Headline: Following a Long Day of Match Play, the Quarterfinals Are Now Set at the 2010 Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Myopia Hunt Club
For Immediate Release: July 14, 2010
South Hamilton, MA — Following a full day of Match Play at the 102nd Massachusetts Amateur Championship, the starting field of 144 players has been reduced to the final eight. Only those competitors will return to Myopia Hunt Club on Thursday to take part in the quarterfinal and then semifinal matches.
Here are highlights from today’s action and a look at this year’s quarterfinalists. (story continues below).
Day 3 Quick Links
Lawyer vs Lawyer – Doug Clapp vs Jordan Burke
For the first time in as long as he can remember, Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC) needed his alarm clock to wake him up. The restful night of sleep certainly played to his favor on Tuesday as he barreled through his first two rounds of Match Play at the 2010 Massachusetts Amateur Championship to earn a spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals at Myopia Hunt Club.
"I have qualified for Match Play 14 out of 15 times in this event and only made it to Thursday once and am just looking for a little bit of a breakthrough," said Clapp, who put on a show during the Round of 16 by carding an eye-popping seven birdies and one eagle through just 14 holes. "I know of some notable players who had the same problem and they figured it out. Today was a breakthrough for me."
It was really no surprise that Clapp slept so well last night after having to sweat out his second-round of stroke play where he found himself 8-over par with eight holes to go and facing the reality of not making Match Play. From that scary moment on, Clapp went on to make birdie on four of his final eight holes to assure himself of a spot in Wednesday’s Round of 16.
"I can get it going for sure," said Clapp of his dynamic play. "Yesterday I am outside the cutline for the tournament on the 11th tee needing to make some birdies and I made birdie on four out of eight holes. I can get it going."
With a 2 Up lead through seven holes, Clapp watched as his Round of 16 opponent Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) – who earlier in the day defeated Medfield High School standout Christopher Melvin (Walpole CC) by a score of 3 and 1 – trimmed his lead to just 1 Up. That is when Clapp got it going for sure.
In what was a stretch of golf that may not be equaled anytime soon, Clapp carded birdies on the 9th and 10th holes and then holed in a 9-iron shot from 130 yards out for eagle on the 339-yard, par 4 11th hole. A Brennan bogey on the 12th hole gave Clapp an insurmountable 5 Up lead. He closed the match out just two holes later.
"I had it going this afternoon," said Clapp, who earlier this year captured the 2010 Norfolk County Classic title at Presidents Golf Course. "Colin was really solid through 11 holes, but I started making 9 irons out of the fairway and he crumbled, go figure. I have been on the opposite end of that so many times."
Clapp will now have to face off against Jordan Burke (Needham GC), who was a 2 and 1 winner over Bradford Tufts (Tedesco CC) in the Round of 16. In addition to playing in the same events, it will be a matchup of two successful lawyers.
Burke – much like Clapp – enjoyed a relatively easy match during the morning hours when he posted a 6 and 4 victory against Matt Perry (Springfield CC). While Burke, who was one of just four amateurs who advanced to the third round of play at last month’s Massachusetts Open Championship, is playing the best golf of his career this week, Clapp will use the same strategy that has brought him to this point.
"Once you have a stretch like that and you get up, I just start thinking about hitting fairways and the middle of the greens and making quality shots," said Clapp. "As soon as you start getting ahead of yourself, you get into trouble. Everyone says that, but they say it because it’s true. I have had my share of it over the years."
With years of ups and downs and a memorable performance thus far this week, there is one thing for sure… Clapp better set that alarm clock because he will sleep well again tonight.
Past Champion vs. Past Champion – Frank Vana vs John Hadges
He was the first golfer out and first one finished and that was just fine with 47-year-old Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) who is looking to reach the finals of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship for the sixth time in eight years.
Vana, who for the first time in his decades-long career finished as medalist following the stroke-play portion of this event, won both of his matches on Wednesday to earn a berth into the quarterfinals where he will face off against the 2008 champion of this event, John Hadges (Thorny Lea GC).
With murky weather surrounding the host site of Myopia Hunt Club all day long and with a handful of competitors half his age still in the field, Vana was quite content to head home at 3:00 p.m. and wave goodbye to the Round of 16 matches that were just beginning.
"I am happy," said Vana following his 3 and 2 Round of 16 victory against Sean Deale (Brae Burn CC). "I am relaxed now and can go home and get some work done. We may have also beaten the weather which is great."
After finishing as the top scorer during stroke play, Vana took on the No. 32 seed, John Sadowski (GC at Turner Hill), beginning at 8:00 a.m. Less than 12 hours earlier with darkness setting in and headlights from two vehicles making the green on the 192-yard, par 3 16th hole visible, Sadowski putted out for par to capture that final Match Play spot.
Despite the lack of rest, Sadowski gave Vana all he could handle and pulled within one with two holes remaining but eventually fell by a score of 2 and 1.
In Vana’s next match against Deale, a former Fairfield University golf team member who knocked off Joe Cunningham (The Country Club) earlier in the day by a score of 5 and 4, it was much of the same. Vana jumped out to an early lead, but in the end had to fend off tough competition to earn the right to play on come Wednesday morning.
"I had maybe two bad holes during each match but other than that I was pretty solid out there," said Vana, who closed out his match against Deale by draining a 24-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. "I was thinking clearly for the most part in both matches and felt pretty relaxed."
One stretch that would have rattled even the most veteran of players came against Deale in the early stages of the match. After a mental mistake led to a loss of the 6th hole, Vana – who was looking at a 10-foot birdie putt on the 404-yard, par 4 7th hole – watched Deale run his birdie attempt six feet past the hole. Vana went on to three putt, while Deale drained his six footer for par. On the next hole, Deale found the fescue twice but still managed to make par to shrink Vana’s advantage to just 1 Up.
"It was a weird three holes," said Vana who also watched Deale chip in from 12 feet on the 525-yard, par 5 15th hole. "[Match Play] has some momentum swings with it and you have to endure it whether you have it on your side or you don’t have it. That happened a little bit today."
Vana will need that patience and poise tomorrow when he takes on Hadges in what will be a rubber match between the two veteran competitors. Vana defeated Hadges en route to his second Massachusetts Amateur Championship win in 2005, while Hadges returned the favor during the quarterfinals of the 2008 Massachusetts Amateur Championship where he won his first title.
Much like Vana, the 49-year-old Hadges had his mind focused more on getting home than on tomorrow’s matchup following his 3 and 1 victory over Mickey Werenski (The Orchards GC) in the Round of 16. Werenski, who is 33 years younger than Hadges, was actually playing his first match of the day after Bill Drohen was forced to default on the Round of 32 match (see more below). The back-and-forth match between Werenski and Hadges featured everything from a 10-foot eagle putt by Hadges on the 260-yard, par 4 6th hole to a loss of hole violation on the 9th hole when Werenski’s caddy mistakenly moved a branch near his ball.
"I am playing pretty consistently right now and hitting it where you’re supposed to," said Hadges, who noted that another key point in his afternoon match was when he saved par on the 404-yard, par 4 7th hole by chipping to six inches. "This is very similar [to The Kittansett Club where he won his title in 2008]… visually it’s an intimidating golf course to a lot of people including myself."
All in all, it was another exciting and successful tune-up for a player who has more than two decades of experience at this event. After all, he has been medalist five times over the course of his career (1981, 1987, 1988, 2005 and 2008) and just last year advanced to the quarterfinals where he was defeated by eventual champion Bill Drohen.
"The key here is that you have to be in the fairway," said Hadges. "On a couple of occasions today I would hit 3 wood and [Werenski] would hit driver. He was four or five clubs ahead of me but he was in the rough and I was in the fairway. That makes a big difference."
And the prospect of playing his longtime foe and friend?
"We’ve played a lot of golf together," said Hadges. "I have won and he has won, so it should be fun. I always like to play with Frank and against Frank."
The two perennial amateur golf giants will tee off at 8:00 a.m.
Veteran vs Youngster – Brian Higgins vs Noah Walker
The sign of a champion is when they play badly but they still find a way to win. That was the storyline for defending Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Champion Brian Higgins (Franklin CC), who is looking to secure his first career Massachusetts Amateur Championship title this week.
The 35 year old battled with his swing through the first eight holes of his Round of 16 match against Richy Werenksi (The Orchards GC). Yet after an eight-hole stretch where he found himself more often in the fescue than in the fairway, he was still leading by a score of 1 Up.
"My iron game was OK but I was hitting the ball poorly off the tee," said Higgins, who earlier in the day knocked off Chris Congdon (Foxborough CC). "I was getting up and down in spots and winning holes and staying in the match. I wasn’t hitting the ball well enough to win the match, but I knew that if I could find that swing I had a chance."
Erasing any doubt that he would relinquish that lead, Higgins sent his tee shot on the 136-yard, par 3 9th hole to inches to win the hole and extend his advantage to 2 Up.
Unfortunately for Werenski, who finished as one of two low amateurs at last month’s Massachusetts Open Championship, Higgins righted the ship from that point on and played flawless, 1-under par golf.
Higgins went on to win the match by a score of 2 and 1 on the 17th hole, but he felt the tide start to turn back on the 7th hole when his tee shot – once again – had found the fescue. With his opponent in the middle of the fairway, Higgins somehow found a way to chip his approach close and win that hole.
"The momentum really shifted on that seventh hole," said Higgins, who last week captured the Worcester County Amateur title. "I chipped in tight and ended up winning a hole that I thought I would lose."
After finishing as runner-up in this event back in 2002, Higgins is looking to make a return to the finals... a place that has been elusive to him ever since.
"Match Play is definitely different," said Higgins. "I have been trying to not to get ahead of myself. More than anything, I have been trying to not pay attention to my competitor as much. I am trying to play aggressive, stick to my game and score."
One year ago, Higgins made an uncharacteristic exit in the Round of 32 but that is a distant memory to an accomplished player who knows how to compete almost as well as he knows his golf swing.
Looking to stand in Higgins’ way on Thursday will be 17-year-old Noah Walker (The Harmon Club), who earlier this season qualified for the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. The IAGA standout and rising senior at Boston College High School surprised even himself this afternoon by claiming a 5 and 3 victory over John Gilmartin (Indian Ridge CC).
"This was definitely the most nerve-wracking match of any tournaments I have played," said Walker. "I was not expecting much because I have heard such great things about John Gilmartin. I just went out there to have fun and enjoy what I thought was my last round at the Massachusetts Amateur."
That modest expectation could not have been farther from the truth. Much like Higgins, Walker has been in a constant and oftentimes frustrating battle with his swing and was not feeling comfortable through the first six holes where he found himself 1 Down to Gilmartin, who one year ago earned headlines for defeating 2009 Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year Matt Parziale in the Round of 32.
From the seventh hole on, Walker played near perfect golf as he used back-to-back birdies on the 472-yard, par 4 8th and 136-yard, par 3 9th holes to build up a lead that he would not give up. He closed out the match on the 525-yard, par 5 15th hole with a birdie… his third of the match.
"After the sixth hole I finally started hitting fairways and playing like I did during the first round, " said Walker, who drained a 10-foot par putt to halve the 12th hole and maintain his 3 Up advantage. "From that point on, I got a few good bounces, made some putts and made two of the best up and downs of the tournament. My short game has been the one thing that has saved me."
If Walker and Higgins bring their "A" games to the course on Thursday morning, this may prove to be one of the most memorable battles of the championship.
Champion Takes on the First Timer –Ryan Riley vs Dan Head
Last year Ryan Riley (Norton CC) broke through and experienced what it felt like to win an MGA Championship. In fact, he won two of them – the Massachusetts Four-Ball and Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship. Following his two victories in Match Play on Wednesday, Riley is hoping to now learn what it feels like to win the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
"I was not hitting my best," said Riley who defeated Brandon Parker (Pleasant Valley CC) by a score of 1 Up in the Round of 16. "When I needed to make the putts, I did… I’m pumped."
Earlier in the day, Riley outlasted another youngster, Josh Salah (Bass Rocks GC), by a score of 2 and 1 to earn the right to meet Parker, who has been a formidable opponent all week long. After holding on to a 1 Up lead through the first six holes, Riley relinquished the advantage following back-to-back birdies by Parker on the 404-yard, par 4 7th and 472-yard, par 4 8th holes.
Parker would cling to that lead until Riley did what he has been known to do on so many occasions. He hit a driver and then 7 iron to six feet for an eagle on the 525-yard, par 5 15th hold to square the match. A birdie-par finish capped off another strong showing by the 2010 Massachusetts Four-Ball Champion.
"I made a couple of birdies when I needed to and never shot myself in the foot," said Riley. "He had to earn the holes he won."
Riley will take on a newcomer to Match Play – Dan Head (Wellesley CC), who secured his spot in the quarterfinals with a 2 Up victory over Victor Galvani (Framingham CC).
The last competitor off the golf course on Wednesday afternoon, Head is enjoying the experience thus far.
"I am exhausted but happy to be here," said Head, who estimates that he has tried to qualify for this event four or five times. "This is the first time that I have made Match Play, so I am shocked. I was just trying to go out there and make pars and stay in it."
During the morning hours, Head pushed perennial Match Play qualifier and former Massachusetts Open and New England Amateur Champion Kevin Quinn (Charles River CC) to 19 Holes. Come the afternoon, Head struggled to open up his match against Galvani but he picked his moments and finally capped it off on the 18th hole with a conceded birdie.
"I know that [Ryan Riley] is a great player and always seem to be in contention," said Head. "I am going to keep having fun and try to make some birdies."
Golf – A Game of Honor
Something uncomfortable and unprecedented occurred before the first golf ball flew this morning at Myopia Hunt Club. Defending champion Bill Drohen (Brookmeadow CC) approached the MGA officials to report that he had signed a wrong scorecard on Tuesday. Instead of a par 4 on the 392-yard, par 4 4th hole that he had signed yesterday afternoon, Drohen realized that he had in fact made a 5 and signed for the wrong score. Thus, according to Rule 6-6d, Drohen signed for a "wrong score for hole" which results in a penalty of disqualification and an automatic victory for Drohen’s Round of 32 opponent, Mickey Werenski (The Orchards GC).
The incident, although unfortunate because it ended Drohen’s hopes of capturing a second straight title, draws attention to the special nature of the game of golf. There is no sport that is built on an honor system that so many players respect and adhere to with each passing round. Drohen could have easily overlooked his miscue, but he stepped forward and brought the mistake to the attention of the officials and accepted the penalty.
Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) def. John Sadowski (GC at Turner Hill), 2 and 1
Vana took advantage of a bogey by Sadowski on the 417-yard, par 4 5th hole to take a 1 Up lead that he would not give up through the next 12 holes. The two-time champion who increase his lead to 3 Up through seven holes, but Sadowski battled back to pull within one after making a key par on the 192-yard, par 3 16th hole. A bogey on the very next hole by Sadowski, however, sealed the 2 and 1 victory for Vana.
Sean Deale (Brae Burn CC) def. Joe Cunningham (The Country Club), 5 and 4
Deale played 2-under par golf through his first six holes to break out to a commanding 4 Up lead over Cunningham. Although Cunningham was able to pull within two holes through nine holes (he took advantage of a double bogey by Deale on the 404-yard, par 4 7th hole and then made his lone birdie of the day on the 136-yard, par 3 9th hole), Deale was simply flawless from that point on as he made four pars and one birdie to close out the match on the 392-yard, par 4 14th hole by a score of 5 and 4.
John Hadges (Thorny Lea GC) def. Dan White (Vesper CC), 3 and 1
Hadges made a par on the 274-yard, par 4 1st hole and never gave up the lead en route to the 3 and 1 victory over White. One of his three birdies on the day came at an opportune time. After White drew within one following a bogey made by Hadges on the 349-yard, par 4 13th hole, Hadges came through with a par on the 392-yard, par 4 14th hole and a birdie – his third of the day – on the 525-yard, par 5 15th hole to jump out to a 3 Up lead that he would hold on to through the final two holes of the match.
Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) def Christopher Melvin (Walpole CC), 3 and 1
In a battle of young stars, the collegiate standout Brennan outlasted the high school all star Melvin in a back-and-forth battle that lasted 17 holes. Brennan began the match by posting four straight pars and taking advantage of some Melvin miscues to jump out to a 2 Up lead through four holes. Melvin found his rhythm, however, and exploded for two straight birdies (on the 5th and 6th holes) and one par to go 1 Up through seven holes. Deadlocked at the turn, Brennan played near flawless golf and secured the match by making birdie on the 392-yard, par 4 14th and the 391-yard, par 4 17th holes to win the match by a score of 3 and 1.
Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC) def Nick McLaughlin (Far Corner GC), 3 and 2
The veteran Clapp outdueled the junior standout McLaughlin. After finding himself 1 Down through three holes and then All Square through four holes (Clapp made bogey and McLaughlin double bogey on the 4th hole), Clapp went on to card three birdies, eight pars and one bogey to secure his spot in the Round of 16. The 2010 Norfolk County Classic winner finished off the match by making back-to-back birdies on the 525-yard, par 5 15th and 192-yard, par 3 16th holes.
Jordan Burke (Needham GC) def Matt Perry (Springfield CC), 6 and 4
Burke made bogey on two of of his first three holes, but he would settle down, take advantage of openings presented by Perry. Burke, a lawyer from Needham, would make eight pars, two birdies and one bogey en route to a 6 and 4 victory over Perry who was making his Match Play debut. Burke put the final touches on his victory with a birdie on the 392-yard, par 4 14th hole
Bradford Tufts (Tedesco CC) def Bradley Kushner (The Club at New Seabury), 2 up
Tufts made birdie on three of his first five holes to take a 2 Up lead, but then Kushner stormed back by carding birdie on the 260-yard, par 4 6th and 472-yard, par 5 8th holes to draw even. The back-and-forth battle continued on and was all square through 16 holes before Tufts closed the door on his opponent by making birdie on his final two holes. In fact, on the 404-yard, par 4 18th hole, Tufts chipped in for birdie from just beside the greenside bunker to seal the 2 Up victory over last year’s semifinalist.
John Gilmartin (Indian Ridge CC) def Scott Congdon (Foxborough CC), 19 Holes
Just when Gilmartin had his opponent where he wanted him (he was 3 Up with three to go), the wily Congdon exploded for three straight birdies to square the match through 18 holes. The momentum shifter began for Congdon on the 192-yard, par 3 16th hole when he knocked his tee shot to 12 feet and drained a difficult downhill, slider for birdie. Then, on the 391-yard, par 4 17th hole, Congdon sunk a 15-foot birdie putt to pull within one. On that 404-yard, par 18th hole, Congdon found the green in two and took advantage of a Gilmartin double bogey (his approach landed on the side of a greenside bunker) to force extra holes. Just when it looked like Gilmartin’s bid for a second straight Round of 16 appearance, Gilmartin stuck his approach on the 19th hole for a conceded birdie putt to win the exciting match.
Noah Walker (The Harmon Club) def Dave Turgeon (Woodland GC), 2 and 1
Walker may have only made one birdie this morning, but that – along with eight pars – was all he needed to knock off Turgeon by a score of 2 and 1. Walker built up a 3 Up lead through seven holes after making par on the 260-yard, par 4 6th and bogey on the 404-yard, par 4 7th holes. Turgeon would battle back to 1 Up first on the 472-yard, par 5 8th hole (where he made eagle) and then on the 339-yard, par 4 11th and 349-yard, par 4 13th holes but Walker matched Turgeon hole-for-hole from that point on to seal the 2 and 1 victory.
Brian Higgins (Franklin CC) def Chris Congdon (Foxborough CC), 5 and 4
Brian Higgins made birdie on his first two holes to jump out to an early 2 Up lead. Although Congdon closed the gap on several occasions, Higgins carded back-to-back birdies for the second time in the match on the 472-yard, par 4 8th and 136-yard, par 3 9th holes. The birdie on the 9th hole was matched by Congdon, but Higgins was simply too steady from that point on as he carded four straight pars and then matched Congdon’s bogey on the 392-yard, par 4 14th hole to claim the 5 and 4 victory.
Richy Werenski (The Orchards GC) def Greg Shuman (The Country Club), 7 and 5
The Georgia Tech star made his presence felt this morning as he was able to compete his Round of 32 match in just 16 holes. Werenski took a 2 Up lead through four holes courtesy of a bogey and double bogey by Shuman. He then extended his lead by making birdie on the 260-yard, par 4 6th hole and a par on the 404-yard, par 4 7th hole. Werenski made all pars down the stretch to eventually close out the match by a score of 7 and 5.
Brandon Parker (Pleasant Valley CC) def Benjamin Spitz (The Harmon Club), 3 and 2
Parker made birdie on the 274-yard, par 4 1st hole and never looked back as he went to post a 3 and 2 victory over Spitz, the 2006 champion of this event. Parker’s solid play was highlighted by birdies he made on the 260-yard, par 4 6th and 136-yard, par 3 9th holes. He finished off the match with a par – his 12th of the day – on the 192-yard, par 3 16th hole.
Ryan Riley (Norton CC) def Josh Salah (Bass Rocks GC), 2 and 1
For nearly half of the match, Riley found himself trailing in his match against Salah. 2 Down with 11 holes to go, Riley used the momentum from winning the 472 -yard, par 5 8th hole with a par to make back-to-back birdies and snatch the lead on the first time in the match heading to the 11th tee. He then calmly made seven straight pars to keep Salah at bay and pull out the 2 and 1 win.
Dan Head (Wellesley CC) def Kevin Quinn (Charles River CC), 19 holes
In what was one of the tightest matches in the Round of 32, neither competitor was able to gain more than a one hole advantage. After Head took over the 1 Up lead thanks to a par on the 349-yard, par 4 13th hole, Quinn snatched away the advantage just two holes later when he made birdie on the 525-yard, par 5 15th hole and then a par (to beat Head’s bogey) on the 192-yard, par 3 16th hole. Head squared the match again with a par on the next hole. The match finally ended when Quinn was unable to make par on the 19th hole.
Victor Galvani (Framingham CC) def Christopher Tarallo (Thorny Lea GC), 19 holes
Galvani may have trailed for the first seven holes of the match against Tarallo, but that did not keep his confidence down as he went to battle for the lead through 19 holes. Galvani saw his slim 1 Up lead disappear after making bogey on the 404-yard, par 4 18th hole. He recovered quickly, however, by making a conceded birdie on the following hole for the 19 Holes victory.
Schedule of Play
In what is considered one of the more arduous tests of golf, the Massachusetts Amateur Championship features five days of competition. Following a second day of 18-hole stroke play on Tuesday, the field will be cut to the low 32 players who will advance to the Match Play portion of the event.
In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will be conducted on Tuesday evening to determine the 32 Match Play spots. Match Play – which will take place over three days with a champion being crowned on Friday following a 36-hole (or however many holes it takes) on Friday. Here is a five-day schedule.
Monday, July 12, 2010
First Round, 18 Holes Stroke Play
— Morning Tee Times Begin at 7:30 a.m.
— Afternoon Tee Times Begin at 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Second Round, 18 Holes Stroke Play
— Morning Tee Times Begin at 7:30 a.m.
— Afternoon Tee Times Begin at 12:00 p.m.
(The low 32 scorers continue on to Match Play Competition. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will be used to determine the final Match Play competitors.)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
First Day of Match Play
— Round of 32 Matches Begin at 8:00 a.m.
(Remaining 16 move on to afternoon match)
— Round of 16 Matches (Afternoon)
(Remaining 8 move on to Thursday's matches)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Second Day of Match Play
— Quarterfinal Matches Begin at 8:00 a.m.
(Remaining 4 move on to Semifinals)
— Semifinal Matches (Afternoon)
(Remaining 2 move on to Finals)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Third Day of Match Play
— Morning 18 Holes Begin at 8:00 a.m.
— Afternoon 18 Holes Begin 45 minutes following the conclusion of the morning round.
(In the event of a tied match, (a) the winner shall be decided immediately by a hole-by-hole playoff, and (b) the stipulated round is deemed to extend to as many holes as are required for a match to be won.)
