Headline: Two Bay State Golfers Among Three to Lock Up Final Spots at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship

For Immediate Release: July 26, 2016

Charlie May (top) was one of three qualifiers at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier held at George Wright GC on July 26. Also qualifying were Matt Organisak and Ryan Tombs.

Hyde Park, MA —There is an old saying that reads, “save the best for last.”

That very well may have been the case on Tuesday when the USGA hosted its 99th and final U.S. Amateur qualifier at historic George Wright Golf Club – an 18 hole public golf course located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston and designed by Newton native Donald Ross.

The future sight of the 2018 Massachusetts Amateur Championship, George Wright was the third U.S. Amateur qualifier to be held in the Bay State, the fourth in New England and the last stop for any amateur golfer trying to earn their spot in the field at Oakland Hills Golf Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from August 15-21.

Playing for three qualifying spots and two alternate spots, Massachusetts native Charlie May (Topsfield, Mass.) shot a combined 1-under par 139 in 36 holes of action to beat out the field of 74 competitors and earn his spot at the 116th U.S. Amateur Championship next month. Only Ryan Tombs (Bedford, N.H.) carded a lower score.

In the morning round, May, the Elon University junior, overcame a double bogey on the 387-yard, par 4 1st hole by carding a tremendous back nine that saw him finish atop the leaderboard through 18 holes.

“I played pretty good. I got hot on my second nine coming in,” said May. “I made four straight birdies on 14 through 17. I was sitting at 3-over and all of a sudden, I was 1-under. I went from being not in it to right in the mix. Finished with a [1-under] 69 in the morning.”

During the afternoon round, May shot an even par 70 and put himself in a position to once again finish atop the leaderboard.

Starting his second round on the 10th hole, May - a Masconomet Regional High School graduate - registered eight pars and a birdie on his first nine of the second round and entered the final nine holes of his 36-hole qualifier at 2-under par.  

With temperatures hovering above 90 degrees, May “bogeyed one and bounced back with a big birdie on two.”

After another birdie on the 6th hole - his eighth of the day - May found difficulty on the par-3 8th hole, recording a double bogey that pushed him back to only 1-under.

However, May didn’t let the eighth hole get him down and refocused as he approached the final hole of his day.

“Number nine is probably the hardest tee shot on the course,” said May. “I told myself that 1-under still had a chance. I really regrouped, committed to the target and just trusted it. Thankfully it worked out.”

Worked out it did as he qualified for his first ever U.S. Amateur Championship.

“It feels awesome. Fantastic. I really like the USGA and watching the US Open on TV. They set up the US Amateur pretty similar and I can’t wait to see how my game stacks up.”

While this will be his first time playing in a tournament of this caliber, May will look to a collegiate teammate who has played in the U.S. Amateur Championship on any advice ahead of the big event.

“[Teammate] Jonathan DiIanni was at Olympia Fields in 2015. I’ll definitely talk to him about the game plan and how to prepare.”

May will have a few weeks to prepare for the 116th US Amateur Championship, as will Tombs and the third qualifier, Matt Organisak (Sudbury, Mass.), who beat out Andrew O’Leary in a three-hole playoff to earn the final spot.

Earning first and second alternate spots were O’Leary and James Imai (Brookline, Mass.), who too competed in the playoff after both shooting a combined 1-over par 141 in 36 holes Tuesday.

George Wright GC served as the 99th and final qualifier site in North America for the 2016 US Amateur Championship.

.