News Release

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2006

Headline: Vana, Hadges Lead Way Following Round 1 of Massachusetts Amateur Championship

Worcester, MA – The quest for the 98th Massachusetts Amateur Championship title began today as 144 players made their way to Worcester Country Club. Following the first round of 18-hole stroke play, two-time defending champion Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) and John Hadges (Thorny Lea GC) lead the way after firing scores of 4-under par 66.

Vana and Hadges – along with the entire field – will return to Worcester Country Club on Tuesday to compete in a second round of stroke play. Following Tuesday's round, the starting field of 144 will be cut down to the low 32. Only those players will advance to the match play portion of the event, which begins on Wednesday with the round of 32 and the round of 16. The quarterfinal and semifinal matches will take place on Thursday, while the 36-hole final match will be contested on Friday.

On this day, however, Vana and Hadges were among a handful of players who posted sub-par rounds and put themselves in fine position heading into the final stages of the stroke play portion of this event. Vana, the seven-time Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year who is eyeing his third straight Massachusetts Amateur title, posted seven birdies – five of which came on the back nine – and three bogies on the day. Meanwhile, Hadges, who like Vana started the day on the 10th tee, tore up the front nine by making four birdies and no bogeys during that nine-hole stretch. Just one year ago, Vana defeated Hadges in the Round of 16 at this event.

One shot back of those two players is Bill Drohen (Bradford CC), who turned in a score of 3-under par 67. Drohen, who advanced to the semifinals of this event the last two years, was forced to miss last month's Massachusetts Open Championship due to work conflicts but is proving that his game is still strong. Drohen carded one eagle, three birdies and two bogeys en route to his 3-under par 67 performance.

Registering a score of 2-under par 68 was Jon Curran (Framingham CC), the three-time MGA Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year and current Vanderbilt University standout. This year marks the second time in his career that Curran has competed in the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. The last time Curran played in this event was back in 2001 when he was just 14 years old.

Massachusetts Amateur Championship Notes:
• Six past Massachusetts Amateur champions are competing in this year's event. Past champions include Vana – 2004, 2005; Andy Drohen (St. Anne CC) – 2003; Brendan Hester (Pleasant Valley CC) – 2001; Flynt Lincoln (Longmeadow CC) – 1993; Ray Wright (Framingham CC) – 1990; and Steven Tasho (Thorny Lea GC) – 1981, 1985.
• Call this year's event the championship of brothers. Four sets of brothers are competing in this year's Massachusetts Amateur Championship and they include: Christopher Quinn (Worcester CC) and Kevin Quinn (Charles River CC); Carter Fasick (Indian Meadows GC) and Jon Fasick (New England CC); Zack Ungvarsky (CC of Billerica) and Aaron Ungvarsky (CC of Billerica); and Andy Drohen (St. Anne CC) and Bill Drohen.
• More than 770 applications were received for this year's Massachusetts Amateur Championship, which is the most-subscribed event on the MGA Championship schedule.