The Massachusetts Amateur Championship — the state’s premier amateur golf tournament — returns on Monday, and a trio of Cape Ann area natives will tee it up as part of the ever-competitive field.
Now in its 116th year, this year’s grind of an event will be held at Framingham Country Club, an elite, private golf course that’s built to challenge all levels of players who take it on.
Competitors will begin the tournament with two rounds of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday. The field will then be whittled down to the top 32 golfers for a one-vs.-one match play bracket, with the last player standing crowned champion.
The Rounds of 32 and 16 will be held on Wednesday, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday, and a winner-take-all, 36-hole finale on Friday. Following the stroke play rounds, surviving golfers can expect to play as many as 36 holes for three straight days, making it perhaps the most difficult amateur golf tournament to win.
From a local standpoint, Gloucester’s Mark Turner, who plays out of Bass Rocks Golf Club, has qualified once again and will tee off at 8:14 a.m. on Monday. Turner played his college golf at Dartmouth and held a Round 1 lead in last year’s Mass. Am., qualifying for match play before bowing out in the Round of 32.
Also punching his ticket for this year’s prestigious event was Gloucester High graduate Jack Delaney. Delaney shined on the links for the Fishermen and now plays college golf at Sacred Heart in Connecticut. After qualifying for the Mass. Am. at his home course (Bass Rocks), he’ll look to get off to a strong start when he begins play at 8:47 a.m. on Monday.
Rounding out the local competitors is fellow Gloucester native Evan Buddenhagen. The former Pingree School standout calls Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea — last year’s Mass. Am. host site — home, and is slated to tee off at 8:25 a.m. Monday morning.
A slew of other North Shore natives find themselves in the field, too, as well as 10 former Mass. Am. champions including last year’s winner Ryan Downes. At just 17 years old, Downes became the competition’s youngest ever winner when he outlasted Matthew Naumec in the championship bout.
The Massachusetts Amateur is open to any amateur golfers who have an active Mass Golf Membership and a Handicap Index not exceeding 3.6 at the time of registration. Golfers must have played and posted five rounds at any Mass Golf member club/course within 12 months of the entry close date.
Sports Editor Nick Giannino may be contacted at 978-675-2712 or ngiannino@northofboston.com.