News Release

For Immediate Release: July 20, 2005

Headline: Jim Renner Leads All Heading Into Final Day of New England Amateur Championship

Warwick, RI – After two rounds of stroke play over a period of two days, the 162-player field for the 76th playing of the New England Amateur Championship has been reduced to the low 46 scorers. The remaining players will return to Valley Country Club on Thursday for a final day of 36 holes of stroke play to determine the 2005 New England Amateur champion. This year’s cut line fell at 6-over par 148.

Heading into tomorrow’s final day of play, first-round co-leader Jim Renner (Foxborough CC - MA) continues to lead the field with a two-day total of 6-under par 136. Renner, a standout golfer at Johnson & Wales who last week advanced to the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, followed up his first-round score of 5-under par 66 with a 1-under par 70 performance this afternoon. On the day, Renner posted two bogies and two birdies. He finished today’s round with his second birdie of the day on the 549-yard, par 5 18th hole.

One stroke back of Renner at 5-under par 137 is last year’s runner-up Brett Stegmaier (New Haven CC - CT), who matched Renner’s score of 1-under par 70. Stegmaier made the turn at even par 36 and, following a bogey on the 219-yard, par 3 8th hole, rallied for two straight birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. Had it not been for a final bogey on the 467-yard, par 4 16th hole, he would have broken the 70 mark.

Sitting in a tie for third place at 4-under par 138 are Trevor Murphy (St. Johnsbury CC - VT) and Shane Rice (Valley CC - RI). Murphy, who equaled Renner’s 5-under par 66 score on Tuesday and who is coming off his victory earlier this month at the Vermont Amateur Championship, finished with a 1-over par 72 this afternoon. Murphy made the turn at 1-under par 35, but two consecutive bogeys on the 467-yard, par 4 16th and 181-yard, par 3 17th holes pushed him over par for the day. Meanwhile, Rice continued his solid play with a 1-under par 70 which featured three birdies and one double bogey. That costly double bogey came on the 211-yard, par 3 12th hole – the second longest par 3 on the course.

Nipping at the leaders’ heels is 2003 Massachusetts Amateur Champion Andy Drohen (St. Anne CC - MA), who followed up his first-round score of 3-under par 68 with a solid even par 71. Drohen posted four birdies and four bogeys on the day. Another mover and shaker up the leaderboard was Bill Drohen (Bradford CC - MA), who fired a day low score of 3-under par 68 this afternoon. Drohen made the turn at 2-under par 34 and then posted two birdies and one bogey on his back nine. Drohen capped off his round with a birdie on the 18th hole.

Other notables who made the cut this year are two-time defending champion Michael Welch (Furnace Brook GC - MA), 2005 Massachusetts Amateur Champion Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC - MA) and three-time Rhode Island Amateur Champion George Pirie (Valley CC - RI).