10 holes to finish with a score of 1-under par 69 and a two-round total that assured him of a late morning starting time.
“I made a couple of mistakes early,” said Parziale, who began his second round on the 9th hole. “I had a bad shot on 17 and then on 18 hit it close in there to about a foot and a half for an easy birdie. That got me going.”
He went on to make eagle on the par-5 5th hole and then drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the 7th hole. He also just missed another birdie putt on his finishing 8th hole.
“I hit it well coming in,” said Parziale. “I actually hit well all day and just made those early mistakes, but overall I was happy with the round.”
Despite the fact that Parziale will be serving his community all night while his fellow competitors will be enjoying a good night’s rest, he understands exactly how to balance those two important facets of his life.
“If you are a pro you have to play well and if you are an amateur you have to play well,” said Parziale. “Tomorrow is a new day, and you have to keep it going, stay out of trouble and hopefully down the stretch it’s there and you have a chance.”
Despite chasing after his first major professional title, Thresher has played with the confidence of a champion all week long. He has held the lead through two days.
“It was pretty much the same round as yesterday as far as ball striking,” said Thresher. “I didn’t hit as many irons as close today as yesterday, but the par 3s were playing really tough today.”
So tough were those holes that Thresher was 3-over par on the five par 3s and 4-under par on the rest of the course.
“I have been putting really well inside of 10 feet the last two days,” said Thresher. “I struggled on the longer putts … yesterday was pretty much stress free and today was the same because the holes I bogeyed were three puts. I controlled the ball well.”
Despite his lack of experience being in a final group in a major championship, Thresher is feeling little pressure this week on a course that he has come to love over the past two days.
“I don’t have one nine that is more favored than the other,” said Thresher. “There are a few holes on each side that I can score on. I have been able to do it so far. My game is control fairways and greens and two putt.”
It doesn't take a golf extraordinaire to know that stroke play makes the game an individual sport. Each player is responsible for his or her own play and unlike many team sports like baseball or basketball, there is no one to bail them out if he or she isn't on their 'A' game.
In fact, the closest stroke-play golf gets to a team sport is the bond that is shared between a caddie and his golfer, an extra set of eyes who can provide advice on how to approach both the course and the competition.
No one knows that better than Allan Belden, the Worcester CC golf professional whose course is hosting this week's event for a record seventh time, and the first since 1976.
His daughter Maddy, who for the first time was caddying her father in a competitive event, joined him for the first two days of competition.
"It's a lot of fun. She's going off to college in the fall so [the timing] is especially good," said the elder Belden. "She is a good golfer and she obviously knows the golf course. She was helpful. It was a lot of fun and even a little emotional."
Before she leaves home to start her freshmen year at Holy Cross in September, where she will play play golf after captaining the boys team as a high school senior at Worcester Academy, Allan said that she was especially helpful in confirming what he saw on the course or providing advice on what the best club to use would be.
On Tuesday however, his daughter's assistance was even greater.
"She read the putt correctly on 18," said Allan. "I disagreed with her and she was right."
In the midst of competition, the father/daughter duo is not the only blood relationship that a player has to his caddie. In fact, three other golfers of note in the MGA Open field also share a family relationship to the person walking alongside them.
Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) and Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) both brought their fathers as caddies to Worcester, while Fran Quinn (Wachusett CC), fresh off an appearance in the final round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship, was assisted by his son, Owen, who will play collegiate golf at Lehigh University when he attends his freshman year this fall.
For Brennan, whose father Peter has been his wingman for the past two days, the opportunity to share in the experience is something he is thankful for.
"It's great," said Colin. "He used to do the Mass Amateur. Once a year, he would come out and caddie for me. Usually, it would be my biggest event of the year. It has really become a yearly bonding experience for us."
While Colin considers himself a pretty laid back individual, he says dad's golf experience is particularly helpful once the younger Brennan is in the midst of competition.
"He has watched me play a ton of golf, especially at the tournament level," said the Andover native. "He usually has a pretty good indication if I'm swinging well, if I'm nervous, if I feel good or if I'm putting well. He's way more into details and he introduces a lot of facts so that I make proper decisions myself."
That sentiment is one that Fran Quinn echoes.
Speaking about his 17-year old son, Owen, a member at Wachusett CC himself, being able to play while his son caddies is a great experience.
The elder Quinn, playing in the MGA Open for the first time in 20 years, said of his son, "He has caddied for me quite a bit and I love it. He is a great kid. He is a great caddie and a great player. We've always had fun doing it."
Owen, who also caddied for his father as most recent as this past weekend at the Senior Players Championship, where he finished 12th, said there was no added pressure caddying for someone who has had as much success as his father.
He said, "It's still the same game of golf and I expect the same things from him."
Regardless of their final scores this week, one thing remains the same. For all the MGA Open golfers who have a family member caddying, they are extremely grateful to be able to spend the time with their family member.
And it doesn't get better than that.
Since its founding in 1903, the MGA has been dedicated to serving and promoting amateur golf through a membership made up of Member Clubs.
Although the number of programs and benefits offered has expanded exponentially over the past 100 years, the mission has remained the same. The MGA now works with 360 Member Clubs located across the state.
From the very start, the MGA has also hosted one… and only one… golf competition that is open to both amateur and professional players. The Massachusetts Open Championship was first contested in 1903 and a young professional named Donald Ross captured the inaugural title at Vesper Country Club.
“This event is part of the unique fabric of our organization,” said Jesse Menachem, the MGA’s executive director. “While our championship focus is primarily for the amateur competitors, we enjoy hosting an event that features golf professionals from afar and right here in the Bay State.”
To Menachem’s point, many of the featured professionals in the field each year are either former amateurs competing on various national and regional touring circuits or local golf professionals who are taking a few days off for healthy competition.
One group that is well represented this week is the NEPGA.
“Up until the New England Open moved to June this event really kicked off the Open season,” said Mike Higgins, executive director of the NEPGA who was on site at Worcester on Tuesday. “Our majors don’t really start until August, so everyone really wants to play in this event. Plus the history of the MGA Open is wonderful.”
Four exemption categories are dedicated to the NEPGA. Two such categories are the top five scorers and ties from the NEPGA Section Championship and the top 20 finishers and ties from the previous year’s Skip Wogan point standings.
The newest exemption category is for the host golf professionals from the MGA Open section qualifying sites.
“That was a really nice touch,” said Higgins. “And I know that the guys really appreciate that opportunity.”
While spirits were high at Worcester this week as those NEPGA members were able to connect with old friends while playing the game that they teach and preach on a daily basis, there was a solemn feeling among that special group.
The NEPGA continues to mourn the loss of someone who made an indelible mark on the profession. Bob Baldassari, a former head professional at Hillview Country Club and the Tara Colonial in Lynnfield and later teaching pro at Paradise Golf Center in Middleton, passed away on May 18 in Stuart, Fla.
In an article about Baldassari that appeared in today’s Boston Globe included this comment from his son, Bob, Jr.
“He lived a remarkable life, enjoying more than he could have ever imagined from such humble beginnings. I learned the intricacies of the business and the game from him, and more importantly, how to build lifelong friendships.’’
Higgins spoke of Baldassari’s influence on him as well as on so many in the golf community.
“He was a very special man,” said Higgins.
And there is no question that Baldassari would be pleased on this day as a field of the top golfers from the region were enjoying the game he loved so dearly.
The MGA Open brings together 150 golfers from across the Bay State, New England, and even the country to compete for the title of MGA Open Champion. Due to the nature of the event, which brings together both professional and amateur status players for three days of competition, there are also a wide variety of backgrounds amongst golfers that makes this event more unique than any other event.
Below is just some information for some of our MGA Open competitors that make them stick out from the competition in a way other than their final score.
Greg Pieczynski, who placed second at the 2008 Mass Open, is the assistant golf coach at Assumption College.
Mathieu Perron, of Montreal, Canada, is a professional golfer at Laval sur le Lac Golf Club and has played on both the PGA of Canada and CCPT (QPGA) Tours.
Marlborough’s Jason Short has won multiple US Challenge Cup events, including World Series of junior golf at Triggs Memorial Golf Course.
Eddie Kirby placed 33rd in the 1989 US Open and enjoys horse racing when he isn’t playing golf.
Off the golf course, nine-time MGA Player of the Year Frank Vana, Jr. coaches his son’s youth hockey team and enjoys doing bikram yoga.
Nicholas Marcoaldi used to putt lefty and every once in a while will practice putting lefty when he is struggling in order to feel a good stroke.
Josh Hillman won the father/son tournament at Taconic Golf Club with his five year old son.
Don Reycroft played baseball and was the catcher for former Major League pitcher Mark Fidrych when the pair played Legion League baseball.
Cody Paladino earned his degree from Baylor University in Language and Linguistics and by the end of his college career, had studied seven different languages. Dios Mio!
Ryan McCormick’s greatest golf memory came in 2012, when he won the New Jersey State Amateur Championship a few days after his father, Mark, qualified for the US Open.
Garren Poirier is photographing weddings when he isn’t winning Vermont Mid Amateur Championships, a feat he has accomplished twice.
James Hazen is one of several former MGA Open Championships looking for a second title. He won the tournament in 2010.
Adam Rainaud, of South Hadley, was an All-American at Louisville and has previously played in the PGA Championship while his brother caddied for him.
Hunter Stone’s father is the head baseball coach at the University of Massachusetts while his aunt was the head coach of the 2014 US Women’s Olympic Hockey team that won a silver medal in Sochi.
Tom Rooney’s favorite golf memory was playing in the US Amateur with Gary Nicklaus while the famous Jack Nicklaus watched.
Charlie May made a birdie putt on the first hole sudden death to win the 2011 MIAA Individual State Championship.
When he isn’t playing golf, John Martincheck enjoys ballroom dancing with his wife, a hobby the couple has enjoyed for the past six years.
Derick Fors won the Adidas Cup at Pinehurst Resort in 2015.
David Spitz was part of the first New England golf team to qualify for the NCAA Division I title, a feat he accomplished while at University of Rhode Island. He was married on June 3.
Ben Conroy’s favorite golf memory was when he shot the course record in the 2013 Connecticut Open to force a playoff while his father caddied.
One of the most popular questions on day two of the Massachusetts Open Championship is, “what do you think the cut will be?”
By definition, a "cut line" in golf is defined as the score that represents the dividing point between golfers who continue playing and those who are cut from the field in a golf tournament. In other words, who will be coming back on the final day and who will be going home after 36 holes.
Here is a look at the cut-line through the past 12 years.
Year |
Cut Line Score |
No. Players |
2016 |
147 (+7) |
54 |
2015 |
151 (+9) |
51 |
2014 |
148 (+4) |
57 |
2013 |
148 (+4) |
50 |
2012 |
148 (+6) |
50 |
2011 |
143 (+3) |
46 |
** Prior to 2012, the low 40 scorers and ties advanced to the third round |
||
2010 |
144 (+4) |
41 |
2009 |
155 (+11) |
46 |
2008 |
146 (+6) |
45 |
2007 |
145 (+5) |
43 |
2006 |
147 (+7) |
45 |
2005 |
147 (+3) |
43 |
2004 |
147 (+5) |
46 |
