New England Amateur is under way

For competitive golfers trying to move on from the anguish of just missing at U.S. Amateur qualifying, the perfect antidote arrived just in time: The 54-hole New England Amateur, which got under way Tuesday at Great River GC in Milford, Conn.

And it truly is wearing the look of a New England event – at least through 18 holes – because a Massachusetts golfer (Owen Quinn of Worcester CC) shares the lead at 6-under 66 with Bobby Leopold of Rhode Island (Wannamoisett CC) and Cody Paladino of Connecticut (CC of Farmington).

All three of the leaders were agonizingly shy of earning spots at recent qualifiers for the upcoming U.S. Amateur.

Another who experienced that same fate, Matt Parziale (first alternate in York, Maine, Monday) rebounded with a round of 2-under 70 to share eighth place, just four off the lead.

Xavier Marcoux of Concord, the 2019 New England Amateur champion, did nothing to hurt his chances for a second victory as he opened with 3-under 69 to share fourth place with three Connecticut golfers – Matt Camel, Austin Cilley, and Chris Ayers.

Broderick moves into match play

John Broderick of Wellesley turned things around beautifully to advance into match play at the United States Junior Amateur at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, N.C. Having made three bogeys against just one birdie for 2-over 74 on the Dogwood Course Monday, the senior-to-be at Belmont Hill, scored three birdies against just one bogey Tuesday for 2-under 69 on the Cardinal Course.

At level-par 143, Broderick finished joint 20th as 64 players finished 147 or better to move into Round 1 of match play.

Another New Englander, highly-rated Ben James (69-72 – 141) of Milford, Conn., finished in a share of 11th to easily advance.

Missing the cut were Weston Jones of Sudbury and Colin Spencer of Mashpee (152), Joseph Lenane of Dedham (153), Ethan Whitney of Westminster (157), Alex Landry of Andover and Aidan Emmerich of Swampscott (158), and Nolan Skaggs of Plymouth (163).

US Amateur qualifying

Liam Gill of Wayland, who has committed to play golf at Seattle University in the fall, was rock-solid with rounds of 69-67 Monday at The Ledges GC in York, Maine, breezing to medalist honors in a U.S. Amateur qualifier. Gill closed in bogey-free fashion, having made just one hiccup, a bogey at the par-3 11th in his opening round. The other spot went to University of Kansas golfer William Duquette (71-68 – 139), who hails from Canada.

At Wampanoag CC in West Hartford, Conn., Brookline’s James Imai, who plays at Northwestern, opened with a stellar 65, backed it up with 71, and shared medalist honors with Chris DeJohn (70-66).

The U.S. Amateur will be played Aug. 9-15 at Oakmont CC outside of Pittsburgh.

Go west, young men

Michael Thorbjornsen will see if he can carry over the brilliance of his Massachusetts Amateur performance into the upcoming Western Amateur, which will commence next Monday at Glen View Club outside of Chicago. The venerable tournament, being staged for the 119th time, will provide stellar competition for Thorbjornsen, who is 85th in the most recent World Amateur Golf Rankings. Seven of the world’s top-ranked amateurs are Americans and six of them will compete at the Western, including No. 2 and defending champ Pierceson Coody.

Other New Englanders beside Thorbjornsen who are in the field: Davis Chatfield of Attleboro; high schooler Ben James of Milford, Conn.; Cole Anderson of Camden, Maine; and Patrick Welch, of Providence.

Dai, Chang off to strong starts

Annie Dai posted 1-under 71 to sit one in front of Renna Chang after yesterday’s first round of the Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur at The Orchards in South Hadley. Grace Farland (74) sits third entering today’s final round . . . . . Christine and Anna Casagrande won the Mass Golf Mother-Daughter Div. 1 championship at Northampton GC. They shot 75 and prevailed by four. In Division 2, Tracy Welch of Winchester CC and daughter Amanda Adams shot 71 to win. Welch and daughter Victoria Adams (75) finished second.

Titles for Murdough, Fennessy

At the Golfweek Junior New England Open, Thomas Murdough of Lincoln shot 75-68-72 at Ledgemont CC in Seekonk to score a four-shot victory. At 2-over 215, Mudough outdistanced runner-up Chad Correia of Norton (219) and Sascha Robinson of Plymouth (222). Carys Fennessy of Dover, N.H., shot 75-74-74 to win the girls’ division by a whopping nine strokes. Catie Schernecker of Brookline was second, Grace Farland of Sturbridge third . . . . . Raymond Dennehy of Princeton shot 74-72-70-75 and finished T-9 in the 15-18 age division at the IMG Academy Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines in LaJolla, Calif. Ryan Hoffman of Newton shot 75-77-71 and was T-24 in the 13-14 division.

Triumphs for Leopold, Pleat

In a busy weekend of State Ams, familiar names won in both Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

In Rhode Island, Bobby Leopold cemented his stature as his state’s top amateur after winning his third State Amateur. The onetime Rollins College standout, who plays out of Wannamoisett CC, defeated Andrew O’Leary, 5-and-4, at Kirkbrae CC in Lincoln, R.I. O’Leary, who plays at Notre Dame, lives in Norfolk, Mass., but plays out of Pawtucket CC. Leopold previously won in 2009 and 2014.

In New Hampshire, James Pleat didn’t have to turn too far to see what sort of history he was getting close to by winning a second consecutive State Amateur. His father and caddie, Phil, is a three-time winner of the championship. James Pleat, who played golf at Dartmouth College, fought off Brandon Gillis, 5 and 4, to win at North Conway CC. Pleat’s grandfather, Thomas J. Leonard Jr., and New Hampshire State Golf Hall of Famer Bob Mielcarz are the only others to win back-to-back championships.

Welch competitive in Florida

Michael Welch, the North Quincy native and former winner of the Massachusetts Open, shot 69-71-69 to finish joint 17th in the Florida Open at Fiddlesticks CC in Fort Myers, Fla. Welch is a club pro now in Florida . . . . . Out in the Pacific Coast Amateur, recent Georgia Tech graduate Will Dickson opened with a solid 2-under 69 to sit three off the lead at Chambers Bay, just outside of Tacoma, Wash. Also at 69 was Dylan Menante of Carlsbad, Calif., the recent winner of the Northeast Amateur.