Salem—All five Berkshire County players in the field at this week’s Massachusetts Open entered yesterday’s 2^nd round with at least an outside chance to make the 36-hole cut. But only Taconic Assistant Professional Josh Hillman advanced to today’s final round.

“I kind of feel left alone,” joked Hillman, who shot 72 and stands tied for 23^rd at 3-over par 143. “It’s a little bit of a letdown when the guys aren’t around.”

Following consecutive bogeys on Nos. 15, 16 and 17, Hillman faced a letdown of his own and suddenly hovered near the 5-over cut line.

“I’m thinking, ‘I’m bleeding here,’” he said. “I’ve got to get in [the club house].”

He laid all doubts to rest on No. 18, when his wedge approach led to a kick-in birdie. Hillman trails 36-hole leader and 5-time Mass. Open champion Geoff Sisk by 11 shots. Sisk’s 6-under 64 on day two included a front nine of 7-under 28.

Skyline’s Mike Slosek, who matched Hillman’s 71 on day one, shot 36 on his front nine yesterday and seemed poised to make the cut.

Then the wheels fell off.

A three-putt bogey on No. 10 and two missed putts from inside one-foot on Nos. 11 and 14 led to a back nine 43 and 9-over 150 total.

“I don’t have an answer for that,” Slosek said of his shaky short putting. “I’m trying to figure that out myself.”

Slosek, the current Men’s Player of the Year point leader, admittedly bookmarked this event as his out coming party on a state-wide stage.

“This is a tough one to take,” he said. “It didn’t go my way and I let it slide away.”

Lee’s Jim Salinetti could say the same thing. After a 72 in the first round, he made the turn in 2-under 33 and moved into 12^th place at the time. But like Slosek, he imploded coming home, shooting a 6-over 41 to miss the cut by a single shot.

“I went from playing absolutely flawless golf to absolutely terrible,” said Salinetti, a two-time Mass. Open runner-up.

Pittsfield's Matt Donovan also endured the same fate. Six-over beginning the day, Donovan shot 35 on his front nine and needed to shoot 1-under or better on his inward nine to make the cut.

Instead, he finished his round with two bogeys and a double to miss his first cut in the Mass. Open as a professional.

“This is the one that you get up for,” he said. “It’s your state tournament. You want to do well.”

Country Club of Pittsfield member Donnie Troy also began yesterday 6-over. But a 40 on the front nine guaranteed he would miss his third cut in four Mass. Open starts

“I felt this was a good golf course” said Troy, who shot 76-78 and made three birdies in both rounds combined. “My ball-striking was awful. And I didn’t make any putts.”

Troy will now prepare for the North & South Amateur, one of the foremost amateur tournaments in the world whose list of past champions includes Curtis Strange, Jack Nicklaus and Francis Ouimet.

Senior Golf

Worthington’s Doug Reed, the 2006 Berkshire County Senior Player of the Year, won the season-opening Berkshire County Senior Golf Association event at Stockbridge on Tuesday. Reed’s 5-over 76 won the gross division by two shots over Stockbridge’s Stu Benedict. Reed earned 125 points. The top ten overall gross finishers received points. Benedict (78), Bob Mills (85), and Isaac Crawford (91) won the B, C and D divisions. 

Women’s Golf

Defending champions Kathy Duguay (Waubeeka) and Diane Breen shot 74 yesterday and lead the championship division of Women’s Invitational at the Country Club of Pittsfield. Jan Vincent and Flo Liberatore trail by four shots heading into today’s final round.

Junior Golf

Monument Mountain’s Davis Mullany tied for 7^th in the New England High School Golf Championship at Bretwood Country Club in Keene, NH on Tuesday. Mullany, who qualified by virtue of his victories in the Western Mass. and state high school tournaments, shot a 1-over 73.