News Release

For Immediate Release: August 9, 2004

Headline: Two Teams Share Lead Following Day 1 of Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship

Marshfield, MA – The teams of Richard Coville, Jr. (Hyannisport Club) and Mark Connolly (Winchester CC) and defending champions Jim Ruschioni (Oak Hill CC) and Paul Nunez, Jr. (Longmeadow CC) turned in first-round scores of 4-under par 66 on Monday to share a one-stroke lead over the field at the 2004 Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship, which is being held this week at Marshfield Country Club.

Coville and Connolly displayed perfect teamwork throughout their morning round. Coville paced the duo with two birdies on both the front and back nine, but Connolly came through at the right time by posting critical pars on the 425-yard, par 4 9th and the 374-yard, par 4 10th holes. As a result, the team finished with zero bogies on the day.

Meanwhile, Ruschioni and Nunez, who made three birdies apiece, were poised to gain sole possession of the lead as they stepped onto the 8th tee – the duo started the day on the 10th tee – at 5-under par. A bogey on the 425-yard, par 4 8th hole, however, dropped them back to 4-under for the day and they were thus forced to enter the final day in a dead heat with Coville and Connolly. This year marks the second year that Ruschioni and Nunez are eligible for this event as they turned 55 years old last year.

Nipping at the leaders’ heels are the teams of Bruce Allman (Segregansett CC) and James Irving (Segregansett CC), Joseph Giampa (Haverhill CC) and William McGovern (Haverhill CC) and Chuck Costello (Ferncroft CC) and James Kehoe (Ferncroft CC), who finished with a score of 2-under par 68. At one point, Giampa and McGovern appeared well on their way to a super low score. The pair started on the 10th tee and made the turn – following what is considered a more difficult back nine – at 4-under par 31. Unfortunately for the duo they could not keep up such a blistering pace as they made bogey their last two holes for a final score of 2-under par 68

The entire field will return to Marshfield CC on Tuesday for a second and final day of 18-hole Four Ball stroke play. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff will be used to determine the 2004 champions. The first-round leaders will be paired together and are scheduled to tee off at 1:40 p.m.