Massachusetts State Amateur Championship

Last updated

The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship or Massachusetts Amateur or Massachusetts State 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]

Contents

History

The first event was held in 1903 at the Myopia Hunt Club and won by Arther Lockwood. Thirty-eight contestants entered from the 42 MGA member clubs. The most famous winner of the championship was six-time champion Francis Ouimet. Other notable winners include Jesse Guilford, Dick Chapman and Eddie Lowery. Fred Wright holds the record with seven titles (1920, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, and 1938).

Since 1992, five Massachusetts Amateur Champions have turned professional: Trevor Gliwski, Flynt Lincoln, James Driscoll, Jim Salinetti and Rob Oppenheim. 2008 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]

Champions

YearChampionVenueLocation
2023Ryan DownesEssex County Club Manchester
2022Conner WillettConcord Country Club Concord
2021 Michael Thorbjornsen Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
2020Matthew OrganisakThe Kittansett Club Marion
2019Steven DiLisio The Country Club Brookline
2018Patrick Frodigh George Wright Golf Course Boston
2017 Matt Parziale Charles River Country Club Newton
2016Brendan Hunter Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
2015Nick McLaughlinOak Hill Country Club Fitchburg
2014John KellyKernwood Country Club Salem
2013Mike CalefLongmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
2012Mike CalefTedesco Country Club Marblehead
2011Ryan RileyWyantenuck Country Club Great Barrington
2010John Hadges Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
2009Bill Drohen The Country Club Brookline
2008John HadgesThe Kittansett Club Marion
2007Burgess HoustonConcord Country Club Concord
2006Ben Spitz Worcester Country Club Worcester
2005Frank Vana, Jr.Essex County Club Manchester
2004Frank Vana, Jr. Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
2003Andy Drohen The Country Club Brookline
2002 Rob Oppenheim Winchester Country Club Winchester
2001Brendan HesterThe Orchards Golf Club South Hadley
2000Jim Salinetti Worcester Country Club Worcester
1999Jim SalinettiThe Kittansett Club Marion
1998 James Driscoll Belmont Country Club Belmont
1997Jim SalinettiWeston Golf Club Weston
1996 James Driscoll Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1995Ed FletcherConcord Country Club Concord
1994Douglas PrestonCharles River Country Club Newton
1993Flynt LincolnEssex County Club Manchester
1992Trevor GliwskiLongmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1991John Salamone Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1990Ray WrightThe Kittansett Club Marion
1989Jim McDermott Worcester Country Club Worcester
1988 Kevin Johnson Thorny Lea Golf Club Brockton
1987 Kevin Johnson The Country Club Brookline
1986 Fran Quinn Winchester Country Club Winchester
1985Steve Tasho Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1984Jim McDermottCountry Club of Pittsfield Pittsfield
1983 Jim Hallet Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1982 Jim Hallet Tedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1981Steven Tasho Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1980Jim McDermott Salem Country Club Peabody
1979Ed Polchlopek Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1978Dave BrilliantThe Kittansett Club Marion
1977Gary BurnettWeston Country Club Weston
1976Bruce Douglass The Country Club Brookline
1975Bruce DouglassWinchester Country Club Winchester
1974 Bill Mallon Pleasant Valley Country Club Sutton
1973 Bill Mallon Belmont Country Club Belmont
1972Gary BurnettLongmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1971Tracy Mehr Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1970John Tosca, Jr.Essex County Club Manchester
1969Peter Drooker [3] Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1968Mike OhanianNashawtuc Country Club Concord
1967Barrie Bruce The Country Club Brookline
1966Warren TibbettsCharles River Country Club Newton
1965Ted CarangeloWoodland Golf Club Auburndale
1964William Foley Worcester Country Club Worcester
1963Bruce Dobie Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1962Joe Carr Salem Country Club Peabody
1961 Ted Bishop Oak Hill Country Club Fitchburg
1960Pat GraneseTedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1959John Tosca, Jr. Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1958William G. HardingThe Kittansett Club Marion
1957David SullivanLongmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1956Charles VolponeBelmont Country Club Belmont
1955Ed Connell Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1954Rupert DanielsCountry Club of Pittsfield Pittsfield
1953Ernie Doherty Salem Country Club Peabody
1952Tom Mahan, Jr.Winchester Country Club Winchester
1951Ed Martin Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1950 Dick Chapman Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1949Robert W. Knowles, Jr. The Country Club Brookline
1948Ed Martin Worcester Country Club Worcester
1947John ChewCommonwealth Golf Course Newton
1946 Ted Bishop Charles River Country Club Newton
1942–45: Cancelled due to World War II
1941Leo MartinLongmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1940 Ted Bishop Salem Country Club Peabody
1939Ted AdamsTedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1938Fred WrightEssex County Club Manchester
1937Dave WhitesideWinchester Country Club Winchester
1936 Clark Hodder Charles River Country Club Newton
1935Edward S. Stimpson Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1934William O. Blaney The Country Club Brookline
1933Joseph P. Lynch Worcester Country Club Worcester
1932Edward P. KirouacKernwood Country Club Salem
1931Fred WrightWinchester Country Club Winchester
1930Fred Wright Salem Country Club Peabody
1929Fred WrightBelmont Spring Country Club Belmont
1928Fred WrightEssex County Club Manchester
1927 Eddie Lowery Charles River Country Club Newton
1926Fred Wright Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1925 Francis Ouimet The Country Club Brookline
1924 Jesse Guilford Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1923Karl E. Mosser Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1922 Francis Ouimet Kernwood Country Club Salem
1921 Jesse Guilford Worcester Country Club Worcester
1920Fred Wright The Country Club Brookline
1919 Francis Ouimet Winchester Country Club Winchester
1917–18: Cancelled due to World War I
1916 Jesse Guilford Wollaston Golf Club Milton
1915 Francis Ouimet Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1914 Francis Ouimet Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1913 Francis Ouimet Wollaston Golf Club Milton
1912Heinie Schmidt Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1911John G. AndersonEssex County Club Manchester
1910H.W. Stucklen Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1909Percival Gilbert Oakley Country Club Watertown
1908T.R. FullerWollaston Golf Club Milton
1907John G. AndersonWoodland Golf Club Auburndale
1906Arthur G. Lockwood Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1905Arthur G. Lockwood The Country Club Brookline
1904Andrew Carnegie IIEssex County Club Manchester
1903Arthur G. Lockwood Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masters Tournament</span> Golf tournament held in Augusta, Georgia, United States

The Masters Tournament is one of the four men's major golf championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the first major golf tournament of the year. Unlike the other major tournaments, the Masters is always held at the same location: Augusta National Golf Club, a private course in the city of Augusta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Open Championship</span> Golf tournament held in the UK

The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later the venue rotated between a select group of coastal links golf courses in the United Kingdom. It is organised by The R&A.

The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open national championship of golf in the United States. It is the third of the four men's major golf championships, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Since 1898 the competition has been 72 holes of stroke play, with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. It is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled so that, if there are no weather delays, the final round is played on the third Sunday. The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult, with a premium placed on accurate driving. As of 2024, the U.S. Open awards a $21.5 million purse, the largest of all four major championships.

The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four men's major golf championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Ouimet</span> American amateur golfer

Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American amateur golfer who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the U.S. Open in 1913 and was the first non-Briton elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's major golf championships</span> Four prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf

The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the major championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the most prestigious tournaments in golf. Historically, the national open and amateur championships of Great Britain and the United States were regarded as the majors. With the rise of professional golf in the middle of the twentieth century, the majors came to refer to the most prestigious professional tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Amateur</span> Annual golf tournament in the United States

The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August over a 7-day period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Amateur Championship</span> Amateur golf tournament

The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which has been held annually in the United Kingdom since 1885 except during the two World Wars, and in 1949 and 2019 when Ireland hosted the championship. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur. It normally has the widest international representation of any individual amateur event, with 38 golf federations from all six continents represented in the 2018 championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Doyle</span> American professional golfer

Allen Michael Doyle is an American professional golfer. Though a talented golfer, Doyle elected not to turn pro after graduating from Vermont's Norwich University. He moved to the south where he owned and operated a driving range in Georgia. In his free time he played in elite amateur events, winning the Georgia Amateur and Sunnehanna Amateur several times each. At the age of 46, Doyle turned professional and had extraordinary success as a pro, winning three events on the Nike Tour and 11 events on the Champions Tour, including the U.S. Senior Open twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawson Little</span> American professional golfer

William Lawson Little Jr. was an American professional golfer who also had a distinguished amateur career.

The Western Open was a professional golf tournament in the United States, for most of its history an event on the PGA Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Country Club</span> Country club in Boston, Massachusetts

The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the oldest golf-oriented country club in the United States. It holds an important place in golf history, as it is one of the five charter clubs that founded the United States Golf Association, and has hosted numerous USGA tournaments including the 1913 U.S. Open won by then-unknown Francis Ouimet. Although the club has 1300 members, it is known for its exclusivity.

The Massachusetts Open is the Massachusetts state open golf tournament. The brothers Donald Ross and Alex Ross had much success early in the tournament's history, winning the first eight events between them. In the mid-1910s, the Massachusetts Golf Association opened the event to golfers outside the state. The tournament evolved into an event of national significance as legendary golfers like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, and Byron Nelson won during the era. In the 1940s, the event evolved into more of a local affair though many of the top pros from Massachusetts played. In the late 20th and early 21st century, PGA Tour pros from the state like Paul Harney, Dana Quigley, and Geoffrey Sisk won the event several times times each.

The Metropolitan Open is a golf tournament organized by the Metropolitan Golf Association. In the early 20th century it was one of the top events in the country and was retroactively given PGA Tour-level status.

Frank Strafaci was an American amateur golfer, who competed against the top amateurs of his time. He is remembered as one of Brooklyn's top amateur golfers.

Vesper Country Club is a private club in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. The club derives from two late 19th century institutions, Vesper Boat Club and Lowell Country Club, which merged in 1894. The following year, members started creating a golf course originally consisting of six "links." In the late 1910s, the course commissioned Donald Ross to create a full 18-hole course. Though the course met with praise the ensuing decades were hard for Vesper. In the 1920s the clubhouse burnt down and in the 1930s a flood nearly destroyed the course. Since then, however, the club's history has been largely stable and the course has hosted several notable events, including the Massachusetts Open and Massachusetts Amateur several times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Rahm</span> Spanish professional golfer (born 1994)

Jon Rahm Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He was number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a then record 60 weeks and later became world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, first achieving that rank after winning the Memorial Tournament in July 2020. In June 2021, Rahm became the first Spanish golfer to win the U.S. Open. In 2023, he won the Masters Tournament, his second major championship. On 7 December 2023, Rahm announced that he was joining LIV Golf. In 2024, he was ranked the world's second highest-paid athlete by Forbes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Zhang</span> American professional golfer

Rose Zhang is an American professional golfer. She won the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur, and both the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Division I Championships, becoming the first woman to win the individual title twice. She competed in the 2019 U.S. Women's Open and was on the gold medal team at the 2019 Pan American Games. Less than two weeks after turning pro, she became the first player to win in her professional debut on the LPGA Tour since 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Young</span> American professional golfer

Cameron Young is an American professional golfer. He has twice finished in the top three in major championships and has several other runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour. He has also won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour. He was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2021–22 season.

Clark Hodder was an American athlete, coach, and administrator who won the Massachusetts State Amateur Championship in golf and played and coached hockey at Harvard College.

References

  1. MGA Amateur Championship page
  2. Melia, Sean (June 8, 2023). "How Molly Smith made history and qualified for the Massachusetts State Amateur". New England Golf Journal.
  3. "Cadets' Doyle Falters, Bows in Amateur Finals". The Burlington Free Press. July 14, 1969. p. 21. Retrieved June 21, 2024 via Newspapers.com.