Fairlee, VT—The past five days have been pretty productive for Pittsfield’s Matt Donovan.

• Last Friday, he lost in a playoff on the North American Pro Golf Tour, his best finish on any tour in nearly two years.
• This Monday, he shot an 8-under 62 in the first round of the Vermont Open, his career low round in competition
• Yesterday, he posted his 2^nd consecutive 66 to finish regulation 16-under, shattering the Vermont Open’s previous 54-hole tournament record by four shots.

Yet for the second time in less than a week, he walked home without a win. That’s because local amateur Trevor Murphy followed Donovan’s 62 with a 61 of his own in the 2^nd round then hung tough down the stretch of yesterday’s find round to claim a one-stroke victory at Lake Morey Resort.

“If you told me at the beginning of the week that I was going to be 16-under, I’d have stayed in the clubhouse and watched everybody else play,” Donovan joked. “What more do you want?”

Despite the loss, Donovan did receive the $9,000 winning prize since Murphy couldn’t collect as an amateur. Combined with the $4,625 he earned last week, Donovan has earned more in his last two events than he did during all of last year. But he still hasn’t won.

“The wins will come if I keep playing this well,” said an upbeat Donovan, on his way to a practice round for next week’s Mass. Open. “Hopefully this will last all year, but you’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot.”

And hot he is. Donovan has played his last six rounds 26-under par combined, a stretch that includes no rounds over par and five scores of 68 or better.

Donovan attributes his torrid play to a putting lesson he took from an instructor in Sea Island. What was once admittedly a weakness has become a strength.

“People came up to me this week and said, ‘you look so comfortable over the ball,” Donovan said. ‘It looks like you’re going to make everything you look at.’”

Lee’s Jim Salinetti shot rounds of 71-72-71 and tied for 51^st.

The Women’s Player of the Year schedule got underway at Taconic on Wednesday. And reigning player of the year Kathy Duguay picked up right where she left off. Duguay (Waubeeka) teamed with Berkshire Hills member Diane Breen to shoot 75 and share low gross honors in the Allied 4-Ball with the team of Marie Beron (Greenock) and Carole Nichols (Wahconah). Sarah Luczynski (Taconic) and Kay Goldstein (Waubeeka) shot 61 to win the net division.

In local amateur golf, Skyline’s Milton Torres qualified for his 4^th consecutive Mass. Amateur on Tuesday, the longest active streak of any Berkshire golfer. Torres shot a 4-over 76 at Green Hill Municipal Golf Course and then survived a 6-for-3 playoff after chipping in on the first hole. Mike Slosek, also of Skyline, also qualified, shooting a 6-over 78 at Vesper Country Club on June 7^th. Both players earned 60 points in the Men’s player of the year standings, presented by the Scarafoni Financial Group.