The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship, better known as the Massachusetts Amateur, is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association (MGA) in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed event on the MGA calendar. Tournament entries are open to any amateur golfer who holds membership in an MGA member club and has an up-to-date MGA/USGA GHIN Handicap Index not exceeding 4.4. [1]
In 1903, the inaugural Massachusetts Amateur was held at the Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, Massachusetts. It was won by Arther Lockwood. Thirty-eight contestants entered from the 42 MGA member clubs. The most famous winner of the championship is six-time champion Francis Ouimet. Other notable winners include Jesse Guilford, Dick Chapman and Eddie Lowery. Fred Wright holds the record with seven titles.
Since 1992, six Massachusetts Amateur champions have turned professional: Trevor Gliwski, Flynt Lincoln, James Driscoll, Jim Salinetti, Rob Oppenheim, and Michael Thorbjornsen who plays full-time on the PGA Tour in 2025. The 2008 tournament marked the 100th playing of the Massachusetts Amateur. Today the tournament holds a field of 144 players from 400 golf facilities across the state. The championship starts with two days of stroke play. The low 32 scores continue on to match play competition.
In 2023, Molly Smith became the first woman to qualify for the tournament. [2]
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ryan Downes | Essex County Club | |||||
| 2022 | Conner Willett | Concord Country Club | |||||
| 2021 | Michael Thorbjornsen | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 2020 | Matthew Organisak | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 2019 | Steven DiLisio | The Country Club | |||||
| 2018 | Patrick Frodigh | George Wright Golf Course | |||||
| 2017 | Matt Parziale | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 2016 | Brendan Hunter | Taconic Golf Club | |||||
| 2015 | Nick McLaughlin | Oak Hill Country Club | |||||
| 2014 | John Kelly | Kernwood Country Club | |||||
| 2013 | Mike Calef (2) | Longmeadow Country Club | |||||
| 2012 | Mike Calef | Tedesco Country Club | |||||
| 2011 | Ryan Riley | Wyantenuck Country Club | |||||
| 2010 | John Hadges | Myopia Hunt Club | |||||
| 2009 | Bill Drohen | The Country Club | |||||
| 2008 | John Hadges | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 2007 | Burgess Houston | 1 up | Frank Vana, Jr. | Concord Country Club | [3] | ||
| 2006 | Ben Spitz | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 2005 | Frank Vana, Jr. (2) | Essex County Club | |||||
| 2004 | Frank Vana, Jr. | Taconic Golf Club | |||||
| 2003 | Andy Drohen | The Country Club | |||||
| 2002 | Rob Oppenheim | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 2001 | Brendan Hester | The Orchards Golf Club | |||||
| 2000 | Jim Salinetti (3) | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1999 | Jim Salinetti (2) | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 1998 | James Driscoll (2) | Belmont Country Club | |||||
| 1997 | Jim Salinetti | Weston Golf Club | |||||
| 1996 | James Driscoll | Myopia Hunt Club | |||||
| 1995 | Ed Fletcher | Concord Country Club | |||||
| 1994 | Douglas Preston | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 1993 | Flynt Lincoln | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1992 | Trevor Gliwski | Longmeadow Country Club | |||||
| 1991 | John Salamone | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1990 | Ray Wright | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 1989 | Jim McDermott (3) | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1988 | Kevin Johnson (2) | Thorny Lea Golf Club | |||||
| 1987 | Kevin Johnson | The Country Club | |||||
| 1986 | Fran Quinn | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 1985 | Steve Tasho (2) | Myopia Hunt Club | |||||
| 1984 | Jim McDermott (2) | 2 & 1 | Geoffrey Sisk | Country Club of Pittsfield | [4] | ||
| 1983 | Jim Hallet (2) | Woodland Golf Club | |||||
| 1982 | Jim Hallet | Tedesco Golf Club | |||||
| 1981 | Steven Tasho | Taconic Golf Club | |||||
| 1980 | Jim McDermott | Salem Country Club | |||||
| 1979 | Ed Polchlopek | Vesper Country Club | |||||
| 1978 | Dave Brilliant | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 1977 | Gary Burnett | Weston Country Club | |||||
| 1976 | Bruce Douglass (2) | 37th hole | Peter Teravainen | The Country Club | [5] | ||
| 1975 | Bruce Douglass | 2 & 1 | Bobby Caprera | Winchester Country Club | [6] | ||
| 1974 | Bill Mallon (2) | 4 and 3 | Fran Quinn, Sr. | Pleasant Valley Country Club | |||
| 1973 | Bill Mallon | 3 and 2 | Ron Micheals | Belmont Country Club | |||
| 1972 | Gary Burnett | Longmeadow Country Club | |||||
| 1971 | Tracy Mehr | Taconic Golf Club | |||||
| 1970 | John Tosca, Jr. | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1969 | Peter Drooker | 1 up | Allen Doyle | Brae Burn Country Club | [7] | ||
| 1968 | Mike Ohanian | Nashawtuc Country Club | |||||
| 1967 | Barrie Bruce | The Country Club | |||||
| 1966 | Warren Tibbetts | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 1965 | Ted Carangelo | Woodland Golf Club | |||||
| 1964 | William Foley | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1963 | Bruce Dobie | Vesper Country Club | |||||
| 1962 | Joe Carr | Salem Country Club | |||||
| 1961 | Ted Bishop (3) | Oak Hill Country Club | |||||
| 1960 | Pat Granese | Tedesco Golf Club | |||||
| 1959 | John Tosca, Jr. | Taconic Golf Club | |||||
| 1958 | William G. Harding | The Kittansett Club | |||||
| 1957 | David Sullivan | Longmeadow Country Club | |||||
| 1956 | Charles Volpone | Belmont Country Club | |||||
| 1955 | Ed Connell | Myopia Hunt Club | |||||
| 1954 | Rupert Daniels | Country Club of Pittsfield | |||||
| 1953 | Ernie Doherty | Salem Country Club | |||||
| 1952 | Tom Mahan, Jr. | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 1951 | Eddie Martin (2) | Vesper Country Club | |||||
| 1950 | Dick Chapman | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1949 | Bobby Knowles | The Country Club | |||||
| 1948 | Eddie Martin | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1947 | John Chew | Commonwealth Golf Course | |||||
| 1946 | Ted Bishop (2) | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 1942–45: Cancelled due to World War II | |||||||
| 1941 | Leo J. Martin | Longmeadow Country Club | |||||
| 1940 | Ted Bishop | Salem Country Club | |||||
| 1939 | Ted Adams | Tedesco Golf Club | |||||
| 1938 | Fred Wright, Jr. (7) | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1937 | Dave Whiteside | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 1936 | Clark Hodder | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 1935 | Edward Stimpson | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1934 | Bill Blaney | The Country Club | |||||
| 1933 | Joseph P. Lynch | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1932 | Edward P. Kirouac | Kernwood Country Club | |||||
| 1931 | Fred Wright, Jr. (6) | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 1930 | Fred Wright, Jr. (5) | Salem Country Club | |||||
| 1929 | Fred Wright, Jr. (4) | Belmont Spring Country Club | |||||
| 1928 | Fred Wright, Jr. (3) | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1927 | Eddie Lowery | Charles River Country Club | |||||
| 1926 | Fred Wright, Jr. (2) | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1925 | Francis Ouimet (6) | The Country Club | |||||
| 1924 | Jesse Guilford (3) | Woodland Golf Club | |||||
| 1923 | Karl E. Mosser | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1922 | Francis Ouimet (5) | Kernwood Country Club | |||||
| 1921 | Jesse Guilford (2) | Worcester Country Club | |||||
| 1920 | Fred Wright, Jr. | The Country Club | |||||
| 1919 | Francis Ouimet (4) | Winchester Country Club | |||||
| 1917–18: Cancelled due to World War I | |||||||
| 1916 | Jesse Guilford | Wollaston Golf Club | |||||
| 1915 | Francis Ouimet (3) | Woodland Golf Club | |||||
| 1914 | Francis Ouimet (2) | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1913 | Francis Ouimet | Wollaston Golf Club | |||||
| 1912 | Heinrich Schmidt | 1 up | Francis Ouimet | Brae Burn Country Club | [8] | ||
| 1911 | John G. Anderson (2) | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1910 | H.W. Stucklen | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1909 | Percival Gilbert | Oakley Country Club | |||||
| 1908 | T.R. Fuller | Wollaston Golf Club | |||||
| 1907 | John G. Anderson | Woodland Golf Club | |||||
| 1906 | Arthur G. Lockwood (3) | Brae Burn Country Club | |||||
| 1905 | Arthur G. Lockwood (2) | The Country Club | |||||
| 1904 | Andrew Carnegie II | Essex County Club | |||||
| 1903 | Arthur G. Lockwood | Myopia Hunt Club | |||||
Source: [9]