MGA: Massachusetts Golf Association Illustration Illustration

News Release

For Immediate Release: August 14, 2002

 Showing that age sometimes doesn't matter and using his home-club advantage, Mark Purrington (CC of New Bedford) become only the third player in the 84-year history of the Massachusetts Junior Championship to claim the title as a Pre-Junior (ages 14-15). The only other players to accomplish such a feat were 2000 U.S. Amateur Runner-Up and current Canadian Tour player James Driscoll (1993) and Nat Hoopes (1996).

The 15-year-old Purrington finished the three-day tournament, which was held this week at the Country Club of New Bedford, with a score of 3-over par 213 and was able to hold off a late charge by top Junior Division (ages 16-17) finisher Garrett Wentzell (Tatnuck CC). Wentzell, who earlier this year advanced to Match Play at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship and who competed at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, entered Day 3 four shots back of the leader but stormed back by shooting even par 70 on the day. Wentzell had a chance to force a playoff with Purrington on the 18th hole with a birdie, but had to settle for a bogey on the hole, second place overall and a first-place finish in the Junior Division.

Finishing in third place was the 2001 Pre-Junior champion Jon Curran (Framingham CC), who entered the final day of play with a one-stroke lead over the field. Curran struggled on the course today, however, and carded a 5-over par 75 on the day and a 6-over par 216 score overall.

Boys Division:
Entering the Final Round with an 8-stroke advantage, defending Boys Division champion Peter Uihlein (Allendale CC) cruised to victory for the second straight year with a final score of 10-over par 220. Uihlein, who joins Brendan Ray (1997, 1998) as the only players to capture two Boys titles (since the Division's inception in 1991), bested second-place finisher Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) by 11 strokes.

Final Round Championship Notes:
• Purrington is the reigning club champion at the Country Club of New Bedford, while his father Fred is coming off a victory in last week's club Four-Ball Championship.
• A total of 62 players (10-Boys, 22-Pre-Junior, 30-Junior) advanced to the Final Round. Following the first two rounds of stroke play, the 30 lowest scorers and ties from the Junior Division, the 20 lowest scorers and ties from the Pre-Junior Division and the 10 lowest scorers and ties from the Boys Division advanced to the Finals.
• A total of 299 applications, including 17 exemptions, were received for this year's Massachusetts Junior Championship.
• Some of the state's top amateur players have won the Massachusetts Junior Championship. Recent former winners include Eric McPhail (1991), James Driscoll (1993), Michael Carbone (1998), Brent Wanner (1999) and Steve Alminas (2001).

Round 2 Highlights:

This year's Massachusetts Junior Championship is proving to be not all about age. Fifteen-year-old Jon Curran (Framingham CC), who is competing in the Pre-Junior Division (ages 14-15), posted the best score of all competitors through the first two rounds of play. Curran, who was the Pre-Junior champion in 2001, shot even par 70 today for a two-day total of 1-over par 141. Right behind Curran is another youngster from the Pre-Junior Division - Mark Purrington (CC of New Bedford), who also shot even par 70 today and is currently one shot back of Curran.

And the best round of the day? That was turned in by Peter Uihlein (Allendale CC), who fired a 3-under par 67 today and who currently holds an eight-stroke lead in the Boys Division (13 and under). Although Uihlein is not eligible to win the overall championship title because the Boys competitors play off the white versus blue tees, he is en route to capturing his second straight age-division title. Uihlein posted one bogey and four birdies - three of them coming on the 11th, 12th and 12th holes - on the day and will be paired in the Final Round with Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC), who finished Day 2 at 14-over par 154.

The top Junior Division (ages 16-17) competitor is George Zolotas (Peabody, MA), who followed up his Day 1 even par 70 score with a 4-over par 74 performance today. His two-day score of 4-over par 144 is one stroke better than Garrett Wentzell (Tatnuck CC) and Philip Holden (Westwood, MA). Holden, the clubhouse leader after Round 1 and the only player to break par on Monday, made an 8 on the par-4 9th hole and was never able to recover as he finished the second round with a score of 6-over par 76.

The 30 lowest scorers and ties from the Junior Division, the 20 lowest scorers and ties from the Pre-Junior Division and the 10 lowest scorers and ties from the Boys Division will return to the Country Club of New Bedford on Wednesday morning to take part in a final 18 holes to determine the 2002 Champion.

Round 1 Highlights:

Fueled by a 1-under par 33 on the back nine, Philip Holden (Westwood, MA) broke out to a one-stroke lead over the field at the 84th Massachusetts Junior Championship, which is being held this week at the Country Club of New Bedford in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Holden carded two bogies and three birdies en route to his first round score of 1-under par 69. Following closely behind Holden in the Junior Division is George Zolotas (Peabody, MA) and Shawn Scott (Indian Ridge CC), who both finished the day at even par 70.

Pre-Junior Division:
Reigning champion Jon Curran (Framingham CC) made a strong bid to repeat this year after firing a 1-over par 71 to lead his division by one stroke. Two players - Mark Purrington (CC of New Bedford) and Matt Scytkowski (South Hadley, MA) - carded a 2-over par 78.

Although Ryan Dowd (Weston, MA) may not sit atop the Pre-Junior leaderboard, he delivered the shot of the day -- a hole-in-one on the 170-yard, par 3 7th hole. That shot helped him to a first round score of 12-over par 82.

Boys Division:
In the Boys Division, it was Peter Uihlein (Allendale CC) who finished on top by one stroke with a score of 9-over par 79. The defending Boys Division champion made birdie on the 3rd and 15th holes to give him the slight edge over the 13-and-under field.

The entire 120-player field will return to the Country Club of New Bedford tomorrow to take part in a second round of 18-hole stroke play. At the conclusion of Day 2, the 30 lowest scorers and ties from the Junior Division, the 20 lowest scorers and ties from the Pre-Junior Division and the 10 lowest scorers and ties from the Boys Division will return on Wednesday to compete in a final 18 holes of stroke play to determine the 2002 champions.