Salem—Taconic Assistant Professional Josh Hillman closed with a 1-under 69 and tied for 11^th in the Mass. Open yesterday. His consolation prize: manning the leader board during Taconic’s member guest this weekend.

“I look forward to going back to work,” Hillman said with a smile.

Following a disappointing par on No. 1, a reachable par-5, Hillman missed a two-foot par putt on No. 2

“I was in a pretty bad frame of mind,” he said. “I said, ‘Oh boy. Here we go.’”

But he responded with birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 then made pars the rest of the way on the strength of a hot putter.

“It’s probably my best putting day I’ve had recently,” said Hillman, the low amateur in the 2000 Mass. Open at the Country Club of Pittsfield. “I’m pumped about finishing 11^th in our state tournament.”

His performance makes him exempt into next year’s Mass. Open at Stockbridge.

Former PGA TOUR player Geoff Sisk won by four shots to win his record-tying 6^th Mass. Open.

“To beat Geoff Sisk, it’s going to take a whole heck of a lot,” said Hillman. ‘He doesn’t belong here.”

Also yesterday, Waubeeka’s Kathy Duguay and Berkshire Hills’ Diane Breen continued their dominance in local women’s golf. One week after sharing top honors in the Allied 4-Ball, the duo won the Country Club of Pittsfield Women’s Invitational by 13 shots over Flo Liberatore and Jan Vincent. Duguay and Breen 36-hole total of 147 earned them 190 points. They share the lead in the Women’s Player of the Year standings, presented by the Scarafoni Financial Group.