By Richard Rapp
rrapp@massgolf.org
SOUTH HADLEY, Massachusetts (August 27, 2024) – You’d think there’d be something freeing about the four-ball format. A partner to lean on, shared momentum to ride, little consequence for the isolated blow-up hole. But with a packed field vying for just three slots in the 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, any sense of ease is mitigated by a need for birdies, lots and lots of birdies. And you’ll need to spread them out. Ham and egg.
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Due to late afternoon weather patterns on Monday, a few sides needed to spread those birdies not just across different holes, but across two days. A three hour delay meant Oliver Cordeiro (Winchester, MA) & Diego Saavedra (Puerto Rico), who teed off in the final group on Monday, still had five holes remaining as darkness fell.
When the final horn sounded on Monday, the duo was hot, having birdied three of their last four holes. On Tuesday, they arrived at the golf course at 6-under, knowing they’d likely need a few more birdies to qualify. They didn’t waste any time. Saavedra birdied their first hole of the day, the par-3 5th, and both players birdied 6. But their work wasn’t quite done, as they carded a bogey on the 215-yard 7th. Saavedra bounced right back with a 3 on the 8th, his 7th birdie of the round, to get the team back to 8-under, and a par from Cordeiro on the last clinched their spot.
Saavedra will head back to Harvard for his senior season with the Crimson, where the two were college teammates for one year during Cordeiro’s senior season in ’21-’22. Then they’ll enjoy a nice little reunion in ’25, down in Jersey.
Canadians Matt Shubley and Kyle Gordon also had their round severed by nightfall. Like Cordeiro & Saavedra, they were among a slew of teams sitting at 6-under when their day began. Gordon had made the bulk of their birdies on Monday, notching 4 to Gordon’s 2, but Gordon evened it up to push them into qualifying position, with birdies on their first hole of the day (the par-4 6th) and last hole of the day (the par-5 9th).
Shubley and Gordon were high school teammates in Ontario, before Gordon headed to Southern Arkansas University and Shubley to Sacred Heart. Forgive me for this, but it was a true Canadian bacon and egg round for the old friends, a real Tim Horton’s special. None of their eight birdies overlapped.
The lone qualifying side of the Monday morning wave was brothers Brian Hedstrom (Newington, CT) & Gregg Hedstrom (Hopkinton, MA). A tap in birdie on the par-5 9th, their last hole, punctuated a banner (singular) day. The brothers Hedstrom made five birdies a piece, and only two of those overlapped. That came on the par-5 16th, which was the easiest hole for the field, playing nearly a half-stroke under par.
After Brian Hedstrom brushed in his birdie putt on the last, he and Gregg went through the customary playing partner hand shakes. Halfway up the hill to the perched yellow clubhouse, it seemed to sink in that the brothers were in good position to advance, and they took a second to kick the parking brakes on their respective pushcarts and embrace. Twenty-odd idle hours later, their spot was finally confirmed. Another ham and egg success story. Perhaps they’ll enjoy, or at least deign to try the customary egg and pork roll sandwich down in Jersey next year. Though I’d recommend dabbling on a practice round day.
Just how hard was it to get yours hands on the golden ticket?
Look no further than the first group out: Matt Parziale (Brockton, MA) and Nick Maccario (Haverhill, MA). After circling each other for years, even exchanging a flurry of birdies on opposing sides down the stretch in this year’s Massachusetts Four-Ball, the two nationally regarded mid-ams finally paired up.
Though it can be nice to be the first group out and post something for everyone else to look at, Parziale and Maccario were pressing down the stretch, fully aware that “the number” was liable to dip into the low 60s. On the reachable par-5 16th, Parziale’s second landed a few feet from the hole, bounced hard, and threw it in reverse. Maccario’s second trickled into the right fringe, leaving a lengthy eagle bid. Maccario’s effort narrowly missed, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “No!” as the ball slid by and his putter batoned through the air. Parziale’s shorter, down-hiller also missed, and they settled for a birdie.
On the 178 yard 17th, Parziale hit one of his signature pure iron shots that never left the flagstick, but when he couldn’t connect from inside 10 feet, he bent over his putter in anguish, another missed opportunity. On the closer, Maccario picked his partner up by hitting an uphill approach shot tight enough to draw applause from a line of approving deck-chair loungers. He poured in the 6-footer for birdie and a 6-under 65.
Though it was for the lead at the time, by day’s end, it wouldn’t be enough, and they knew it. You could see it on their faces.
They’d combined for 10 total birdies, but three of those overlapped. All ham, no egg.
QUALIFIERS (Names; Cities)
Brian Hedstrom (Newington, CT) & Gregg Hedstrom (Hopkinton, MA); 63 (-8)
Matt Shubley (Canada) & Kyle Gordon (Canada); 63 (-8)
Diego Saavedra (Puerto Rico) & Oliver Cordeiro (Winchester, MA); 63 (-8)
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Peter O’Rourke (Paramus, NJ) & Tyler Lee (Franklin Lakes, NJ); 64 (-7)
Jeffrey Pike (Rye, NY) & Aengus McAllister (Chestnut Hill, MA); 64 (-7)
Wealthy industrialist Joseph Skinner set out to build a golf course across the street from his home for his daughter, Elisabeth Skinner. The Orchards Golf Club, designed by Donald Ross, opened in 1922 to fulfill Skinner’s vision. When the golf course opened, Skinner invited 40 friends to join for the cost of $30 per year (roughly $500 in today’s value). However, the course was open to the public to play for a $1 fee.
Mount Holyoke College purchased the club from Joseph Skinner in 1941 for $25,000, and since 2000, it’s been managed and maintained by outside companies. Over its 100 years, The Orchards has largely been focused on keeping a budget that allows for upkeep and maintenance of the property rather than alterations. The Donald Ross layout has remained largely intact since the full 18 holes became ready for play in 1927.
The Club has hosted several Mass Golf events, as well as the 2004 U.S. Women’s Open.
The Orchards will leave the qualifying teams well prepared for next year’s venue. Like The Orchards, both host sites,Plainfield Country Club & Echo Lake Country Club, were designed by Donald Ross. Echo Lake, in Westfield, N.J., will serve as stroke play co-host, while Plainfield C.C. in Edison, N.J. is the primary championship host.
The championship will be held May 17-21, 2025, featuring 128 sides. Each member of the side cannot have a Handicap Index® exceeding 2.4. The USGA accepted 2,495 entries.
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