MADISON, Connecticut – Team Massachusetts took home plenty of hardware after three days of competition this week at Madison Country Club. Pam Kuong (Charles River CC) was the medalist in the Endicott Cup, and Lucy Pupo (Sterling Memorial) was the low net player after 36 holes of stroke play between Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Kuong led Team Massachusetts to victory in the Tri-State Matches against Connecticut and Rhode Island, while Pupo led Massachusetts to an Eaton Cup victory against Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Team Massachusetts also finished off a sweep of team titles at the Griscom Cup, the Fanchon Cartin Cup (NEWGA) and the Tri-State Matches for the first time since 2016.
“I think it shows that we have a strong women’s program,” said Sally DeGan, the captain for Team Massachusetts. “This is a good showing for years to come.”
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Kuong, who made the Round of 16 at this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, shot back-to-back 78s and finished 12-over to win the Endicott Cup for the first time. She was tied with 2015 and 2017 Endicott champion Mercedese Large (CT) after the first day, but Large shot an 85 in the second round, giving Kuong the win by seven strokes. Kuong birdied twice in her first round, and despite four bogeys on the front nine of her second round, she made par on eight of her last 11 holes.
“Pam is such a leader of women’s golf,” DeGan said of Kuong. “I think people up their game when she’s in contention.”
MJ Wagner (Nashawtuc CC) had a two-day score of 165 to finish fourth, while Georgia Peirce (Eastward Ho!) (167), Mary Gale (Bedrock GC) (168) and Kris Henderson (Bedrock GC) (169) finished 5th through 7th, respectively, to give Team Massachusetts five spots in the top 10. Peirce also won the Stone Cup with Jack Bohman this year.
In the Net Tournament, Massachusetts also had five players in the top 10. Pupo shot consecutive 75s to finish 6-over and edge Wagner, Debbie Johnson (CT) and Cheryl Jason (RI) by a stroke. Wagner and Jason carded a 73 in the first round, but both shot 78 in the second round. Barbara Quinn (Presidents GC/Wollaston GC) had a 74 in the second round, while Diane Carter (Brookside Club) and Anne Farrington (The Country Club) finished sixth and ninth in net score, respectively.
Kuong, Wagner, Peirce, Gale, Henderson, Carter, Christine Gagner (Bedrock GC), and Elizabeth Derwin (Brookmeadow CC/Norwood CC) went on to compete for Massachusetts in Tri-State Matches.
Pupo, Quinn, Farrington, DeGan (LPGA AGA Boston), Beth Gutteridge (Townsend Ridge CC), Cheryl Krueger (Orchards GC/Taconic GC), Valerie Casella (LPGA AGA Boston) and Caren Althauser (LPGA AGA Boston) were on the Massachusetts Eaton Cup team.
Team Massachusetts reclaimed the Tri-State Matches title after Rhode Island last won it in 2017. Last year’s Endicott Cup and Tri-State Matches were called off due to weather and unplayable conditions.
This year, Massachusetts finished with 159 points, edging Connecticut (156) and Rhode Island (117). Kuong and Large had another great battle in the Tri-State competition, but Kuong won, 9.5-8.5. Kuong also scored 11.5 points against Rhode Island’s Kibbe Reilly.
Gale, who won the Endicott Cup in 1994 and 2013, scored 11 points against Connecticut and 12.5 against Rhode Island. Henderson, Gagner and Carter also swept their opponents with double-digit scores in each.
“Having that level of experience is phenomenal,” DeGan said of Gale.
Massachusetts had a much easier time winning the Eaton Cup as it scored 156.5 points to defeat Connecticut (141) and Rhode Island (134.5).
Pupo won both her matches, as did DeGan, Gutteridge and Casella. Pupo totaled 11.5 and 11 against Connecticut and Rhode Island, respectively, while DeGan and Gutteridge both scored 12 in their matches against Rhode Island.
In 1926, the first Endicott Cup tournament was held at Hartford Golf Club (CT) as a 36-hole stroke play competition between members of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Women’s Golf Associations. The Endicott Cup was presented by Priscilla Maxwell Endicott for the winner of the competition. The plan was that the first person to win the trophy three times would retire the cup.
Edith Baker won the Cup in 1926 and 1928 and requested that the trophy be perpetual, with the winner keeping it in her possession for the year. In 1929, Massachusetts (whose membership included Rhode Island) and Connecticut played the Kittredge Cup as the third day match play competition for the nine low gross players from each team. In 1930, Rhode Island joined as a third team and the Kittredge Cup was retired and replaced with the Tri-State Trophy.
Today, Endicott Cup competitors play 36-hole stroke play over two days. The seven low gross and seven low net players (plus an alternate from each state for the gross and net teams) compete in the Tri-State and Eaton Cup team matches on the third day of the event.
