Around Berkshire County: News & Notes: July 22^nd:

Waubeeka’s Kathy Duguay and Berkshire Hills’ Diane Breen have led the Women’s Player of the Year standings all season. And judging by their regular partnership in local team events, we may have to wait until next month’s Allied Individual Championship to settle that tie.

The duo has teamed up on three occasions this year. They shared low honors with Marie Beron and Carole Nichols in the Allied Four-Ball at Taconic in June, won the Women’s Invitational at the Country Club of Pittsfield by 13 shots and finished 2^nd in the Sherwood Invitational on July 18^th. Duguay, the reigning Women’s Player of the Year, opted to play with Lili Geehr in the Elisabeth Redfield at Wyantenuck and didn’t qualify for the Championship Division.

Breen and Duguay have each earned 460 points. They hold a 127.5 point lead over Kelly Baumert and Carolyn Bersaw heading into the Allied Scramble at Greenock on July 26^th.

Wyantenuck’s Dick Coons earned a bit of redemption in the Allied Senior Championship at Wahconah on July 16^th. One year removed from a playoff loss to Mike Donlon at Waubeeka (Donlon’s home club), Coons shot an even par 71 for a two-stroke victory over Berkshire Hills’ Eliot Sheiman. He leads the Senior Player of the Year standings with 200 points.

Stockbridge member John Davidson, 2^nd to Coons in the senior standings, won the Berkshire County Senior Golf Association’s event at Berkshire Hills on July 17^th. Davidson shot 75 and edged fellow Stockbridge member Stu Benedict by one shot.

John Morawiec (Stockbridge), Elliot Putnam (Berkshire Hills) and Cullen Packard (Worthington) won the gross portions of the B, C and D Age Divisions, respectively. Morawiec shot a 69 from the white tees on the strength of four birdies against a lone bogey. It was the lowest score he’s ever shot since he took up the game 50 years ago. Although he played the white tees, it remains the lowest gross score recorded in any event on the Berkshire County Senior Association Series in the last two years.

Skyline Country Club hosted the Berkshire County Junior Allied Championship on July 16^th. The event also doubled as Massachusetts Junior qualifying. Despite what was at stake, only eight Berkshire County juniors entered. Taconic member Sam Garivaltis shot 91 and fell 12 shots short of qualifying for the Mass. Junior. Egremont’s Barrett Ramsay, who leads the Junior Player of the Year standings, shot 84 and defeated Berkshire Hills’ Shane Ortega in a playoff for the Junior Allied title. Wahconah’s Shaun Folan won the 13-under division with a score of 95.

“It doesn’t bode well if this is the future of golf,” said MGA Official and Stockbridge member Marty Salvadore, who has helped coordinate this event since 1992. “I can’t recall not seeing a Berkshire player [qualify for the Mass. Junior Amateur].”

Pittsfield’s Matt Donovan recorded his 2^nd runner-up finish of the season on the North American Pro Golf Tour on July 19^th. Donovan shot rounds of 71-67-70 and finished four shots behind Dustin Cone in the Crumpin-Fox Open. He earned $4,307.50 and is 6^th on the tour money list with $9,499.50 in three events. Lee’s Jim Salinetti is 37^th on the money list with $929 in two events.

The Berkshire Hills Invitational Singles and North Adams Invitational Match Play tournaments begin on Friday, July 26th.

New York resident Robby Bigley held off Stockbridge member and two-time champion Andy Congdon at Berkshire Hills last year. At North Adams, Jason Whitmire ousted defending champion Chris Baran in the match play final. (In 2005, Baran defeated Whitmire in the semifinals). All 16 match play qualifiers at North Adams receive Men’s Player of the Year points, with the winner receiving 190. The top 10 finishers in the championship division at Berkshire Hills receive points, with the winner receiving 220.