Berkshire Hills Invitational Singles

Berkshire Hills Country Club

Championship Flight:

Notes:

• Scarafoni and Budz have been frequent partners in the Berkshire Hills Pewter Cup and Wahconah’s Little Brown Jug, which they won in 2005.

• Scarafoni credits part of his good play to a putting lesson he took from Country Club of Pittsfield Head Professional Brad Benson on Friday morning before play began.

Senior Division:

Note: The top three finishers receive Berkshire County Senior Player of the Year points

North Adams Country Club Invitational Singles Match Play

North Adams Country Club

Championship Flight:

Round of 16:

Quarterfinals:

Sunday’s Semi-final Matches:

Notes:

• Thru six holes of his quarterfinal match against savvy veteran Jim Crews, Chris Baran found himself 3-down before winning Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 11 to seize control.

• Baran will face defending champion Jason Whitmire in Saturday’s semi-final. Whitmire beat Baran, 1-up, in last year’s final. In 2005, Baran beat Whitmire, 1-up, in the semi-finals on his way to victory.

• Three of the four semi-finalists—Chris Baran, Kevin Lamb and Jason Whitmire—also advanced to the semi-finals in 2006.

• Kevin Lamb could become the first North Adams member since Steve Kawa in 1972 to win this event. Lamb had his chances to win last year. He took eventual winner Whitmire to extra holes in the semis. On the first playoff, Whitmire made a 15-foot putt and Lamb three-putted from 18-feet to halve the hole. Whitmire won the match with par one hole later. 

• “There’s not a member up here that won’t root for Kevin,” said North Adams Tournament co-chairman Pete Cowlin. “To have a member win up here, that would be very special for our membership.”

• Sunday’s semi-final matches begin at 8:30. The finals are expected to begin around 2 pm.

Game Story:

July 28 —Veterans replaced young guns atop the leader board at the Berkshire Hills Invitational Singles on day two. Taconic's Ed Budz, a winner in this event in 2005 and 1982, followed up his opening 69 with an even par 72. He holds a one-stroke lead over four others, including frequent four-ball partner and Country Club of Pittsfield member Matt Scarafoni, who shot 72 despite a four-putt double bogey on No. 2 and two disappointing pars on the par 5 10th and 18th holes after he hit 6-iron to both greens.

"I just need to scrap it around," said Scarafoni, playing in his 1st singles event of the year. "I'm not good enough to give up shots. I've got to focus."

First round leader Donnie Troy (67) stumbled to a 3-over 75 thanks in large part to a 2-over 39 on the easier back nine. Chris Marinaro slipped to 80 after an opening 68.

At the North Adams Invitational Singles Match Play, Waubeeka's Chris Baran (2005 champion) and Skyline's Jason Whitmire (2006 champion) advanced through round of 16 and quarterfinal matches and will resume their rivalry in the semi-finals tomorrow. North Adams' Kevin Lamb, a semi-finalist in 2006, returns this year and will face Tom Prokopowicz in the other semi-final. Lamb is looking to become the first North Adams winner since 1935.

Lee's Jim Salinetti and Pittsfield's Matt Donovan tied for 15th and 19th in the Greater Bangor Open on Saturday. Salinetti shot rounds of 66-71-72. Donovan, who won this event in 2004 and 2005, carded rounds of 70-72-70.