News Release

For Immediate Release: May 8, 2007

Headline: Evan Harmeling, Colin Brennan Prevail at 27th Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship

Boylston, MA – Evan Harmeling (Andover CC) and Colin Brennan (Indian Ridge CC) celebrated their impending high school graduation in style this afternoon by capturing the 27th Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship. The youngsters prevailed by one stroke against a field of 200 two-man teams courtesy of a 10-under par 133 performance.

This year's championship – the first on the MGA's 2007 schedule – was held this week at Mount Pleasant Country Club in Boylston and Shaker Hills Golf Club in Harvard. With the victory, the 18-year-olds become the youngest team ever to win this event, which debuted in 1981. They take over that honor from the Alminas brothers, Steve and Peter, who won this event in 2005 and 2006.

On this day, there was no question that Harmeling and Brennan proved that youth has its advantages as they followed up a 5-under par 66 on Monday with a 5-under par 67 this afternoon. After starting on the 10th tee, Brennan jumpstarted his team by making birdie on the 385-yard, par 4 11th and 452-yard, par 5 14th holes. Harmeling tagged on a birdie on the 18th hole to make the turn at 3-under par 33. Through their final nine, Brennan registered birdies on the 1st and 8th holes and Harmeling added a birdie on the 7th hole and critical pars on the 3rd and 5th holes.

Harmeling is no stranger to MGA Championships as he captured the 2005 Massachusetts Junior Championship. This coming fall, Harmeling and Brennan will take their games to the collegiate level as they plan to attend Princeton University and Rollins College, respectively.

Just one stroke back of the leaders were the teams of Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) and Brendan Hester (Pleasant Valley CC), Philip Smith (Vesper CC) and Mike Bushnell (Mount Pleasant GC) and Brian Higgins (Franklin CC) and Brad Stewart (Franklin CC), who finished with final scores of 9-under par 134.

Vana and Hester, seasoned mid-amateur players who were competing in this event for the first time together, entered the final round one stroke back of the leaders following a first-round score of 7-under par 64. A one-birdie and 8-par front nine was followed by a topsy-turvy back nine that included three birdies and two bogies. Although Vana, the eight-time Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year and two-time champion of this event, made birdie on both par 5s and the 442-yard, par 4 15th holes, it was not enough as the two bogeys made the difference.

Meanwhile, Smith and Bushnell capped off their State Four-Ball experience with a 4-under par 68 on Tuesday. After posting nine straight pars on the front nine, Smith and Bushnell turned on the jets down the stretch to post three birdies, one eagle – on the 539-yard, par 5 12th hole – and one bogey for a back nine score of 4-under par 32.

Higgins and Stewart were the big movers during the second round as they posted a tournament-low score of 7-under par 65 at Mount Pleasant Country Club. That impressive round featured eight birdies and one bogey. First-round leaders Chris Anderson (Thorny Lea GC) and Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) finished in fifth place with a score of 7-under par 136. The duo had a chance at the title before a bogey, double-bogey finish sealed their fate.