News Release

For Immediate Release: June 17, 2008

Headline: Jim Renner, Shawn Warren Share Lead After Day 2 of State Open Championship

Stockbridge, MA – Inclement weather on Monday could not keep the 99 th Massachusetts Open Championship from continuing on at Stockbridge Golf Club. After play was suspended on Monday afternoon due to severe thunderstorms in Berkshire County, play resumed on Tuesday and both the first and second rounds of play were completed.

Following 36 holes, the 150-player field was reduced to the low 46 players. Those competitors have earned the right to continue on to Wednesday's third and final round and vie for the Massachusetts Open Championship title. This year's cut line fell at 7-over par 147.

Sitting in first place are a pair of young professionals – Jim Renner (Plainville, MA) and Shawn Warren (Falmouth, ME) – who posted two-day scores of 1-under 139. The two players registered identical scores of even par 70 on Monday and 1-under par 69 on Tuesday. Renner, the 2001 Massachusetts Amateur Runner Up whose 2008 highlight was competing in the PGA Tour's PODS Championship, finished with four birdies and three bogeys.

Warren, a former standout amateur player from Maine who now competes on the NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour, made two birdies and one bogey.

Posting the low score of the day and making the biggest jump up the leaderboard was John Curley (Cummaquid GC) with a tremendous score of 4-under par 66. After starting his round with two pars, Curley caught fire by making three birdies and three pars to make the turn at 4-under par 32. Seven pars, two birdies and one bogey later… Curley claimed low-round honors for the day. Curley is currently in a tie for fourth place overall.

In the battle for low amateur honors, Mike Calef (Brockton CC) improved his position with a 3-under par 67 this morning. Calef, a reinstated amateur who had to sit out the 2007 competitive season before regaining his status in November, currently sits in third place after his blemish-free, three-birdie performance.

The next best two-day score posted by an amateur came courtesy of Brian Higgins (Franklin CC), the 2008 Massachusetts Four-Ball Champion. Higgins followed up his Round 1 score of 1-under par 69 with a 3-over par 73. The Bellingham resident is having a strong year thus far as he finished second at the Hornblower Invitational and fourth at the Norfolk County Classic.

Results – including hole-by-hole scores for all competitors – are available online.