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For Immediate Release: September 26, 2007

Headline: Smith Scores Major Comeback to Win 2007 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship

Cohasset, MA – When a golfer plays 6-under par golf through 36 holes, it's tough to beat him. That is exactly what Philip Smith (Vesper CC) achieved this week to capture the 2007 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship.

The reinstated amateur stormed back from a first-round deficit of eight strokes to best seven-time and defending champion of this event Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) by one stroke. Smith finished with a three-round total of 2-under par 208.

The 2007 Norfolk County Classic winner was simply unstoppable the past two days as he registered nine birdies and four bogeys through his final 36 holes of competition. Heading into this event, Smith's best finish at an MGA event was in 2006 when he lost in the Round of 16 at the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. He also finished tied for ninth at this event one year ago. This season, he was playing stellar golf all summer long until he suffered a back injury which forced him out of the 2007 Massachusetts Amateur Championship and made his presence this week questionable. After that 3-over par 73 start on Monday, however, Smith looked as fresh and healthy as ever. This marks the greatest comeback in Massachusetts Mid-Amateur history.

It was on the front nine where Smith made his move as he posted four birdies and one bogey to make the turn at 3-under par 33. His first and only bogey on the front nine came on the 165-yard, par 3 2nd hole. Following that miscue he went on to make four birdies and six pars to pull ahead of Vana by one stroke. On that front nine, Vana struggled to keep pace with Smith as he made zero birdies and one bogey – on the 430-yard, par 4 3rd hole – through his first nine holes. That marked the first day of the tournament that Vana failed to make a birdie on the front nine.

It wasn't until the extremely challenging 210-yard, par 3 12th hole when Vana made his first birdie of the day to draw even with Smith. The stalemate lasted only a few minutes, however, as Smith drained yet another birdie putt on the 267-yard, par 4 13th hole to best a par by Vana. Smith all but sealed the victory when he made par and Vana made bogey on the 443-yard, par 4 14th hole. The door of opportunity did open momentarily when Smith made a bogey on the 357-yard, par 4 17th hole and Vana made a par to pull within one shot, but Vana was unable to capitalize as he made three straight pars to close out his round. Despite the second-place finish, Vana, who finished his round with one birdie and two bogeys, is poised to capture his ninth Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year award this season.

One player who also continued to improve with each round was Brian Higgins (Franklin CC). After posting a 4-over par 74 on Monday and a 2-over par 72 on Tuesday, Higgins fired a remarkable 3-under par 67 on the final day to finish in third place overall with a score of 3-over par 213. Signs of what was to come were clearly seen on Tuesday afternoon when Higgins registered a 2-under par 32 through his final nine holes. He continued where he left off on Wednesday morning as he made four birdies – two of which came on the 8th and 9th holes – and one bogey through his first 11 holes to jump to 3-over par for the tournament.

©2004 Massachusetts Golf Association.