By: Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org
SOUTH HADLEY, Massachusetts (July 31, 2024) – Morning rains delayed the start of Wednesday’s final round of the 43rd Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship at the Ledges Golf Club. The later start, however, only delayed the inevitable, as Joey Lenane (George Wright GC) continued his near flawless two-day showing in becoming the 2024 APL Champion.
After the morning rains departed, typical hot and humid July weather rolled in. The conditions were a recipe for a 5 glove day, and for some, a double rain glove day. But it was Lenane’s cool demeanor, and complete control of his golf ball, that were the real story of the day.
Lenane made the turn at 12-under-par and held a 9-stroke lead, flipping the question from ‘will he win’ to ‘by how many?’ In the end, that answer was 11, the largest margin of victory at the APL this century.
The Amateur Public Links is open to any amateur golfer who has an active Mass Golf Membership at a public golf course, has a Handicap Index® not exceeding 12.0, and does not have playing privileges at a private club.
One of the toughest things to do in golf is follow up a great round with another. For Joey Lenane, who shot 64 (-8) in Tuesday’s opening round, that saying looked to be holding true on Wednesday. That is, until he reached the 295 yard par-4 4th. Hitting 5 wood off the tee, his drive sailed over the green and came to rest in the lush rough.
From there, Lenane pitched one high into the air, then watched as the ball landed softly, and rolled out 15 feet before falling into the bottom of the hole for an eagle 2. That was his second eagle on a par 4 in as many days at the APL.
After the eagle fell, Lenane then made the long trek through the woods to the par-5 5th hole, and made birdie there, getting him to 3-under-par on the day and 11-under for the championship. From there, he never looked back.
Lenane For Eagle 🦅
This chip-in eagle on the 4th hole extends Joey Lenane’s lead to 6 here in the final round of the Amateur Public Links Championship. #MassAPL
Live Scoring: https://t.co/8YHWg0PWqF pic.twitter.com/x3WuADEz49
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) July 31, 2024
Lenane’s 11-stroke margin of victory is the largest this century (readily available records date back to 1999), easily topping the 6-stroke victories of Ryan Clancy (2013) and Devin Bibeau (2010). Additionally, Lenane’s two day score of -13 is the lowest since Ryan Riley’s -13 at Franconia Golf Course in 2009.
The one player in the field that made an early push to contend was two-time Champion, Ben Spitz (George Wright GC). After nearly holing his approach shot for eagle on the first, he tapped-in the birdie, then added another on the 3rd. Eventually the comeback fizzled out, but the former champion was pleased with his performance over two days.
“Joey’s just tearing it up. Hard to catch him today, but two days under par, two-under, I guess second place. So yeah, pretty pleased with it.”
Also finishing at 2-under-par for the championship, and tied for second place, was Kyle Buschmann (Granite Links GC) and 16-year-old Michael Murray (Westover GC).
Playing for more than just himself this week was Trevor Connolly (Granite Links GC), who shot a final round 69 (-3) to finish solo 5th.
“My grandfather passed away over the weekend. So I was out here playing for him. You know, he was one of my biggest supporters,” said Connolly about his motivation. “You never know what the guys in front of you are going to do, so you just have to go out there and stay focused on your own game.”
A special round, and showing, was almost made even more memorable, as Connolly nearly aced the par-4 4th hole in the final round. Hitting 2 iron, Connolly’s ball landed safely on the green and caught a piece of the hole before rolling out to 10 feet. He had to settle for a birdie, which was one of five on the day for him.
Next year’s edition of this championship, the 44th Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship, will be played at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, for the first time ever.
In winning the Massachusetts Amateur Public Links, the victor receives the following:
*Not applicable due to age eligibility for Joey Lenane
Due to heavy rains in Western Massachusetts early Wednesday morning, the Final Round of the 43rd Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship was delayed by 1 hour and 15 minutes. Players were sent in threesomes off both the 1st and 10th holes.
With the rains leaving behind soft and wet conditions, preferred lies were put into effect for the final round. This allowed players to take free relief for any ball in fairways and closely mown areas.
Visit MassGolf.org and follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest information on Mass Golf championships and events. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #MassGolf.
