Headline: Team Massachusetts Looks to Continue Record-Setting Play at the 83rd Tri-State Matches; Seeks 13th Straight Title This Week at Rhode Island Country Club

For Immediate Release: October 17, 2016

One year ago, Team Massachusetts (shown above) won its 12th straight Tri-State Matches title. This year's team will look for No. 13 this week at Rhode Island Country Club (below).

Norton, MA — Team Massachusetts will go for its 13th straight victory as 12 Bay State golfers will compete against squads from Connecticut and Rhode Island in the 83rd Annual Tri-State Matches, taking place this week at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington.

Compromised of eight mid-amateur players and four senior-amateur players, all with Massachusetts residency, the team of 12 will compete in foursome match play on Tuesday, followed by singles match play on Wednesday to wrap up the two-day tournament.

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83rd Tri-State Matches Quick Links

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Led by team captain Harry McCracken, Jr., longtime Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the New England Golf Association, this year’s squad will consist of Kevin Carey, Brian Secia, Keith Smith and Jack Kearney in the senior division while the tandem of Matt Parziale, Alex Jeffers, Chris Gentile, Frank Vana, Jr., Jordan Burke, Dan Cappucci, Ryan Riley and John Kelly will compete in the mid-amateur division.

All players were selected based on their success throughout the 2016 season in MGA, NEGA and USGA competitions.

Of the 12 members on this year’s roster, six members return from last year’s team, a team that put up 72 points to win a record 12th straight Tri-State Match when the event was held at TPC Boston in 2015. The victory was the MGA’s 33rd overall, dating back to 1928 when the current 3-team format was enacted.

Here is a summary of the format and point allocation system.

Format:

Round One: Foursomes match play. Each team will be playing two distinct matches. Players must play alternately from the teeing ground and alternately during the play of each hole. Penalty strokes do not affect the order of play. Penalty for breach of order of play is loss of hole.

Round Two: Three-Ball Match Play. All three players will be playing a match against one another, each playing his own ball. Each player will be playing two distinct matches.

Points: For each match, one point is available for the front nine, back nine, and overall match. For round two, the front nine and back nine will be considered the players first nine holes and second nine holes.

Ties: Any ties will result in each player/team being awarded 1⁄2 point.

Round 1 will kick off on Tuesday beginning at 12:30 p.m. while Wednesday will feature a shotgun format beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The current schedule of the Tri-State Matches date back to 1928 and had originally included eight mid amateurs and two senior amateurs. Beginning in 2009, the event was expanded so that each state could feature eight mid amateur and four senior amateur competitors

Meet Team Massachusetts

Jordan Burke
Needham GC
 Dan Cappucci
Boston GC		 Kevin Carey
Dennis Pines GC		 Chris Gentle
Mount Pleasant GC
One of six returners to the Tri-State competition, Burke competed in the MGA Open at Worcester CC before advancing to match play one month later in the MGA Amateur. He also placed 16th overall at the MGA Mid-Amateur and saw action in the New England Amateur . He collected MGA Player of the Year points for his success in the US Amateur Four Ball qualifier, Norfolk County Classic, Cape Cod Open, New England Invite and Worcester Invite, among others.

As a semifinalist at the 2016 MGA Amateur Championship, Cappucci also tallied a 10th place finish at the MGA Four-Ball Championship.

A South Dennis native and member at Dennis Pines GC, Carey placed second overall at the 2016 Norfolk County Classic and was runner up at the MGA Senior Amateur Championship, held at Turner Hill.  He also added a spot in the US Senior Amateur Championship to his resume in 2016.

A member of the St. Thomas Aquinas men’s golf team, the Lowell native Gentle advanced to the round of 16 at the 2016 MGA Amateur Championship before falling to the eventual champion, Brendan Hunter. He was also first alternate to the U.S. Amateur Championship at the Ledges GC qualifier on July 18 and won his second straight City of Lowell Golf Tournament earlier this summer.

Alex Jeffers
Woodland GC		 Jack Kearney
Elmcrest CC		 John Kelly
Twin Hills CC
 Matt Parziale
Thorny Lea GC

Jeffers, out of Woodland GC, advanced to the semifinal round of the MGA Amateur Championship at Taconic GC before falling to eventual champion Brendan Hunter. He also placed third at the 2016 MGA Mid-Amateur Championship while he was named a second alternate for the US Mid-Amateur qualifier held at Maplegate CC.

 One of six returners to the Bay State team for the 83rd annual Tri-State matches, Kearney, of Elmcrest CC, finished T2 at the 2016 New England Senior Amateur Championship while also competing in the 2016 Mass Senior Amateur Championship.

Kelly had one of the most successful seasons amongst all MGA Players, as his 409 MGA Player of the Year points are second only to teammate Parziale. The runner up at the 2016 MGA Amateur and the 2016 MGA Mid-Amateur Kelly also represented the Bay State at the 2016 USGA State Team in Alabama and saw top-10 finishes in the US Mid-Amateur sectional qualifier at Stockbridge GC, the US Four Ball qualifier at Green Valley and the Hornblower Memorial.

Parziale won his second straight MGA Mid-Amateur Championship in September and followed that performance with a 10th place finish at the USGA State Team Championship in Alabama. The two-time Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year recipient also advanced to match play at the 2016 MGA Amateur Championship and played in the most recent U.S. Amateur Four Ball Championship held at Winged Foot Golf Club.

Ryan Riley
Thorny Lea GC		 Brian Secia
Miacomet GC		 Keith Smith
Franklin CC		 Frank Vana, Jr.
Andover CC

Entering the Tri-State matches, Thorny Lea GC’s Ryan Riley had registered 330 points towards the Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year points, currently the sixth most amongst MGA golfers. Riley advanced to the round of eight at the 2016 Mass Amateur Championship and is one of six members returning to the Bay State team for the Tri-State Matches.

Secia, of Miacomet GC, returned to the national spotlight this past summer when he advanced to match play at the US Senior Amateur Championship this past summer at Old Warson CC. He also competed at the Mass Senior Four Ball Championship earlier this season.

A winner of the 2016 MGA Senior Amateur Championship, the second such title of his career, Franklin CC’s Smith also saw success at the New England Senior Amateur Championship, where he finished T13 earlier this season.

Vana, a recent inductee into the Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame, is a nine-time MGA Player of the Year who has accomplished success in nearly every MGA event at one point or another. A returnee to the Tri-State team, Vana Jr. advanced to the round of 16 in match play at the 2016 Mass Amateur Championship while also seeing success at the Worcester Amateur Invite, the Tarlow Invitational. In his most recent MGA Championship, Vana, of Marlborough CC, placed T6 at the Mass. Mid-Am Championship.