Fitchburg, MA (September 28, 2007)—After a summer of grueling golf rounds, all-day travel, week-long hotel stays, beneficial pro-ams, and even some midnight putting at the Fox Inn, another NAPGT season has gone by.  But before everyone heads down to Florida to continue their development throughout the winter, a moment of reflection upon the past four months is due.

Of course, no article on this past season would be complete without a mention of the 2007 Player of the Year, Geoff Sisk.  Just take a quick glance at our website’s stats page, his name is all over it.   He had three first place finishes, winning the Atlantic, Crosswinds and Captains Opens, eight top ten finishes, and was the leading money winner, bringing in a little over $40,000.

“I think it was one of my better years for the fact that we had smaller fields, and that doesn’t always equate to better golf or finishing high,” said Sisk.  “A lot of our really strong players came back to play so it’s quite rewarding to play well, as I did this year, and get the job done and win some tournaments.”

One such of these standout players that made Sisk work for his results was Dustin Cone.  From Bennington, VT, Cone had nearly as impressive of a season as Sisk.  He had seven top five finishes, winning at Crumpin-Fox, and having two second place finishes and two fourth place finishes.  He was also the number two money leader, making almost $30,000.

This was only Cone’s second year playing as a professional, but his consistency on the course would make you think otherwise.  “I just had more of a comfortable feel this year,” he said.  “I think being down [in Florida last winter] and being able to play all year built my confidence and my game and I think that carried over.”

Matt Donovan, a tournament regular for seven years, also had one of his best season’s ever.  Not only was he the number three money leader, he also had some great finishes, including a win at Pinehills, which was his first NAPGT victory ever.

“Something about this tour in the past, I just couldn’t get over the hump, I don’t know what it was,” he said.  “But it seems like this year I kind of found a good rhythm and was able to ride it for the most part week after week.”

Donovan said that no different practicing or preparation was put into the win at Pinehills, it was just a matter of timing.  “I found something on the range like ten minutes before my practice round,” he said.  “Something clicked with my swing and my rhythm was good.”

Seven also seemed to be the lucky number for veteran player, Billy Downes. He grabbed a win at the Shaker Hills Open for his first trophy after seven seasons as well.

“It’s always important to win, just more so for feeling good about yourself,” said Downes.  “It was kinda different for me because I kinda cut back my playing schedule this year.”

There’s no doubt that everyone was happy for Donovan and Downes’ firsts. But this season was also full of other new experiences as well as some records.  In nearly half of the nine events played this summer, some sort of record was tied or broken.

Starting with the first tournament of the season, Mark DiGiacomo tied the course record at Atkinson, shooting an eight under, 64 in the second round.  At Blackstone, our second event, Kyle Gallo won with a bogie-free 19 under, 197, which was the lowest three-round score in tour history.  Dustin Cone established a course record at Atlantic after shooting a 66 in the first round, and two events later, Rob Oppenheim shot a 66 at Crosswinds, setting the course record there.

But perhaps the most thrilling first came at Atlantic when Anna Grzebien became the first woman to play on the NAPGT.  Although she never made a cut in the four events that she played, Grzebien showed that she was able to stand amongst the men and be seen as equal when she oftentimes bested some of the player’s scores.  At both Shaker Hills and Pinehills she shot a one under, 71in her second rounds, scoring lower that day than some of the guys who did make the cut.

I think everyone would agree that this NAPGT season was a good one, especially when it came to helping the players stay on their game, and preparing them for the next level.

“The good thing is we’re all pushing each other,” said Sisk.  “If you have a lead going into the final round, you wanna keep working on it, keep playing well, keep hitting good golf shots, keep making birdies, and try to win the golf tournament.  We have better players now so if you don’t play well in the final round, you’re not gonna win,” he said.

This level of competition is why Donovan comes back to the NAPGT year after year.

“It’s helped me mentally really.  It’s been a good learning ground,” he said.  “The courses are good, and playing against the competition has been the real key out there, you look at these names and we’re as good as anybody.”

The NAPGT congratulates everyone on a job well done this year.  We wish everybody luck this winter and wait enthusiastically for their return next season.

September 21, 2007 (Lakeville, MA)—Holding on to the lead he built all week, Jeff Curl won the LeBaron Hills Open, finishing at 14 under, 202.

Coming into the final round at 13 under, with a three shot lead over his closest competitor, he figured he needed to shoot in the 60’s today to have a comfortable win. But it was with a rocky 71 that he managed to still snag success.

After a great start, including a birdie on hole two, one of the day’s most difficult, Curl seemed to be on his way to victory. But a bad swing on the third hole sent him into a tailspin that left the trophy up for grabs.

“It was tough,” he said. “I went from one under to three over in like three holes. I knew when I was one under I had a pretty good lead on everybody, and all of a sudden, it all evaporated.”

There were many guys willing and able to take the top spot away from Curl, but none could quite get that edge, though some got close. Everything culminated right around the turn where there was a lot of action seen on the leaderboard. Eric Egloff had the lead for a fleeting moment before Curl eagled hole ten and never looked back.

“I kinda got control of the golf tournament again and played the way I felt like I should’ve from the beginning,” said Curl. “Eric [Egloff] and Rodney [Butcher] played great today…put a lot of heat on early. Luckily I just happened to play a little better at the end.”

After all was said and done, Rodney Butcher finished second with 11 under, 205, and Egloff and Kyle Gallo tied for third with ten under, 206. Having a better front side finishing at two under, it was on the back where Butcher struggled, failing to make putts and convert his birdies.

“Every time I made birdie, [Curl] was one better too. It was that space there…I could never get within two where he might notice me,” he said. “With three or four holes left I kinda had to fight for second place.”

Actually having one of the best rounds of the day, Gallo shot a four under, 68. He wasn’t as fixated on gaining the lead as he was with just playing his best.

“Knowing that Jeff’s playing well at 13 under par, you had to make [a lot] of birdies; had to make some eagles as well.”

Although he was playing steady, making par, he was missing putts which put him behind on the leaderboard. Gallo was happy to finish where he did though, able to pick up some money for tour school in October.

This being the last tournament of the season, not only did Curl get a trophy for his win here today, but Geoff Sisk received one for being NAPGT’s 2007 Player of the Year. Even though Sisk won this award last year as well, he was still as humble as ever accepting it.

“I knew this year was going to be more difficult than others, just due to the size of the fields, but still having the same top quality guys come back,” he said. I’m happy about it, extremely happy. Hopefully it leads to bigger and better things.”

The Final Round of the NAPGT Tour Championship at LeBaron Hills is underway in Lakeville, MA this morning with tee-times beginning at 7:30 AM.

Scores will be updated at the turn, keep tabs on the action with our leaderboard, or on your mobile phone with Mobile Scoring.

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September 20, 2007 (Lakeville, MA)—Day two at LeBaron Hills didn’t exactly turn out as most would have expected. Some of the low scorers yesterday marked at even or higher, while others that were six spots back on the leaderboard had great rounds today to catapult them to the top.

One golfer that did manage to keep his spot in the lead was Jeff Curl, shooting a 67 today to be at 13 under, 131 for the tournament. But even he was surprised at this result.

“[I played] a little sloppy today. When I got done I actually thought I was gonna be two back,” he said. “I figured [Geoff] Sisk or Eric [Egloff], being such good players….I figured it was out there for the taking today.”

Knowing that it was anybody’s game, Curl fought to keep his score low. “I shot three under on the front and I thought I was gonna shoot another really low round the way I was hitting it,” he said. “But I just struggled for about six holes. I just lost my swing for a little bit. I fought it and came back with two birdies to make my day a little bit better.”

Drew Mayhew is at second with a two-day total of ten under, 134. After yesterday’s fifth place 68 he went out there and shot a 66 today to place him in one of the top spots on the leaderboard, a place that he’s not used to being at.

“The person who’s probably the most surprised that I’m up there is me right now,” he said. “I’ve been playing bad as of late, missing cuts by a lot.”

But by practicing a swing technique he saw a PGA golfer use on TV, as well as by playing more conservatively, he has been able to play more comfortably, and as a result, up his game.

Also shooting a 66 today was Dustin Cone, who is in third with a nine under, 135. Cone, after tying for sixth yesterday, did not get discouraged with how many golfers were above him on the leaderboard.

“I knew that this course, you can go low here either way,” he said. “The greens are pretty good if you hit it in the right spot.”

Tied for fourth at eight under, 136 are Rodney Butcher and Eric Egloff. Egloff, who was tied for the lead yesterday, shot even par after his 64 yesterday. He was admittedly a little more uptight today, as opposed to the calm he felt yesterday. “You know that’s golf though,” he said. “Everyday is different.”

Tee times start tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. for the 26 who made the cut.

September 19, 2007 (Lakeville, MA)—Eric Egloff and Jeff Curl both shot an eight under, 64 tying for the lead after the first round of the LeBaron Hills Open.

Egloff, an NAPGT regular, has had a season of steady, but not spectacular playing; he has made every cut of the eight events he’s played thus far this year. But with his best finish tying for fourth at Crumpin-Fox, he has not been one of the top performers. That changed today.

“It was probably the most relaxed I’ve felt all year on the golf course,” he said. “I’ve had just a lot of stuff going on and I finally felt…like I was back to normal.”

Shooting a 33 on the front nine and 31 on the back, he made eight birdies in all, half of them on the last four holes to finish his round off strong. His bogie-free round was just a notch above his average, placing him finally in a coveted top spot.

“The game’s always been there, it’s just [now] the head got out of the way,” he said.

Curl, from Ellington, CT, is a Tarheel Tour regular. For his first NAPGT round this season, it was very comparable to Egloff’s, going 32-32, with seven birdies, one eagle and one bogie. For Curl, it was his great shots that gave him this score.

“I hit solid all day,” he said. “I kind of struggled a little bit on 10, 11, and 12; I had an easy shot for eagle or birdie on 10 and made par [instead]. I was a little disappointed.” Except for this little hiccup on the back side, Curl’s steady shots kept him going.

Always hovering at the top is Geoff Sisk, in third with a six under, 66, and Kyle Gallo is in fourth with five under, 67. So the leaders are cognizant of the fact that anything can happen in the next two days. On preparing for tomorrow Egloff said he will practice a little and think about how he felt during the round.

“Most importantly is to just remember how I felt, trying to stay relaxed for every shot,” he said. “Focused and relaxed.”

Round Two Pairings

September 18, 2007 (Lakeville, MA)—Teaming up again with LeBaron Hills Country Club and the TOUR of Greater Boston, the NAPGT hosted a Pro-Am today to benefit Driving 4 Life, a charity that supports research for Lou Gehrig’s disease. For the Pros, amateurs and charity alike, it was a success for all involved.

For several years the NAPGT has hosted a Pro-Am at this club, building a great relationship, as well as an event that the members look forward to.

“I’ve done this every year since they started. The first year I was a little reluctant to do it,” said Bob Mather, member at LeBaron Hills. “Figuring me with a 16 handicap, I don’t want to play with a pro. But it was great. I’ve actually developed several friendships.”

Mather golfs with NAPGT member Todd Westfall every year and also has him and other players stay at his house while they participate in the LeBaron Hills tournament.

Also making up some of the field of amateurs today were players from the TOUR of Greater Boston, a club of over 300 amateurs who play in 50 tournaments each season all over Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Having also teamed up with the NAPGT in the past, they too look forward to this event each year.

“Our guys have always liked the ability to play with a pro in a format like this,” said Mark Stinehour, one of the directors of the TOUR of Greater Boston. “Our lower handicap guys like to be able to tee it up with the pro and match their skills. Some of our higher handicap guys like to be able to see just how good and smooth these [pros] are.”

Aside from watching their skills, the amateurs just enjoy golfing with the pros. “They’re just nice people to play with and have a good day with,” said Stinehour.

And it was a great day. Twenty-eight groups joined the festivities for the fun, the competition and of course, the cause.

The tournament kicks off tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.

September 18, 2007 (Lakeville, MA)—Continuing his winning streak after his September 7 Captains Open victory, Geoff Sisk cinched the top spot at last week’s New England Open at Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club in New Durham, NH.

After an average first round of two under, 70, Sisk followed up with a nine under, 63 and seven under, 65 in the second and final rounds for a tournament total of 18 under, 198. He was eight strokes away from his nearest competitor.

“The first day…the wind was blowin’ pretty hard and was swirling quite a bit,” said Sisk. “I was just trying to hit some good solid golf shots.”

In the subsequent rounds Sisk found a rhythm that helped give his game that winner’s edge. “I was fortunate enough to make quite a few birdies and quite a few putts for the birdies and just keep it going,” he said, referring to his nine birdies the second round and six birdies the last round.

With this being the third year that Sisk has played the New England Open, he admits that playing at least eleven rounds of golf on the course helped him succeed this year.

“Part of playing good golf is getting yourself accustomed to a golf course. And playing it the number of times that I have, you just know where to hit it and where not to hit it,” he said. “Basically having that…course knowledge helps out a lot.”

Holding over a dozen of the top 20 spots other NAPGT golfers did well at Lake Winnipesaukee, including Eli Zackheim and Michael Harris who tied for second at ten under, 206 and John Elliott and Michael Welch who tied for fourth at nine under, 207.

The tour is in Lakeville, MA this week at the LeBaron Hills Golf Club for the tour championship, which starts Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Sisk’s thoughts on the possibility of winning three weeks in a row: “I can’t control what the other guys are doing,” he said. “I really have no expectations except for just going out, hitting some golf shots and seeing what I can do.”

Kicking off the event, there will be a shotgun pro-am at 8:30 a.m. on September 18, 2007. Proceeds will go to the charity Driving 4 Life, which benefits research for ALS.

Stacia Golem/NAPGT

* dates corrected from original post.

September 7, 2007 (Brewster, MA)—Geoff Sisk shot a very smart five under, 67 in the final round of the Captains Open to finish at a thirteen under, 203 for the tournament. He took home the trophy and his third win this season.

“I heard the weather was going to be a little windy today,” he said. So he decided to adjust his game plan accordingly, his plan was to stay within his abilities and play smartly.

“I missed a few shots when I shouldn’t have, but I made good putts to save pars, which is what it’s all about—the short game,” he said. His superior putting and good chipping helped him gain the lead at the eleventh hole and carry it though to the end.

Justin Goodhue and Michael Harris tied for second at eleven under, 205. Harris, last year’s Captains Open winner, made a run for it today surpassing over a dozen other players.

“That was kind of my goal coming in today: try and play as well as I could and just jump as many spots as I could,” he said. “I thought in eleventh place there were so many guys ahead of me that there was really no chance of winning, and there may be no chance at winning, but at least try and climb my way up the leaderboard.”

This approach worked fairly well for Harris. After shooting an amazing seven under, 29 on the front side, he was tied at one point for first with Sisk.

“I just caught fire out there. I started making a couple putts [and the] confidence got going,” he said. “When you’re putting it well you just kind of feel like you gotta get it somewhere in a reasonable distance and you’ve got a chance.”

But a more difficult back side and an unstoppable Sisk put an end to what could have been a record-breaking round. “It was tough to keep it going,” said Harris. “I think I kind of ran out of steam a little bit.”

Goodhue, one of yesterday’s leaders, was also having some trouble today. “The wind was tough, everything was tough out there,” he said.

But he kept it going all the way to hole eighteen, where he eagled to tie for second. “I was definitely aware of where I stood. I made a bogie on 17 and I knew I needed an eagle for the tie,” said Goodhue. “I hit the perfect shot and nailed the putt.”

This great last hole helped ease the pain a little on coming so close to the win. “It was bittersweet. I put in a good effort but came in short,” said Goodhue. “Geoff played unbelievable—five under today was some round.”

This is a fact that everyone can agree with, but the ever-humble Sisk put it in perspective. “It’s great to win ‘cause you never know when it’s your last. You keep working hard,” he said. “I’m gearing up for tour school and I want to keep winning, but I take here and now and stay in the present.”

Photo by Kasey Hine/NAPGT

Justin Goodhue tees off on the 5th hole at the Captains Starboard course this morning. The Final Round of the NAPGT Captains Open is underway in Brewster, MA this morning with tee-times beginning at 7:30 AM.

Scores will be updated at the turn, keep tabs on the action with our leaderboard, or on your mobile phone with Mobile Scoring.

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September 6, 2007 (Brewster, MA)—Day one’s two man tie for the lead between Justin Goodhue and Matt Torrance escalated into a three-way tie after the second round at Captains. Eli Zackheim joined the two at the top, all having a nine under, 135 for the tournament.

Both Torrance and Goodhue admitted that they did not play as well today, a fact that can be seen on the scorecard—each shot a two under, 70, five shots higher than yesterday’s 65’s.

Torrance said the wind was definitely a factor. “[The wind] was swirling all day so it was tough to get the distances right and hit it close,” he said.

But even with the not so optimal conditions, Torrance was still able to grind it out. “I didn’t give myself too many opportunities, but I took advantage on a couple opportunities that I got,” he said, referring to his four birdies.

Although he shares a spot at the top, Goodhue was not very excited about his play today either.
“I got off to a shaky start. I had a three-putt bogie on the first hole, [and] I felt a little shaky with the putter on the front nine,” he said. “I didn’t score very well compared to how I should have.”

Zackheim said that playing with Goodhue, one of yesterday’s leaders, helped improve his 68 yesterday to a five under, 67 today, and allowed him to jump six spots to tie for the lead.

“[Goodhue] went out there kind of on fire yesterday and it gave me something to chase today,” said Zackheim.

This tenacity on the course by Zackheim made Goodhue pick up his game, and the tête-à-tête continued till the last hole where Goodhue was in the lead by one.

“On 18 [Zackheim] knocked it in tight and I hit it to about ten or twelve feet for eagle,” said Goodhue. “I really wanted to make that one to top him by one but I ended up missing it and he made it.”

Zackheim’s eagle on the last hole allowed him to tie yesterday’s leaders in the clubhouse. This position is one he is thankful for.

“If anything, [Goodhue] probably deserves to be a couple shots better than what we’re both at right now, maybe I deserve to be a couple shots worse” said Zackheim. “But that’s not what the scorecards show.”

Today’s cut fell at par; tee times will start at 7:30 for the 27 players going on to final round.

Round Two of the NAPGT Captains Open starts this morning with tee-times beginning at 7:30 AM.

Scores will be updated at the turn, keep tabs on the action with our leaderboard, or on your mobile phone with Mobile Scoring.

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September 5, 2007 (Brewster, MA)—The first day of the Captain’s Open in Brewster, MA saw the largest field of this season with 71 players on the Starboard course. Tying for the lead at seven under, 65 were Matt Torrance and Justin Goodhue.

Torrance, making eight birdies, four on each side, was visibly elated as he sat in the scorer’s tent. He could not control his smile as he talked about his birdie-making putts and overall solid play.

Goodhue, who birdied his first two holes and finished with a birdie-making 50-60 footer on his last, was a little more reserved about his position.

“It’s obviously right where you want to be, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played,” he said.

Just a stroke behind, tied for third at six under, 66 are Geoff Sisk and Tele Wightman. Wightman also had a hot putter on the course today. “Three of the birdie putts I made were from 40-50 feet,” he said. “It was nice to see the ball go into the hole.”

Finishing second at last year’s Captains Open, Wightman said he feels a mojo out on this course. “It’s been a struggle this season so it’s good to have a good round in there and be in a tournament for once,” he said.

Sisk, a two-time tournament winner this season alone is ever present on the top of the leaderboard. He continues to show his consistency by keeping the ball in play and hitting solid golf shots.

“The scores are low….so you put yourself in position to play good golf tomorrow and see what happens on the final day,” he said.

Not far behind the top four, tied for fifth at five under, 67 are Nick Cook, who finished second in last weeks Pine Hills Open and Tim Hegarty. Play resumes tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.

Matthew Torrance

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September 4, 2007 (Brewster, MA)—Amidst beautiful blue skies and a steady Cape breeze 175 players filled the field at Captains Golf Course in Brewster, MA for another successful Pro-Am to benefit the Lower Cape Outreach Council.

“[The LCOC] supports the communities from Provincetown to Harwich…last year, for example, we gave out over $600,000 in food, clothing and financial assistance,” said Ellen Ehrhart, a volunteer for the charity. “[And] it all goes to our community, which is the best.”

After a shotgun start at 8 a.m., 35 groups of four amateurs and one pro each paced themselves around the Starboard course. But it was all enjoyment for the amateurs and pros alike.

“We played with Ben Day today and we had a wonderful time,” said amateur Frank Szedlak.

“It’s amazing that they can hit ‘em so far and how easy it is to play golf when their first drive is almost to the green.”

Aside from watching the professionals do what they do best, the day was also a time when the amateurs could get a little help with their game in a fun environment. “[Mark Alizzeo] gave us a lot of help—unsolicited help sometimes, which is wonderful,” said amateur Dick Holland. “He was a lot of fun to play with.”

But even with the fun and games it all came back to the worthy cause of raising money for the Lower Cape Outreach Council. Although the total amount raised today has not been calculated yet, Ehrhart is confident that they outdid last year’s amount of a little over $17,000.

The three-day tournament starts tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.

Pro-Am Results:
Low Pro: 67 Geoffrey Sisk and P.H. Horean
Low Gross: 61 Michael Welch, Jeffrey Driscoll, Eugene Dubis, George Boule, Bob Dubis

Low Net: 55 Craig Cochran, Darin Karras, Nate Denbow, Charlie Mandeville, Wayne Allen

The North American Pro Golf Tour in conjunction with Captains Golf Course in Brewster, MA will host a pro-am on September 4, 2007 at 8 a.m. Proceeds of this event will benefit the Lower Cape Outreach Council, a local cape charity that has provided food, clothing, and financial assistance to area residents for over 25 years.

For the past 14 years Captains Golf Course has hosted this pro-am for this cause. “[The LCOC] is a charity that influences a lot of people in our immediate area so we have very close ties with [them],” said Mark O’Brien, Director of Golf at Captains Golf Course.

The club and its members look forward to this event every year, not only because they get to help local families in need, but also because of the NAPGT. “This [event] is so special because our members enjoy it so much,” said O’Brien. “They get the opportunity to play with the pros. They’re not used to being able to play with players of that ability so that’s a highlight of the year for a lot of people.”

Previous year’s pro-ams at Captains have been successful, and O’Brien has high hopes for September 4 as well. “We pretty much filled the field in the past few years so we would hope to do that again,” he said. “We’d also like to raise in the $13-15,000 range for the charity.”

Because the NAPGT has teamed up with Captains Golf Course in the past hopefully these goals will be realized. “It’s been a great partnership for us,” said O’Brien. “They’re very professional in the way they run their tournaments and basically we just hand the course over to them and they do all the work.”

Spots for the pro-am are still available. Visit pro-am info page at www.naprogolftour.com for more information on how to sign up.

August 30, 2007 (Plymouth, MA)-After seven years of toil, one of the North American Pro Golf Tour’s most talented players to never win a tournament broke his habit this week at the Pine Hills Open Championship, turning in three stellar rounds of 67-67-68, for a fourteen under par winning total of 204.

Donovan’s enduring presence on tour has been one marked by close seconds and near triumph, finishing in second place twice this year alone. In June Donovan lost in a playoff to Andrew Svoboda at the Atkinson Open. In the tournaments since he has finished anywhere between the cusp of victory and the bottom of the cut.

During the presentation ceremony the Pittsfield pro kissed the crystal trophy, grinning nearly uncontrollably.

After two days of outstanding golf by many players, Donovan set himself apart today with a solid front nine. He made the turn at two under par, but said he struggled with his swing. The back nine reflected a searching insecurity: two birdies, two bogeys and an eagle.

“[I was] fightin’ the swing a little bit. It was a gut check,” he said.

Adding into the equation swirling winds that caused many players to balk at club selection, Donovan’s round was a culmination of an old fashioned grind and good breaks.

Hole sixteen brought a round-saving eagle, where he said his approach to the green was accidentally aggressive.

“I got a ridiculous break—it bounced over the bunker and found the green, to about twenty-five feet,” Donovan said.

Dan Walters, who marked his first year on the pro circuit this month, finished second at twelve under par. He said the combination of the course, conditions, and facilities at Pine Hills made it one of the best events in which he’d played. “They have great practice facilities, I spent both afternoons practicing. You can’t ask for much more than that. And the golf course is fantastic,” he said. “It’s just a really beautiful place.”

Finishing in third place two strokes behind at eleven under for the championship was Nick Cook, Donovan’s third round partner. “I’m a little heated,” Cook said, visibly upset. “Donny and I both played pretty solidly today, and it was close right down to the end. I hit a lot of good shots today but I just couldn’t catch up to him.”

Also making a serious run was Dustin Cone, who flew around the course with seven birdies. Cone said he was pleased with his play, except for a brief break in rhythm during the back nine when he went double bogey-bogey on holes fourteen and fifteen.

“I had it going out there, I know I did. I can’t complain,” Cone said.

Although competition was tighter than usual this week, there were extra congratulations for Donovan from his fellow players, who recognized a deserved win when they saw one.

With his characteristic smile, the 2007 Pine Hills Open Champion summed it all up in one word:

“Finally.”

August 29, 2007 (Plymouth, MA)-Matt Donovan broke away from the pack today, distinguishing himself by carding a pair of 67’s in the past two days. Standing at ten under par for the tournament going into the final round he is one shot ahead of his closest competitor.

Modesty was Donovan’s tune when asked if his ball striking and scoring could get any better. Solid swings and consistent putting have placed him in the lead, but the ascent was not without some turbulence; one bogey yesterday and another today left the Pittsfield pro cautious.

“I bogeyed my last hole from the fairway. I had a four iron in. [It was a] tough hole today- and [I] made a good bogey actually,” said Donovan. “Other than that, a couple of missed chances, but [I] made a couple of putts, so all in all it’s fair. I’m pleased.”

Conditions on the 7243 yard Nicklaus course could not have been better, said many players. Temperatures hovered around 80 with little moisture in the air as the steady breeze cooled the field of 71. Greens rolled at a true 11 on the stimp meter, giving many players confidence around the greens.

Holding second place all by his lonesome is Nick Cook, the 6′5″ Georgetown grad, who fired 67-68, 135 for the tournament.

Cook said his all-around play was not exceptional. “I actually didn’t make any long putts, but I hit four wedges inside six feet,” he said. Solid short putting led to four birdies on the back nine alone.

Some of the regular heavy hitters were absent from the top of the board this week. Goeffrey Sisk is tied for twelfth at two under, 142, just two strokes away from missing the cut, which fell this week at even par, 144. Dustin Cone’s second round 67 was not enough to make up for his solid, if not stellar, 72 even-par performance yesterday.

Both Jesse Smith and Dan Walters are tied for third place at eight under par, 136, for the tournament. Variety was the spice of Smith’s life today, when he shot 68 while making four birdies, two bogeys and one eagle. “I had a couple of sloppy bogeys out there,” said Smith. He capitalized on all of the par fives, making birdie or better on each.

Missing the cut was Anna Grzebien, the 22-year-old Duke female-phenomenon who has impressed many of her male colleagues so far this season. Although she won’t be playing tomorrow, she managed to card a one under, 71 today, besting a solid portion of the field. Grzebien made a splash this month when she took the Mass. Women’s Open by storm for a second year in a row, defending her title after her win last year as a college senior.

Tee times resume for the 27 players tomorrow at 7:30.

August 28, 2007 (PLYMOUTH, MA)—With cloudless blue skies, plenty of sunshine and a refreshing breeze, it was a perfect day for golf on the first day of the Pine Hills Open.

Owing to the weather and the great conditions on the Nicklaus course, many golfers had low scores; eighteen players chalked up sub-par rounds.

Nick Cook, Rodney Butcher and Matt Donovan are tied for the lead at five under, 67. All seem to feel that their score was a result of solid play on a great course.

“I think Jack Nicklaus designed courses test your visual lines but there’s usually more space than you think,” said Butcher, who had five birdies and no bogies. “You could hit it in the rough, but there’s some space between the edge of the rough and complete disaster,” something he said he luckily avoided, especially off the tee.

Donovan, of Pittsfield, MA, also had very steady play this first round, saying that “eliminating the bogies was key for the most part.” He made six birdies and only one bogie after finding a bunker on hole eight, his seventeenth. “It’s a forgiving course, but you still gotta have good shots on the green,” he said.

Tied for fourth place are Dan Walters and Jesse Smith at four under, 68. They both echoed the sentiments of the leaders, speculating on their results: solid play, great course.

Smith said he made all his putts that were within six feet, in addition to driving the ball well. “When you drive the ball well and putt well, especially on this course, you give yourself a lot of chances,” he said.

Similarly, Walters said he owes his score to birdies and a hot putter, but overall he was excited to play on this course again. “I made the putts,” he said. “But I was just trying to enjoy it. It’s a beautiful place.”

Tied for sixth at three under, 69 are Billy Downes, David Allen, Justin Goodhue and John Stoltz.

Since there are many low scores and it is still early in the tournament, the players are trying not to get too excited about their standings. “There’s a lot of golf left,” said Cook.

Round Two Pairings