June 15—Make that Trio a Quintet.

 

One day after Chris Marinaro, Mike Slosek and Milton Torres punched their tickets to the Mass. Amateur, Andy Congdon (5th, 2005 Men’s POY)  and reigning Men’s POY Donnie Troy ensured their spots at Worcester Country Club the week of July 10.

 

Troy, making his 5th qualifying attempt, shot a 1-over 73 despite bogeys on four of his final five holes, and then survived a six-for-five playoff to secure his maiden visit to the state’s most prestigious amateur event. “I made it drama, but it happened,” said Troy, who was forced to make a 15-foot putt for par on the final hole to advance to the playoff.

 

“I just hit it,” Troy said of his final putt. “I was more mad I let it come to that. It was so nerve-wracking. When I found out it was a six-for-five playoff, I was fine.”

 

Congdon, meanwhile, continued to add to his legacy, shooting a 1-under 71 that featured a bogey-free 33 on the back nine. He has now qualified for the Mass. Amateur on 21 separate occasions, “give or take one or two,” an unsure Congdon joked.

 

After making the turn in 2-over, he dropped consecutive 12-foot birdies on nos. 10 and 11 before a wayward tee shot on no. 12. A 4 ½ minute search ensued before Congdon found his ball, wisely laid up and then got up and down for 78 yards. Had he not found that ball, Congdon very likely would have found himself in the same playoff as Troy, or worse.

 

“That made me feel like a million bucks,” he said of the par save at the 12th. “I was thirty seconds from going back to the tee.”

 

Congdon will now compete in his third Mass. Amateur at Worcester Country Club, the only venue in America to host the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup. He will likely try to forget his most recent experience there. In 2000, when Jim Salinetti captured his third Mass. Amateur title, Congdon was 4-under through 14 holes before a thunderstorm reduced 36-hole stroke play qualifying to one round. He shot 76 the next day and missed match play by a shot.

 

Despite a pair of quarterfinal runs and 14 match play appearances, Congdon openly prefers stroke play competitions.

 

“I typically don’t have the mindset for match play because I like to play the whole course, and my record proves that. You do have to rethink where you going and how you play your strokes.”

 

Congdon and Troy each earn 50 Men’s POY points. Mike Slosek (110 points), who qualified for both the Mass. Open and Mass. Amateur, tops the standings.

 

Notes:

 

  • Between Mass. Open and Amateur qualifying, Troy competed in the prestigious Hornblower Invitational, finishing 12th with rounds of 74-72.
  • Tim Tunstall and Andy Congdon were the only Berkshire players to advance to match play in last year’s Mass. Amateur. Tunstall Don Reycroft 2 & 1 in the first round before Amos Nissenbaum 3 & 2 in the round of 16. Congdon lost to Jack Kearney 3 & 2 in the first round.