Headline: John Hadges Takes on Dan Head in the Final Match of the 2010 Massachusetts Amateur Championship; Match Begins at 8:00 a.m.
For Immediate Release: July 15, 2010
South Hamilton, MA — Heading into this year's 102nd Massachusetts Amateur Championship the name of Dan Head (Wellesley CC) was not exactly atop the list of potential victors.
All prognostications have gone out the window as the 29-year-old from Wellesley is making the most of his Match Play debut and earned the right to take on the 2008 champion of this event — John Hadges (Thorny Lea GC) — in the 36-hole final which will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Myopia Hunt Club. (story continues below).
Day 4 Quick Links
"I am just happy to be in it," said Head following his 7 and 5 quarterfinal victory over Noah Walker (The Harmon Club). "I am going to go out there and have fun with it. It's a long day, and I am going to do what I have been doing all day which is to play conservatively, keep it in the fairway and go for pars. If I make birdies then great."
His 49-year-old opponent has a bit more experience at this. In addition to his nearly two decades of experience playing in MGA events, Hadges outlasted Matt Parziale in 2008 at The Kittansett Club to capture his first Massachusets Amateur Championship title. His strategy is as simple and straight forward as his game.
"I just have to hit fairways and greens and if you win you win and if you don't you don't," said Hadges. "I have played here quite a few times. The key is that you have to keep it in the fairways the best you can or at least in the first cut. If you get in [the fescue] then who knows... it's a guess."
Considering the resume of his opponent, the underdog label will surely be tied to Head. After all, heading into this year's event he had never advanced to Match Play and noted that his greatest golfing accomplishments to date were his 2000 and 2001 club championship victories at Wellesley Country Club. In fact, the insurance broker who was recently married doesn't have much time to play tournament golf. The only other major event he has played in thus far was a Massachusetts Open qualifier at Stow Acres Country Club where he failed to qualify.
This week has been an entirely different story. Following his strong stroke-play performance (he finished T5 including a 1-under par 71 final round score), he won his first two matches on Tuesday and followed that up with two more victories on Thursday against formidable opponents.
"I had two matches under my belt and figured that I would stay in it and wait for the others to make mistakes," said Head about his growing confidence. "This is my fourth Mass Amateur and my first time in Match Play. The entire week I was trying to play conservatively."
In his first match of the day, Head faced off against Ryan Reilly (Norton CC) who is enjoying another phenomenal season and who seemed poised to challenge for this top title. Despite his lack of Match Play experience, Head somehow managed to send his approach on the 18th hole to inches for a 1 Up victory over Reilly. He then — just hours later — defeated red-hot Walker to secure a berth into the finals.
"I have just felt calm all week and haven't been anxious or nervous and have felt good," said Head, a member of the Hamilton College golf team where he was a Second Team All NESCAC during the 2003-2004. "I feel confident in my swing and with my game."
Following his win over Reilly, Head grabbed a quick lunch and jumped right back on the course and picked up where he left off. Out of the gates, he made two birdies and three pars for a 4 Up advantage. The incredible driving ability of Walker (it was reported that his drive on the 7th hole landed 360 yards in the fairway) and his stellar short game was apparently no match for the steadiness and level-headed play of Head who continued to make pars and rattle Walker as the match wore on.
Meanwhile, Hadges battled through an incredibly challenging two matches on Thursday. In the quarterfinals, he took on his long-time rival and two-time winner of this event Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC), and defeated him with steady and unrelenting play by a score of 2 and 1.
In the afternoon, he faced Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC) who has played arguably the best golf of the tournament beginning on the 11th hole on Tuesday. After making birdie on four of his final eight holes on Tuesday to earn a spot in Match Play, Clapp breezed through his first two matches and a capped off his day by carding seven birdies and one eagle against Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) in the Round of 16.
"On the whole front nine I felt like I wasn't quite hitting it solidy," said Clapp of his match against Hadges. "I was tired and trying to figure out how to play tired. It took a ways to work that out. I thought that I was doing a pretty good job of keeping it where I should."
The back-and-forth match was a nail biter from start to finish. In fact, it appeared that Clapp had it wrapped up when he chipped in from three feet off the green on the 17th hole to take a 1 Up lead. It marked the second time in two days that Clapp had chipped in. On Wednesday he holed in a 9-iron shot from the fairway. Hadges was not finished, however, as he made a critical par putt (from about six feet) to extend the match on the 18th hole.
"I said to my caddy on the 16th tee that somebody is going to do something special," said Clapp. "I thought it was on 17 and then he had a great up and down on 18."
It looked as if it was all over on the 20th hole, but Clapp came through once again... this time sinking a 25-foot birdie putt to halve the hole and continue the match.
The battle finally came to an end on the 21st hole when Hadges enjoyed some payback when he chipped in from 45 feet for the victory and a chance for a second title.
Quarterfinal Summaries
2006 Champion Defeats Two-Time Champion – John Hadges vs Frank Vana, Jr.
In the rubber match between two former champions, Hadges emerged the victor over Frank Vana, Jr. by a score of 2 and 1. From the onset, it appeared that the red-hot Vana – who finished as medalist in this year's event – was going to cruise to the semifinals as he made birdie on the first two holes to take an early 2 Up lead.
"I had it going really well through the first six holes and then mentally I lost it," explained Vana who was attempted to advance to the finals of this event for the sixth time in eight years. "I didn't make the shots or putts when I needed to and that's what you have to do to win matches. I just didn't get it done today."
His impressive birdie-birdie start would be the end of the highlight reel for Vana as he made only one birdie through the rest of the match and succumbed to Hadges' steadfast and steady play. The match was all square through eight holes when Vana knocked in his third and final birdie to take a slim 1 Up lead.
Unfazed by Vana's play, Hadges cruised along by making pars and soon took advantage of four straight Vana bogies. With a 2 Up lead in hand through 13 holes, Hadges calmly posted five straight pars and finished off the match with a two-putt on the 17th green. It marks the second time in two years that Hadges had advanced to the semifinals of this event. It also marks the second time in two years that Hadges has defeated Vana in the quarterfinals of this event.
"I enjoy playing against Hadges," said the 47-year-old Vana. "He is a great player and we always seem to have good matches. He kept the pressure on me all day and didn't give me many openings."
Clutch Victory – Ryan Riley vs Dan Head
It's hard to feel too bad about losing a match when your opponent sends his approach shot on the 18th hole to inches. That is exactly what happened to Ryan Riley (Norton CC) on Thursday afternoon.
After draining a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to square his match with Dan Head, Riley hit a solid drive and a very solid approach which landed on the fringe just 18 feet from the 18th hole. He then had to watch as Head sent his approach to inches.
"You can't do anything," said Riley about his 1 Up loss. "My son could have made that putt and he is four. We had a very good match. It was very up and down. I got on the first hole and knocked it to two inches and then he had a four footer which he made and we halved the hole with birdies."
What happened on that first hole was indicative of what transpired for the 17 holes from that point on. Both players displayed grit and poise under pressure. Riley made eagle on the second hole, but Head – as he did all day long – made birdie on the 5th hole to square the match again. Throughout the course of the match, neither player had more than a 1 Up lead and the match was all square on six different occasions.
On the 15th hole, Riley sank a 20-foot birdie putt and then watched as Head did the same from 12 feet. The match was once again all square heading into the 16th hole. Head was able to get up and down from just off the green, while Riley flew the green and suffered a bogey to go 1 Down. He continued to fight by making that key 12-foot birdie putt on 17... and then he could do nothing as Head dug deep and made that incredible pressure shot on 18 to advance to the semifinals.
"I am just really proud of myself," said Riley, who noted that he made an uncharacteristic quadruple double on Monday during stroke play but managed to rebound with a good second round to advance to Match Play. "I didn't putt particularly well. I joke around that I use a different every round, but when I make some putts I can play the game. When I don't things like this happen."
Gutsy Comeback Comes Up Short – Doug Clapp vs Jordan Burke
After carding seven birdies and one eagle on Wednesday afternoon, Doug Clapp picked up where he left off on Thursday morning by making birdie on two of his first three holes to take a 3 Up lead over Jordan Burke (Needham GC).
Despite the quick start by Clapp, Burke showed true fight as he took advantage of a Clapp bogey on the 3rd hole, carded a birdie on the 4th hole and then made another birdie on the 8th hole to draw even.
Unfortunately for Burke, he suffered a difficult three-hole stretch where Clapp took advantage of each of his three bogies to take another 3 Up lead. With the match dormie on the 16th tee, Burke came through by winning the next two holes and forcing the match to the 18th hole.
"My caddy did a good job and kept me positive," said Burke of his brother Jake who carried his bag all day. "In that situation it's easy to give up but I am proud that I hung in there and made a match of it."
Following a great drive down the left side of the fairway, Burke knew that he had to do something special to extend the match but his approach flared to the right and landed in the hill of fescue located to the right of the green. Clapp, meanwhile, sent his approach to the back fringe and two-putted for bogey and the win.
"I felt like I needed to make something happen and I just tried to hit a high cut and came out of it and it flamed to the right," said Burke of his approach on 18. "I always try to peak for this week because this is the event that I am always thinking about and it's the most important to all of us. Maybe next year will be a little bit better luck."
After having advanced to the semifinals in 2006 and now the quarterfinals in 2008, there is no question that this event will be seeing a lot of the 30-year-old Burke down the road.
Youth Over Experience – Brian Higgins vs Noah Walker
It was not the finish that Brian Higgins (Franklin CC) envisioned when he began his title pursuit at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. Facing off against youngster Noah Walker in the quarterfinals, Higgins struggled with his putter all day long and finally succumbed to Walker on the 18th hole. In the end, it was a poor drive by Higgins which resulted in a bogey and a disappointing 1 Down loss.
"I just pulled it left and ended up in a spot where Noah as a lefty could have hit it but as I righty I had no chance," explained Higgins of the final hole. "He has an excellent short game and is a good putter and hits it a long way. I knew that I had to play very well to win."
After holding a 1 Up lead for three holes, Higgins watched as Walker made eagle on the 8th hole and then took advantage of his bogey on the 9th hole to grab a 1 Up lead. Before that change of lead, Higgins felt he momentum shift on the 7th hole where he was on the green in two and Walker was in the woods. Uncharacteristically, Higgins three putted for par and Walker found a way out of trouble to salvage par.
"He was gaining a lot of momentum but I pulled it back together and was able to make par on 12 and 14 when he was in trouble," said Higgins. "I hit the 15th green in two and three putted for par which was very disappointing. It was back and forth all day."
Both players missed the green but managed to get up and down on the 16th hole and then par 17. That's when Higgins missed his drive and young Walker took full advantage. Following a monster drive, Walker's approach landed just on the right fringe and he two putted for par and the win.
"In my mind 18 was really the only one that counts," said Walker reflecting on his drive. "It was my best drive of the day on a hole that I have struggled on since the tournament started. Just knowing that I had a two foot putt in what I thought was the most important match is the one thing that will stand out in my mind."
Although the 17-year-old Walker was defeated in the semifinals, his experience at this week's event is something that he will take with him. In fact, he will board a plane tomorrow evening for Michigan to compete in the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
When asked what he will remember most about this week?
"That I have the game to play and that I can play with some of the better players," answered Walker. "I had more fun than anything. Knowing that I can compete with some of the better players in the state is the one thing that I will take out of this."
