Headline: Past Champion Herbie Aikens Rides Hot Putter to a One-Stroke Lead Following Day 1 of the 2016 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2016

Herbie Aikens leads by one following day one of the 2016 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship, which is being held at Waubeeka Golf Links.

Williamstown, MA — Nearly two weeks ago, Herbie Aikens (Pinehills GC) was spending a quiet afternoon practicing his putting at his home course in Plymouth. He received some advice from a good friend that evening which may result in another Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship title come Monday.

Aikens, the 2014 winner of this event, posted a first-round score of 3-under par 68 at Waubeeka Golf Links on Sunday and currently holds a one-stroke lead over the field heading into the second and final round of competition.

Following Sunday’s first round, the starting field of 120 was reduced to the low 66 players who made the cut which fell at 7-over par 78. Only those competitors will return for Monday’s final round on this picturesque and challenging Williamstown layout.

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35th MGA APL Championship Links

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“It is a great golf course,” said Aikens. “It is not overly long, but it can be penal. Some of these shots you have to work it both ways. You have to hit some cut shots and you have to hit some draws and every hole has beautiful views. You get up on the par 3 14th, and I just don’t know if there is a better view in the state.”

Aikens is enjoying his view from atop the leaderboard following a round which featured four birdies, one eagle and three bogeys. Aikens was one of only five competitors to finish under par, and there was no question that success on the green translated into good scores.

“They really are tough,” said Aikens. “You can hit what you think is a great shot and walk up there and have four feet, but you have a downhill putt that breaks twice what you think it does and it’s really hard. You have to do a good job of staying below the hole.”

Strength of putting was not something that Aikens would have used to describe his game a month ago, but a recent change in his putting style has led to dramatic changes.

On July 27th, Aikens took a lesson with John Tuffin, the head golf professional at Pinehills Golf Club.

“I hit three putts when he walked over and was feeling pretty good because all three went in,” said Aikens. “But when I looked back he was saying, ‘that is awful. How can you make anything with that?’ He asked if I had ever done cross handed and I said no, so we tried cross handed. It felt like I was holding a wrench for a while.”

That change came after the first round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament. He went out the next day and fired a score of 69 and things have been looking bright ever since.

“I have putted 1,000 times better since then,” said Aikens. “All of a sudden I am hitting lines, and I am confident again. I feel like if I have a 12 footer I have a legit chance of making it. It has been a lot more fun playing golf the past few days.”

On this day, Aikens made the turn at 1-under par 35, but then suffered back-to-back bogeys to start the back nine. Just when his round appeared to be heading in the wrong direction, he was saved by what had been an unlikely ally - his putter.

Aikens drained a 40-foot birdie putt on the 308-yard, par 4 13th hole.

“That gave me some momentum,” said Aikens.

He would go on to make another birdie (on the 15th hole) and then an eagle on the 501-yard, par 5 17th and play his final seven holes at 4-under par.

Making the experience even that more special was the fact that Aikens was playing in the same group with Billy Van Stratum (Dennis Pines GC). In 2014, Aikens and Van Stratum engaged in a final-round battle with Aikens claiming the title on the final hole.

“This tournament was so special to me because of that,” said Aikens. “That year there was great, and I have aspirations to play in the Masters and it such a hard goal and is something that may never happen, but I hope it does and I am going to keep working towards it. This was a huge stepping stone for me when I won in ’14 and then won the Mid-Amateur and then almost won the Stocker Cup in California. I was going and feeling good and getting closer to my goal.”

With expectations as high as ever for this two-time MGA Champion, Aikens is comfortable with his place at the top and knows what he must accomplish on day two to turn two into three.

“I need to manage my round again,” said Aikens. “My ball striking is normally pretty strong, so I hope that it stays that way. I need to try and make sure that I keep it out of trouble and stay below the hole as much as I can and don’t get frustrated if I make a few bogeys. I also need to take advantage of the par 5s. I really think that the par 5s are where you can take advantage of this place.”

Collegians Well Played in Williamstown

This week’s trek to Williamstown is the first of two that both Cody Booska (Crumpin-Fox Club) and Owen Quinn (Wachusett CC) will be making during the month of August.

After competing in this week’s Championship, both will head to their respective colleges to begin their fall golf seasons. Booska is a rising junior at Johnson & Wales University (North Miami, FL), while Quinn will be a freshman at Lehigh University.

Today proved to be a fine tune-up as both youngsters, who were paired together on Monday, and posted scores of 2-under par 69 in Williamstown. They currently stand T2 overall.

“It was out there to get today,” said Quinn. “It is right in front of you. The pins weren’t too tough, so you could really shoot a good score.”

Quinn and Booska are two of 18 competitors in the field who are under the age of 21. Quinn is 18 years old, while Booska turned 20 back in March. Booska, who resides in Turners Fall, had an opportunity to play Waubeeka Golf Links last year when the club hosted an MGA Amateur Public Links qualifying round.

“It fits my game well,” said Booska. “When I played here last year, I shot 41 on the front and 31 on the back so I figured that if I could get a good round going on the front starting today I could get something good going.”

Booska took advantage of the two par 5s on the front nine. He made birdie on the 529-yard, par 5 4th and 487-yard, par 5  8th holes to make the turn at 1-under par 35. He finished with three bogeys on the day, but he also made birdie on all four of the par 5s as well as on the 371-yard, par 4 12th hole to secure his 2-under par 69.

“From the get go I didn’t feel like I had my best game today to be completely honest,” said Booska. “But I was just grinding out everything. Every time I missed a green I would grind on chips, and I luckily got up and down for par several times to keep my round going. I saved myself. The par 5s are all getable, so I took advantage of those and am happy with how my score ended up.”

Booska and Quinn no doubt felt like they were in the middle of a collegiate match as they seemed to match each other shot for shot. Quinn – like Booska – made the turn at 1-under par 35. He played 1-over par golf from holes 7 to 13, but then struck his iron off the tee on the 155-yard, par 3 14th hole to three feet. Despite sending his drive off the next hole behind a tree, Quinn recovered nicely. He chipped out and then sent his 8-iron approach on that 543-yard, par 5 15th hole to a foot.

“I just need to drive it a little better,” said Quinn. “I hit a few wayward drives today and was forced to chip out on two of the par 5s. I need to drive it better and hopefully shoot a good number tomorrow.”

Quinn found the green on the 501-yard, par 5 17th hole in two for a two-putt birdie, but then three putted from 20 feet on the final hole for his 2-under par 69.

“It’s a nice layout out here,” said Quinn. “It’s tough to get to but once you are here it’s a nice spot with great views. It’s right in front of you and you can definitely score here. The par 5s are all getable the greens rolled nice. It’s a nice place to play.”

A Local Royal's Welcome at Waubeeka

It wasn’t hard to find Jeff Bourdon (Waubeeka GL) on the golf course. All one had to do was find the large crowd that was making its way along the Williamstown layout.

As the crowd – which ranged in age from four to 80 – erupted into applause when Bourdon’s name was announced on the first tee at 9:20 a.m., one onlooker remarked that he felt as if he was at the finals of Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

While that MGA Championship Proper concluded last month 10 miles down the road at Taconic Golf Club, this week is all about the Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship which is making its debut at Waubeeka Golf Links.

Not only is the club celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but it also marks the first time in event history that the Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship is being held on a Sunday and Monday instead of a traditional pair of weekdays.

“It is definitely amazing,” said Bourdon. “Most of the people who get out here don’t even realize that this part of Massachusetts exists. It is a good showcase for the course, for [course owner Mike Deep] and the superintendent and for everyone to see how great of a course we have out here.”

While history is in the making this week, Bourdon is savoring every moment as he represents the lone member from the host site to be competing in Championship Proper. He posted a 4-over par 76 on July 5 at Westover GC to advance to the Championship Proper.

“It added a little bit of nerves, but it was really nice,” said Bourdon about his following. “It was a lot of fun, and I am thankful that they all came out to watch.”

Bourdon grew up in neighboring North Adams and attended Drury High School where he was a three-sport athlete whose golf team played its matches at nearby North Adams Country Club. Bourdon went on to play baseball at Brandeis University, and then tucked his clubs away while he pursued professional opportunities.

In 2012, Bourdon returned home to North Adams and returned to his golf roots… this time finding a true home at Waubeeka Golf Links. He also works at another MGA Member Club – Cranwell Resort & Golf Club – in the front office of its hotel division.

“I went to school at Brandeis and lived in Waltham for a little while after,” said Bourdon. “After a while out there it was time to come home.”

For the past four years, Bourdon has been one of the dedicated golf members who has watched his club escape closure just two years only to now flourish this week as an MGA Championship host club.

“Having this event here was super important to everyone here,” said Bourdon. “It’s not a giant membership base, but it’s a really close group of people. To lose the course close and to see this group of people disperse out to different courses would have been heartbreaking for me who has only been here for four years but for a lot of my family and the people here who have been here for 15 to 20 years.”

Although his score of 12-over par 83 won’t ensure him another competitive round here on Monday, Bourdon will no doubt be back next weekend on this golf course which just never gets old.

“This is a very important week,” said Bourdon. “The MGA is great. This is a real legit event, and it’s nice to have it here.”

And he – along with the entire Waubeeka GL community – hopes that even after this week golfers will know that there is always a welcome sign outside of the clubhouse.

From the Board Room to the Public Links:

Herbie Aikens (Pinehills GC) and Steve St. Amand (Meadow at Peabody) are MGA Champions who have enjoyed continued success on the amateur golf circuit. Off the links, however, they dedicate many hours to bettering the sport as MGA Executive Committee members.

In that role, Aikens and St. Amand work closely with the 24 other executive committee members as well as MGA staff members to oversee the daily operations and provide important consult on the future direction of the organization.

“The golf game has been so good to me,” said St. Amand, who won this event in 1989,1990, and 1993. “You have to give back. I was so happy to be asked. Just this month, I was officiating at the State Junior at Kernwood, and I will be serving as the official in charge at a State Mid-Amateur qualifier at Beverly Golf & Tennis Club right after this. I am enjoying myself, and it’s something that I can during my retirement.”

All three of St. Amand’s titles came at George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park, which hosted this event for 11 of its first 12 years. St. Amand was part of the MGA’s leadership group which announced last year that the Boston city course – which was called “America’s Public Links Cradle" in the Fall 2000 issue of MassGolfer magazine – will become the first truly public course to host the Massachusetts Amateur Championship in 2018.

“There are a lot of good golfers in the public sector,” said St. Amand. “This should be a tremendous championship at what is an incredible venue. It's rewarding to be a part of an organization that supports public golf the way that the MGA does."

Aikens, who won this event in 2014, has also been a part of a smaller committee group focused on The First Tee of Massachusetts with the end goal of providing more access and opportunity to the new generation of young players.

“I still have a lot more to do and this is just the start of it,” said Aikens, who joined the MGA Executive Committee last November. “To see what The First Tee and the MGA needs from someone like myself has been a huge uplifter for me… I want to be able to give back and have met some wonderful people through golf.”

Regardless of his performance this week, Aikens is in a strong position to be named a member of Team Massachusetts which will compete at the 2016 USGA Men’s State Team Championship scheduled for September 28-30 at the Country Club of Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama.

“To represent Massachusetts is the ultimate honor and something that you work really hard for,” said Aikens.

If selected, Aikens will be making his third straight appearance that the USGA Men’s State Championship.
                                                                                          
The team selections – three individuals are chosen from each competing states – are made primarily based on the number of points one accrues from the MGA’s Player of the Year standings over the past two seasons. Entering this week, Aikens was second overall with 1,106 points.

“This year hasn’t been the greatest year for me,” said Aikens. “It’s funny that I have used [the USGA State Team Championship] as a motivator to scrape together as many points as I can to hopefully make the team because it’s the best. Anytime you go to a USGA event is special.”

While he travels across the country to compete in events, this week’s championship is especially important to Aikens who has enjoyed success competing against fellow public links golfers over the years.

In addition to capturing this title two years ago, Aikens qualified for and competed at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship from 2011 through 2014 when that event was officially retired by the USGA.

“I was so disappointed to see that tournament go away,” said Aikens. “The Pub Links is where you would still see those great college players who are some of the best in the world, but you would also see a person like me who is a public golfer and some other guys who have to work for a living and we would be able to show up and compete against them. It was so special… I am glad that Massachusetts made the decision to keep a public links event because I think that it’s a great and important opportunity.”

Aikens and St. Amand are among a total of four total past champions in this year’s field. They are joined on that prestious list by Andy Drohen (The Ranch GC) and Ryan Clancy (Glen Ellen CC), who won this title in 2012 and 2013, respectively

“I remember them very well going back to 1989 and 1990 when I repeated was really nice and then in 1993 when I snuck in with the lowest total,” said St. Amand. “Just to be back here 23 years later and still playing in them is great. I am just happy to be here.”  

Round 1: Daily Course Statistics

Here is a rundown on course statistics from Sunday, August 7.

Day 1 Course Statistics
Average Score: 78.186
Low Score: 68
High Score: 91
Total # of Eagles: 4
Total # of Birdies: 216
Total # of Bogeys: 682
Total # of Pars: 1,054
Hardest Hole: #11 (average score was 4.754)
Easiest Hole: #4 (average score was 4.924)