Headline: Three Bay State Golfers Named to the 2017 Division I All-New England Team; Walthouse Earns Player of the Year Honors

For Immediate Release: August 28, 2017

From top: Billy Walthouse, Jimmy Hervol & Matt Naumec

Kingston, R.I. – Three collegiate golfers with ties to Massachusetts were amongst the 10 players who were named to the 2017 Division I All-New England Team, as determined by area collegiate coaches and announced earlier this week. The announcement comes on the heels of the fall competitive season, which begins in the coming weeks.

Recent University of Rhode Island graduate Billy Walthouse (Longmeadow) was named the 2017 Division I All-New England Player of the Year, while Boston College’s Matthew Naumec (Wilbraham) and Jimmy Hervol (Hopkinton) were all named to the 2017 Division I All-New England Team. All three have enjoyed successful careers on the amateur golf circuit, which have included stints in several Massachusetts Golf Association Championship Propers dating back more than a decade.

“We want to congratulate Billy, Matthew and Jimmy on their recent recognition to the Division I All-New England Team,” said MGA Executive Director Jesse Menachem. “Based on their performance in Massachusetts Golf events, it comes to no one’s surprise that they have received this honor, and we are glad that their talents have been observed by others who are around the game of golf.”

Walthouse, a 2017 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, finished his senior year in Kingston as one of the most decorated players in program history. The Rams team captain advanced to the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in May after recording four-top finishes and began his summer play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Pinehurst, where he and Naumec advanced to the Round of 16.

He finished tied as low-amateur at the Massachusetts Open Championship, was a semifinalist at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship, finished runner up at the New England Amateur Championship and most recently advanced to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Championship, which was held at The Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles.

This is the second straight year that Walthouse has been named Division I All-New England Player of the Year.  

Naumec, a rising junior for the Eagles squad, began his summer season with Walthouse as Pinehurst before advancing to the U.S. Open sectional qualifier from Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, where the GreatHorse member earned medalist honors.

From there, Naumec, a former Massachusetts Junior Amateur Champion, competed in the Massachusetts Open Championship (T35), the Massachusetts Amateur Championship (Match Play Round of 32), the Ouimet Memorial Tournament (T22) and the New England Amateur Championship (T16), among other accolades.

Hervol, also a former Massachusetts Junior Amateur Champion, began his summer season with an appearance in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. He finished T18 at the Ouimet Memorial Tournament, missed the cut at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship by one stroke and competed in the New England Amateur Championship. He will be entering his junior season and was recently announced as one of two co-captains for the upcoming season.

2017 Division I All-New England Team 

Eric Dietrich, UConn
Jimmy Hervol, UConn
Nabeel Khan, UConn
Billy Walthouse, URI
Dawson Jones, URI
Chris Houston, URI
Matt Naumec, Boston College
Christian Cavaliere, Boston College
Ambrose Abbracciamento, Hartford
Ryan Tombs, Bryant

2017 Division I New England Player of the Year
Billy Walthouse, URI

2017 Division I New England Rookie of the Year
Christian Cavaliere, Boston College

2017 Division I New England Team of the Year
URI

2017 Division I New England Coach of the Year
Gregg Burke, URI