WAYLAND, Massachusetts – Following six qualifiers held at six courses dating back to June 18, the final field for the 2018 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship has now been set. The sixth and final qualifying round was held on Thursday at Wayland Country Club. The qualifiers from all six sites will join the exempt competitors on July 30-31 at The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick.
The Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship was first introduced in 1982 and is open to amateur golfers who are bona fide public course players at a public Mass Golf member club (a course/club that provides playing opportunities for the general public seven days a week) and maintain an up-to-date Mass Golf/GHIN Handicap Index not exceeding 12.0 (as determined by the May 15, 2018 Handicap Revision).
At Wayland Country Club on Thursday, more than 70 competitors were vying for the 18 qualifying spots available. An additional seven golfers, who finished one spot below the final qualifying mark, earned alternate status and will be placed on a priority list per the Alternate Policy, which can be found on the Mass Golf Policies and Procedures Page.
On this day in Wayland, Michael Beaty of George Wright GC was the lone golfer to post an under-par round en route to capturing medalist honors. Beaty finished with a score of 3-under par 67 which included four birdies and one bogey. Beaty began his round on the 10th hole and made eight straight pars before carding birdie on the 457-yard, par 5 18th hole to make the turn at 1-under par 35. He would go on to make birdie on his very next hole and remained at 2-under par for the round until his lone bogey on the 193-yard, par 3 6th hole. Beaty, a 37-year-old Needham resident, capped off his round by making birdie on the 7th and 9th holes.
Three shots back of Beaty with a score of even par 70 was Marc Vachon from the Tour of Greater Boston. Vachon made two birdies on the Wayland CC’s back nine to pull even for the day and secure the second spot overall. Among the qualifiers who finished with a score of 2-under par 72 and was T4 overall was Bill Drohen of Brookmeadow Country Club, who won this event in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
Five competitors finished at 4-over par 74 to capture the final qualifying spots. Included in that group was Peter Collins of Wachusett CC, who made eagle on his final hole of the day in order to catapult into qualifying position. In what was possibly the most remarkable round of the day, Collins began his round with an eagle on the 454-yard, par 4 1st hole and then played 8-over par golf through his next 16 holes. Faced with not making the cut with one hole remaining, Collins delivered a second eagle of the day on the 457-yard, par 5 18th hole to secure his spot.
Michael Beaty (George Wright GC) 67
Marc Vachon (Tour Greater Boston) 70
Jeffrey Friel (Woburn CC) 71
Lawrence Klein (Pine Meadows GC) 72
Bill Drohen (Brookmeadow CC) 72
Kevin Goossens (Wayland CC) 72
Rob Parsi (Stow Acres CC) 72
Robert Barton (Pinehills GC) 72
Thomas Bertrand (Wayland CC) 73
Christian Jensen (Sandy Burr CC) 73
Peter Boston (George Wright GC) 73
Nicholas Stevens (CC of Billerica) 73
Rick Bylund (Cyprian Keyes GC) 73
Bob Broderick (Sandy Burr CC) 74
Shams Iqbal (Pine Meadows GC) 74
Chris Piscatelli (Wayland CC) 74
Tom O’Brien, Jr. (Wayland CC) 74
Peter Collins (Wachusett CC) 74
Mike Verde (Easton CC) 75
Mark Monday (Granite Links GC) 75
Nick Caldwell (George Wright GC) 75
Jeff Leblanc (George Wright GC) 75
Michael Zody (Stow Acres CC) 75
Ron Dowd (Wayland CC) 75
Jack Tannar Jr (Shining Rock GC) 75
The 2018 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship will be contested at The Ranch Golf Club from July 30-31.
For complete coverage of the 2018 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship, visit massgolf.org or follow Mass Golf on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @PlayMassGolf and by using the hashtag, #MassAPL.
