News Release

For Immediate Release: August 8, 2005

Headline: Three Teams Atop the Leaderboard at 9th Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship

Pittsfield, MA – There is a logjam atop the leaderboard following the first round of the 2005 Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship, which is being held this week at Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pittsfield. Three teams – including the two-time defending champions – currently sit in a tie for first place with scores of 6-under par 66.

The three teams leading the way – Jim Ruschioni (Oak Hill CC) and Paul Nunez, Jr. (Longmeadow CC), James Frick (Old Sandwich GC) and Dave Reed (Weston GC) and Tom Bergeron (Crumpin-Fox Club) and JackVarner (CC of Greenfield) – will return to Berkshire Hills Country Club on Tuesday along with the rest of the field to compete in a second and final round of play. Following Monday’s round, the field was repaired according to score with the lead groups scheduled to tee off on the 1st tee at 1:10 p.m. and 1:20 p.m.

It was no surprise that Ruschioni and Nunez, champions of this event in 2003 and 2004, are among the leaders following the first round as they delivered a performance this afternoon that included eight birdies and two bogeys. The duo started on the 1st tee and registered birdies on three of their first seven holes. Bogeys on the 171-yard, par 3 7th and 168-yard, par 3 13th holes did not derail the duo as they finished by making birdie on three of their final four holes. In the end, both players ended up with four birdies a piece.

Frick and Reed posted a similar round which included seven birdies and only one bogey. The duo, who started on the 10 th tee, were on fire from the beginning as they made birdie on the 521-yard, par 5 10th and 377-yard, par 4 12th hole. Two more birdies on that back side lifted the team to 4-under par 33 at the turn. Following a birdie and a bogy – the lone miscue came on the 174-yard, par 3 5th hole – Reed finished strong by registering birdies on the final two holes of the day.

Meanwhile, Bergeron and Varner, who unlike the other two lead groups teed off in the morning, carded zero bogeys and posted birdie on four of their first eight holes. Both players contributed on that front nine with two birdies a piece. On the back nine, Varner further added to the flawless round by making birdie on the 12th hole. Both players carded a birdie on the 457-yard, par 5 15th hole to finish out their 6-under par round.

Finishing the first round with scores of 5-under par 67 for a share of fourth place overall were David Bisnette (Westminster CC) and Dennis Colbert (Wachusett CC), David Oldershaw (The Orchards GC) and Richard Barber (The Orchards GC) and William House (Haverhill CC) and Gerry Banner (Haverhill CC).