Massachusetts High School Seniors Commit To College Programs
College golf commitments got underway on November 8 with the start of the NCAA Signing Period, as high school golfers signed their National Letter of Intent. Within the first week, several Mass Golf junior players signed commitments to college programs.
The signing period for fall enrollees at NCAA programs lasts until August 1, 2024. This page will be updated as more Massachusetts golfers sign their commitments to college programs.
If there is a student-athlete that you do not see listed, please email Steve Derderian, Mass Golf’s Senior Manager of Communications, at sderderian@massgolf.org .
COLE BANNING – Bryant University
Banning, a senior at Northwest Classic (CT), won consecutive individual honors in the CIAC Division II championship. He also won the 2023 AJGA Preview at Bethpage (Yellow Course) in May. Later that summer, Banning competed in the 2023 Mass Junior Amateur and caddied for Ryan Downes the week of his Mass Amateur victory.
Isabel Brozena – XAVIER UNIVERSITY
Brozena, a senior at North Reading High School, won the 2022 MIAA girls’ state championship and finished runner-up this past spring. She also finished in third place at the 2022 NHHSGA National Championship. In 2023, she finished third in the Mass Girls’ Junior Amateur and made the Mass Women’s Amateur quarterfinals.
Miles Buddenhagen – sacred heart University
Buddenhagen, a senior at Pingree School, led his squad to a 9-1 record and an Eastern Independent League title this fall. He also has earned multiple junior club champions at Essex County Club, which hosted the Mass Amateur Championship in July. Buddenhagen, who twice qualified for the Mass Junior Amateur, previously attended IMG Academy in Florida.
Jack Carstensen – UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO
Carstensen, a senior at St. John Paul II High School in Hyannis, won medalist honors in the MIAA Division 3 state championship as well as the south sectional championship. He also led the Lions to a 19-1 record this fall and competed in the 2023 Cape Cod National High School Invitational.
MATTHEW COSTELLO – University of Connecticut
Costello, a senior at Bishop Stang High School, chalked up his most significant victory this fall when he won the Cape Cod National Golf Club High School Invitational against the top high school talent in the state. Earlier this summer, Costello advanced to the semifinals of the Mass Junior Amateur. He also led Bishop Stang to a Division 2 team title in 2022.
sadie cumming – st. lawrence university
Cumming, a senior at Medfield High School, finished top 30 in the 2023 MIAA Girls’ State Championship. Later this summer, she won the Dedham Country & Polo Club women’s club championship, before representing her home club in the Mass Women’s Amateur Championship. She also shot a pair of 80s in the Mass Girls’ Junior Amateur.
olivia cutting – MERRIMACK COLLEGE
Cutting, a senior at Notre Dame Academy (Worcester), was the 2022 T&G Hometeam Player of the Year in girls’ golf for the Worcester area after leading her team to a 12-0-1 season. During the regular season, she earned medalist honors 11 times and was the individual champion at the CMADA championship. A three-sport athlete, Cutting is also a PGA Junior League volunteer coach and an alumni of the LPGA Leadership Academy.
Annie Dai – Amherst College
Dai, a senior at Northfield Mount Hermon School, burst onto the statewide golf scene in 2021 when she took home the Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship. This summer, she finished fourth in the New England Junior Amateur, won the Connecticut Girls’ Junior Amateur, and was second in Connecticut’s Women’s Amateur. In 2022, she finished fourth in the Pippy O’Connor Independent School Girls’ Golf Classic.
ryan downes – vanderbilt University
Downes, a senior at Longmeadow High School, won back-to-back MIAA Division I individual state titles in 2022 & 2023. During the summer, at age 17, he became the youngest winner of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship, taking home the title at Essex County Club. He has also won the Justin Thomas Junior Championship and was the Mass Golf Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year in 2022 & 2023.
trevor drew – western kentucky university
Drew, a graduate of Tyngsborough High School, had a breakout year in 2023, qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and making match play in the Mass Junior Amateur by making a long putt from the fringe to clinch the final spot. Drew also placed top 50 in the New England Amateur Championship and won the Long Meadow Golf Club with a record 10-under-par score.
GALEN FOWLES – University of Rochester
Fowles, a senior at Northampton High School, led his high school squad to a 57-2 record over four years and the 2021 Western Mass team title. In 2022, Fowles made the quarterfinals of the Mass Junior Amateur and was T2 in the Challenge Cup Boys Championship. He also had several top-10 finishes in 2023, including T3 in the Gately Cup, and was named an AJGA Rolex Scholastic All-American.
TIM HILL – gettysburg college
Hill, a senior at Dover Sherborn High School, has led high school squad to state championship titles in 2021 and 2023. In the 2023 state championship he shot 75 to finish T4 overall. In 2022, he earned Tri-Valley All-Star recognition with a stroke average of 35 per nine holes, fifth in the league.
john hiller – duke university
Hiller, a New York resident and member of Bay Club at Mattapoisett, won the 2023 Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open by nine strokes, 7-under par in the 54-hole event. He also won the MET Junior Amateur in 2022. He was the youngest participant (age 14) in the 2020 Mass Amateur Championship, played at his home club and The Kittansett Club.
jillian johnson – merrimack college
Johnson, a senior at Notre Dame Academy (Hingham), led her team to an MIAA girls state championship title as a freshman in 2021. Later that summer, she won the New England Junior Open and the NEPGA Tour Championship. This year, she made it into match play in the Mass Women’s Amateur.
ryan keyes – columbia university
Keyes, a senior at Wellesley High School, won the MIAA Division 1 individual state title as a sophomore in 2021. He led his team to this year’s MIAA Division 1 South sectional title, earning co-medalist honors in the process. The Raiders also won the Bay State Conference. Keyes also made match play in the Mass Junior Amateur each of the past two years.
LUCAS LEVASSEUR – ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY
Levasseur, a senior at Hopedale High School, finished runner-up in the 2023 Amateur Invitational (age 14-18 division) at New England Country Club. In 2022, he led Hopedale’s golf team to a perfect 13-0 regular season, averaging a nine-hole score of 36 across 13 matches.
AMY LYON – HAMILTON COLLEGE
Lyon, a senior at Winchester High School, represented Team Mass Golf in the Girls’ Junior Intercity Matches in 2022 and 2023 and qualified for match play in the Massachusetts Women’s Amateur in those years as well. Prior to that, she won the 2021 Vermont Junior Stroke Play Championship and was the low junior in the Vermont Women’s Amateur. She also placed 4th in the junior division of the 2022 New England Women’s Amateur Championship.
Thomas Murdough – rutgers university
Murdough, a resident of Lincoln, led team Mass Golf to victory in the 2023 New England Junior Open, finishing sixth overall in the field. He won the 2022 Challenge Cup Invitational, and finished T3 in the same event this year. Two years prior, he won the 2021 Golfweek New England Junior Open played at Ledgemont Country Club.
MYA MURPHY – MERRIMACK COLLEGE
Murphy, a senior at Sturgis (West) Charter Public School, made a deep run in the Mass Women’s Amateur, advancing to the quarterfinals. This finish came weeks after finishing 9th in the Mass Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship. Earlier in the year, she placed T8 overall in the MIAA girls’ state championship.
CARSON MUSE – TRINITY COLLEGE
Muse, a senior at Winchester High School, has captained his high school team each of the past three seasons and was a Boston Globe All Scholastic selection. This summer, Muse made match play in the Mass Junior Amateur Championship, earning the No. 6 seed. He also placed inside the top 20 in the MIAA Divison 1 state championship and earned two runner-up finishes in U.S. Challenge Cup events.
Emil Nielsen – Santa CLara University
Nielsen, a Wellesley resident and member of Weston Golf Club, played for several years on the IMG Junior Golf Tour in Florida. In Massachusetts, he finished T5 in the AJGA Junior at Chicopee Country Club presented by John D. Mineck Foundation. During the 2022 season, he qualified for match play in the Mass Junior Amateur and won the Hurricane Junior Tournament of Champions.
KATIE NG – BOWDOIN COLLEGE
Ng, a senior at Wellesley High School, tied for 11th (77) to help the Raiders capture the North/Central/West Divisional girls team title and then finished seventh at the MIAA state tournament. A Bay State Conference All-Star, she was named Team MVP. Ng also finished 8th in the 2023 Mass Girls’ Junior Amateur.
ZACH PELZAR – EMORY UNIVERSITY
Pelzar, a senior at Weston High School, led his high school squad to its second straight MIAA Division 3 state championship victory this year. In 2022, he was the Division 3 individual champion and made the semifinals of the Mass Junior Amateur.
SASCHA ROBINSON – FLORIDA A&M
Robinson, a senior at Thayer Academy, led his team to victory in the Bishop Hendricken Invitational Tournament this past spring. He was also a Boston Herald Prep school All-Scholastics selection. Individually, Robinson finished second in stroke play in the 2023 Mass Junior Amateur and 4th in the New England Junior Amateur. He also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. In 2019, he won the Mass Young Golfers’ Amateur title.
ALAN ROSE – GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Rose, a senior at Noble and Greenough School, is a three-year captain and has been the team’s No. 1 golfer since his sophomore year. In 2022, he won the U.S. Challenge Cup Match Play Championship and finished T8 in the UHY New York Junior before making match play in the Mass Junior Amateur Championship. This fall, he made it to the Round of 16 in the Cape Cod Amateur.
ABBY STONE – university of indianapolis
Stone, a senior at The Winchendon School, qualified for match play at this year’s Mass Women’s Amateur Championship and PGA High School Golf National Invitational. She has also represented Mass Golf in the Junior Inter-City Team Matches.
CHAD TORDONE – BABSON college
Tordone, a senior at Barnstable High School, finished out the fall season by winning the Cape Cod High School Golf Championship and finishing T7 in the MIAA Division I state championship. He also placed T8 in the 2023 Mass Amateur Public Links Championship and reached the Round of 16 in the Cape Cod Amateur.
CJ WINCHENBAUGH – GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Winchenbaugh, a senior at Belmont Hill School, was the 2023 MVP of the Independent School League and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection. This summer, he was a finalist in the Mass Junior Amateur Championship and made the quarterfinals of the Mass Amateur Championship. He also notched victories in the 2023 World Series of Junior Golf and the 2023 UHY Albany Junior.
