ROCKPORT, Maine (June 27, 2024) –
The skies have cleared to make way for the final round of the New England Women’s Amateur Championship. The overnight rain set in and the players were faced with some wetness under each shot, but it was no match for our golfers. The sunny skies remained throughout the day until the leaders reached the final hole. In classic New England fashion, the clouds became moody as the leaders approached the 18th green. Umbrellas covered the excited crowd and a playoff for the title began shortly after the last putts dropped.
Online: Leaderboard | New England Women’s Amateur Homepage
It was a two-person race as the final group rounded the turn. Amelie Phung (Connecticut) and Carys Fennessy (New Hampshire) were working at keeping the scores low and their heads high as they went back and forth for first. Amelie closed out the first nine with a solid birdie after sticking her approach to a good 10-feet. Carys came off a tough 8th hole bogey to safely get up and down for par. Their scores continued to battle back and forth with a tie for the lead coming down the final two holes.
As each player made a solid par on 18, they went back to the tee for a playoff hole. Amelie played out safe with her second shot leaning left to the fairway instead of over the greenside pond. As her ball trickled into the penalty area, she recovered with an approach shot a mere 5-feet from the pin. Carys laid up to the pond, and sailed her approach to 3 feet.
As Amelie knocked in her putt, Carys knew she needed to make a solid birdie to capture the title.
“I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I never looked at the leaderboard, but I kind of had a rough idea and then went to the scoring tent. It really hit me. I was like, Oh, wow, I gotta go back to 18” said Fennessy.
”At the time it was raining, so I really just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. I knew the only way to do that would be to make birdie on 18. So luckily, that’s what I did. And it worked out well.”
The New Hampshire golfer worked through the week to improve her weak points and make a difference in her game.
“I struggled with putting on the first day so that was something that I practiced after my rounds and early mornings too, and I think that was a big improvement throughout the three days.”
In the senior division, Tara Joy-Connelly (The Kittansett Club) carded 5-birdies on the day to close out a back to back title.
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“It feels good. I’m kind of focused on the drive and the lobster. Just one more lobster meal while we’re in Maine? No, but it was a beautiful setting. I mean, so gorgeous out there that, you know, if things went a little sideways. It was easy to just look up and say this is really beautiful. Like, we’re lucky to be doing this. So yeah, that’s kind of been my approach all week and just rolled with it” said Joy-Connelly.
All week she has had a good mentality and a strong approach to the game, especially when it came to the changes in New England weather.
“I bet you can tee off in the fog and you can, you know, play three holes and it could be windy and then it could be sunny and then it can be foggy again. So kind of just expecting everything was probably a good mentality.”
In the Legends Championship, Thea Davis (Maine) secured her title with a 3-stroke lead over Danielle Lee (Renaissance). It was an incredible three day event at the beautiful Samoset Resort in Maine. The New England Women’s Amateur Championship will head back to Massachusetts in 2025.
LEADERBOARDS AFTER ROUND 3
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISON
1. Carys Fennessy, (New Hampshire); 216 (+3)
2. Amelie Phung, (Connecticut); 216 (+3)
3. Lillian Guleserian, (Blue Hill CC); 221 (+8)
4. Megan Buck, (Thorny Lea GC); 223 (+10)
5. Shannon Johnson, (Thorny Lea GC); 224 (+11)
SENIOR DIVISION
1. Tara Joy-Connelly, (The Kittansett Club); 206 (-7)
2. Pamela Kuong, (Charles River CC); 221 (+8)
3. Natalie Galligan, (Pocasset GC); 233 (+20)
4. Sue Curtin, (Boston GC); 234 (+21)
5. Debbie Johnson, (Connecticut); 236 (+23)
LEGENDS DIVISION
1. Thea Davis, (Maine); 247 (+34)
2. Danielle Lee, (Renaissance); 250 (+37)
3. Kathi O’Grady (Maine); 255 (+42)
4. Mary Brandes, (Maine); 259 (+46)
JUNIOR DIVISION
1. Carys Fennessy, (New Hampshire); 216 (+3)
2. Amelie Phung (Connecticut); 216 (+3)
3. Lillian Guleserian, (Blue Hill CC); 221 (+8)
T5. Alexandra Phung, (Connecticut); 225 (+12)
T5. Maddie Smith, (Vesper CC); 229 (+16)
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