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]

History

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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]

Winners

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Year Champion Venue Location
2023 Ryan Downes Essex County Club Manchester
2022 Conner Willett Concord Country Club Concord
2021 Michael Thorbjornsen Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
2020 Matthew Organisak The Kittansett Club Marion
2019 Steven DiLisio The Country Club Brookline
2018 Patrick Frodigh George Wright Golf Course Boston
2017 Matt Parziale Charles River Country Club Newton
2016 Brendan Hunter Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
2015 Nick McLaughlin Oak Hill Country Club Fitchburg
2014 John Kelly Kernwood Country Club Salem
2013 Mike Calef Longmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
2012 Mike Calef Tedesco Country Club Marblehead
2011 Ryan Riley Wyantenuck Country Club Great Barrington
2010 John Hadges Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
2009 Bill Drohen The Country Club Brookline
2008 John Hadges The Kittansett Club Marion
2007 Burgess Houston Concord Country Club Concord
2006 Ben Spitz Worcester Country Club Worcester
2005 Frank Vana, Jr. Essex County Club Manchester
2004 Frank Vana, Jr. Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
2003 Andy Drohen The Country Club Brookline
2002 Rob Oppenheim Winchester Country Club Winchester
2001 Brendan Hester The Orchards Golf Club South Hadley
2000 Jim Salinetti Worcester Country Club Worcester
1999 Jim Salinetti The Kittansett Club Marion
1998 James Driscoll Belmont Country Club Belmont
1997 Jim Salinetti Weston Golf Club Weston
1996 James Driscoll Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1995 Ed Fletcher Concord Country Club Concord
1994 Douglas Preston Charles River Country Club Newton
1993 Flynt Lincoln Essex County Club Manchester
1992 Trevor Gliwski Longmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1991 John Salamone Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1990 Ray Wright The Kittansett Club Marion
1989 Jim 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
1985 Steve Tasho Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1984 Jim McDermott Country Club of Pittsfield Pittsfield
1983 Jim Hallet Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1982 Jim Hallet Tedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1981 Steven Tasho Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1980 Jim McDermott Salem Country Club Peabody
1979 Ed Polchlopek Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1978 Dave Brilliant The Kittansett Club Marion
1977 Gary Burnett Weston Country Club Weston
1976 Bruce Douglass The Country Club Brookline
1975 Bruce Douglass Winchester Country Club Winchester
1974 Bill Mallon Pleasant Valley Country Club Sutton
1973 Bill Mallon Belmont Country Club Belmont
1972 Gary Burnett Longmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1971 Tracy Mehr Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1970 John Tosca, Jr. Essex County Club Manchester
1969 Peter Drooker[3] Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1968 Mike Ohanian Nashawtuc Country Club Concord
1967 Barrie Bruce The Country Club Brookline
1966 Warren Tibbetts Charles River Country Club Newton
1965 Ted Carangelo Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1964 William Foley Worcester Country Club Worcester
1963 Bruce Dobie Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1962 Joe Carr Salem Country Club Peabody
1961 Ted Bishop Oak Hill Country Club Fitchburg
1960 Pat Granese Tedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1959 John Tosca, Jr. Taconic Golf Club Williamstown
1958 William G. Harding The Kittansett Club Marion
1957 David Sullivan Longmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1956 Charles Volpone Belmont Country Club Belmont
1955 Ed Connell Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton
1954 Rupert Daniels Country Club of Pittsfield Pittsfield
1953 Ernie Doherty Salem Country Club Peabody
1952 Tom Mahan, Jr. Winchester Country Club Winchester
1951 Ed Martin Vesper Country Club Tyngsborough
1950 Dick Chapman Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1949 Robert W. Knowles, Jr. The Country Club Brookline
1948 Ed Martin Worcester Country Club Worcester
1947 John Chew Commonwealth Golf Course Newton
1946 Ted Bishop Charles River Country Club Newton
1942–45: Cancelled due to World War II
1941 Leo Martin Longmeadow Country Club Longmeadow
1940 Ted Bishop Salem Country Club Peabody
1939 Ted Adams Tedesco Golf Club Marblehead
1938 Fred Wright Essex County Club Manchester
1937 Dave Whiteside Winchester Country Club Winchester
1936 Clark Hodder Charles River Country Club Newton
1935 Edward S. Stimpson Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1934 William O. Blaney The Country Club Brookline
1933 Joseph P. Lynch Worcester Country Club Worcester
1932 Edward P. Kirouac Kernwood Country Club Salem
1931 Fred Wright Winchester Country Club Winchester
1930 Fred Wright Salem Country Club Peabody
1929 Fred Wright Belmont Spring Country Club Belmont
1928 Fred Wright Essex County Club Manchester
1927 Eddie Lowery Charles River Country Club Newton
1926 Fred Wright Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1925 Francis Ouimet The Country Club Brookline
1924 Jesse Guilford Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1923 Karl E. Mosser Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1922 Francis Ouimet Kernwood Country Club Salem
1921 Jesse Guilford Worcester Country Club Worcester
1920 Fred 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
1912 Heinie Schmidt Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1911 John G. Anderson Essex County Club Manchester
1910 H.W. Stucklen Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1909 Percival Gilbert Oakley Country Club Watertown
1908 T.R. Fuller Wollaston Golf Club Milton
1907 John G. Anderson Woodland Golf Club Auburndale
1906 Arthur G. Lockwood Brae Burn Country Club West Newton
1905 Arthur G. Lockwood The Country Club Brookline
1904 Andrew Carnegie II Essex County Club Manchester
1903 Arthur G. Lockwood Myopia Hunt Club South Hamilton

References

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  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.
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