Headline: Youth and Veteran Experience On Display at Fifth and Final Day of Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying
For Immediate Release: June 11, 2009
Norton, MA — Today was the final day for hopeful competitors to earn a spot at the 2009 Massachusetts Amateur Championship. The fifth and final day of qualifying was held today at Weston Golf Club where 77 golfers battled for 11 available qualifying spots.
Leading the charge with scores of 1-over par 73 were Chase Lovett-Woodsum (Boston GC), Bradford Tufts (Tedesco CC) and Taylor Peck (Norfolk CC). The three players earned the right to be a part of the 144-player field that will compete at The Country Club in Brookline on July 13-17.
Today's field included golfers of all ages who hailed from cities and towns located across the Bay State. For some, qualifying meant a chance to improve their burgeoning resumes while others are wondering if this will be their final chance to compete for The Commonwealth Cup.
One medalist falls into the youthful category. The 19-year-old Lovett-Woodsum has been settling back into Bay State life since returning from his freshman campaign at Princeton University. Today marks the second straight MGA event that Lovett-Woodsum has qualified for as he advanced to the Massachusetts Open Championship on May 28 at Indian Ridge Country Club.
"Since I got back from school, I played in the [Massachusetts] Open qualifier and that's about it," said Lovett-Woodsum. "Hopefully I will play well at Belmont [host of the State Open] and then at Brookline where I'll hope to make match play and then see what happens."
This past season, Lovett-Woodsum played in half of the golf tournaments for Princeton and carded a low round of 76 at a home meet. Prior to attending the Ivy powerhouse, the Boston resident was a standout golfer and student at Buckingham Browne & Nichols where he was a four-time first-team All-Independent School League and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic.
The youngster displayed his skill today on a challenging Weston course. He finished his round with three birdies, two bogies and one double bogey. One of his three birdies came early in the round and gave him the momentum he needed to cruise to medalist honors.
"On my second hole I knocked in a 20 footer for birdie," said Lovett-Woodsum, who qualified for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship one year ago but failed to make Match Play. "It is a tough hole, so it was nice to come away with a birdie and I didn't look back."
Another player who muscled through his qualifier was Tufts, who will be making his third appearance at Championship Proper. Tufts finished his day with four birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey today.
"The greens were very quick," said Tufts, who suffered a tough break on the course's 375-yard, par 4 16th hole where he made double bogey after seeing his ball get stuck against the lip of the bunker. "Every time I got a birdie, I gave one back… I definitely knew that if I stayed around par I would be fine."
A Marblehead High School and Middlebury College graduate, Tufts will look to take on an even tougher challenge next month at The Country Club, a layout he has played just twice in his career.
"It is a great place and I look forward to seeing it again," said the 28-year-old Tufts, who first played the course while a student at Middlebury. "In terms of fitting my game specifically, I don't know. It's a lot like the other Boston courses. It's not too long and not too short but you need to keep it in the fairway and below the hole for sure."
Tufts is hoping that his positive momentum – he noted that he fired three friendly rounds of 69 heading into today's qualifier – will continue on in Brookline.
Joining the three medalists will be a veteran competitor – Paul Murphy (Charles River CC) – who is no stranger to MGA competitions. The 58-year-old Murphy qualified today after carding a 4-over par 76.
The youngsters can only dream of a competitive resume like Murphy who is a 13-time club champion at Charles River Country Club and the 2006 New England Senior Champion. He has also qualified for 14 USGA events … and that is just touching the surface of his remarkable golfing career. Perspective and unparalleled experience is certainly one thing that Murphy will have over many of his fellow competitors in Brookline.
"One of the big differences between me and the younger kids will be that I will probably spend an hour or two just walking around the clubhouse and looking at the photographs and memorabilia while they will be out hitting balls," said Murphy, who figures that he has played in at least 28 Massachusetts Amateur Championships. "I don't think that the younger players understand how much history is there, but maybe they will when they get older."
Murphy himself has a special tie with the Brookline course. Back in 1982, Murphy qualified for and competed in his first-ever U.S. Amateur Championship at The Country Club.
"Everyone knows that The Country Club is where it all began for us in New England and maybe in the United States," said Murphy. "Just think about all of the events that have taken place there… the Walker Cups, USGA Championships and the 1999 Ryder Cup. It's just such a special place."
Murphy is hoping that his good play will continue on there next month.
"It's like they always say it's one day at a time and you just try to make the cut," said Murphy, who failed to qualify in 2003 when The Country Club last played host to the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. "If I play well and can make the cut, I'll take it one round at a time."
2009 Massachusetts Amateur Qualifying
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Weston Golf Club (Weston, MA)
Par 72 (36-36)
Qualifiers
T1) Chase Lovett-Woodsum (Boston GC) 37-36--73
T1) Bradford Tufts (Tedesco CC) 35-38--73
T1) Taylor Peck (Norfolk GC) 37-36--73
T4) Joe Cooper (Weston GC) 39-36--75
T4) Jamie Griffiths (Thorny Lea GC) 38-37--75
T6) Jim Tyrrell (Weston GC) 40-36--76
T6) Dan Head (Wellesley CC) 41-35--76
T6) Paul Murphy (Charles River CC) 39-37--76
T9) Patrick Kline (New Sandy Burr CC) 39-38--77
T9) Victor Galvani (Framingham CC) 38-39--77
T9) Claude Hoopes (The Kittansett Club) 36-41--77
Alternates
1st) Michael McCann (Nabnasset Lake CC) 38-39--77
2nd) Bobby Marulli (The Orchards GC) 42-35--77
