Headline: Max Campion Flexes His Youth During Day 2 of Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying at George Wright GC
For Immediate Release: June 4, 2009
Norton, MA — On a day when some players – even the wily veterans – were struggling to make pars, one young golfer was lighting up the George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park.
Max Campion (Pocasset GC) claimed medalist honors by an impressive four strokes at George Wright Golf Course during the second day of Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying.
While more than 140 players battled for the 22 qualifying spots that were up for grabs at two courses today [see below for highlights from Indian Pond Country Club qualifying], Campion stole the headlines with his near flawless score of 4-under par 66. Campion was the only player to break par on the day as Devin Bibeau (Highfields G&CC) finished as the second of 11 qualifiers with a score of even par 70 at that site.
Campion could not have asked for a better start as the 19-year-old made birdie on three of his first four holes.
"I hit good drives on the first two holes and didn't have too long in," said Campion. "I was then able to hit [my approach shots] within seven feet and made two good strokes. It was a solid start."
Some would say it was a great start. Following those two birdies, Campion just missed a third birdie putt on the 515-yard, par 5 3rd hole and then hit his 7-iron to five feet on the 4th hole to find himself 3-under par through just four holes.
He went on to make 10 straight pars before capping off his round with a birdie-bogey-par-birdie finish. The final two holes proved to be nothing short of impressive as Campion made a 20-foot par save on the 170-yard, par 3 17th hole and then drained a 30 footer for birdie on the 18th hole.
"The story today was the putter and consistent ball striking," said Campion who finished with 25 putts on the round.
Although still a youngster compared to the veteran talent competing at qualifying today, Campion is no stranger to the game of golf as he first picked up a club when he was just five years old.
The competitive juices began to flow later on when he was 12 and he has not looked back. The Brookline native attended Beaver Country Day where he was a starter on the golf team beginning in eighth grade. He led his team to four straight Eastern Independent League (EIL) championships and seven titles in the last eight years and was a four-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection, something that is rarely seen in any sport.
During his senior campaign this past fall, Campion did not lose a match and posted the best scoring average in the league. His stellar performance both on the golf course and in the classroom translated into an acceptance letter from Harvard University. Campion will join two other Bay State golfers – Antonio Grillo (Farm Neck GC) and Connor Wentzell (Tatnuck CC) – in Cambridge in September.
"Tony and Connor are two of my closest golfing friends and I have known them for a long time," said Campion, who spends most of time during the summer at his family's Falmouth home.
In fact, Grillo – the two-time Christopher Cutler Rich MGA Junior Player of the Year – and Campion paired up earlier this spring and finished ninth overall at the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship after posting a 4-under par 67 at Crestwood Country Club.
Following a month-long internship in May which curtailed his practice time, Campion is looking forward to spending most of his summer practicing and honing his golf skills in preparation for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship at The Country Club.
This will mark the second straight year that Campion has qualified for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. One year ago at The Kittansett Club, Campion was defeated in the first round of Match Play by friend and University of Rhode Island rising sophomore Taylor Fontaine (Pleasant Valley CC).
"I live in Brookline and have had a chance to play [The Country Club] many times," said Campion when asked about his thoughts on taking aim at the MGA Championship title next month. "There is no question that it is one of the best courses in the country and is always in perfect condition... I am looking forward to the challenge."
Meanwhile in Kingston, Herbie Aikens (Pinehills GC) and Adam Mueller (Indian Pond CC) led a field of 11 qualifiers at Indian Pond Country Club as both players posted medalist scores of even par 72. Aikens is already having a championship-caliber season as he paired with partner Ryan Riley (Norton CC) to claim co-champion honors at the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship held in May.
Also qualifying at the Kingston site was veteran Doug Parigian (Long Meadow GC) with a score of 2-over par 74. It was just one year ago that Parigian, a 10-time Lowell City Golf Tournament champion and a quarterfinalist at the 1994 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst, was one of the few Bay State golfers to advance and compete in the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship. He was 49 years old at the time.
2009 Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Indian Pond Country Club – Kingston, MA
Par 72 (36-36)
Qualifiers
T1) Herbert Aikens (Pinehills GC) 36-36--72
T1) Adam Mueller (Indian Pond CC) 35-37--72
T3) Bill Shipman (Sterling National CC) 38-35--73
T3) Paul Lacamera (Plymouth CC) 38-35--73
T3) John Hogan (Ferncroft CC) 38-35--73
T6) James McDonough (Wollaston GC) 38-36--74
T6) John Mirabile (Sharon CC) 39-35--74
T6) Douglas Parigian (Long Meadow GC) 36-38--74
T6) Mark Dwyer (The Harmon Club) 38-36--74
T6) David Pierce (CC of Halifax) 37-37--74
T6) Andrew Diramio (Indian Pond CC) 37-37—74
Alternates
1st) Dick King (Olde Barnstable GC) 38-37--75
2nd) Sean Connolly (Olde Scotland Links) 38-37--75
2009 Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying
Thursday, June 04, 2009
George Wright Golf Course – Hyde Park, MA
Par 70 (35-35)
Qualifiers
1) Max Campion (Pocasset GC) 32-34--66
2) Devin Bibeau (Highfields G&CC) 34-36--70
3) Robert Younker (George Wright GC) 36-35--71
T4) Nick Coon (Andover CC) 37-35--72
T4) Chris Fitzpatrick (Dedham C&PC) 38-34--72
T6) Nick Zolotas (Ferncroft CC) 37-36--73
T6) Kevin Daly (Beverly G & TC) 35-38--73
T6) Steve St. Amand (The Meadow at Peabody GC) 37-36--73
T6) Jeff Mucciarone (Walpole CC) 37-36--73
T6) Robert Bradley (Ponkapoag GC) 36-37--73
11) Ian Thimble (George Wright GC) 35-39--74
Alternates
1st) Bob Hamilton (Thorny Lea GC) 36-38--74
2nd) Paul Mitchell (George Wright GC) 38-36--74
