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A day at Greathorse

A day at Greathorse

+ News, Notes, and weekly favorites

Sean Melia
July 11, 2025

Hey Everyone,

I spent Thursday at GreatHorse watching the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Mass. Amateur. It would have been awesome to be there a couple of other days, but it’s a long drive! The quarterfinals and semifinals usually produce the best golf of the week, and I was fortunate to walk with Ryan Downes and Joey Lenane during their exceptional semifinal match. I’m still buzzing from it, to be honest. It was one of those matches no one should have to lose.

Because I spent time on the road, we’ll cut to the chase with some results and a quick recap from the day at GreatHorse.

I’m able to make trips like the one I made to GreatHorse this week because of premium subscribers to the newsletter.

They got some preview content last week and will get some extra coverage on the back end of the event, too. They also have early access to my course reviews along with bonus thoughts.

News and Notes

Pro Golf

🇫🇷 The LPGA is in France for the Evian Open—a major championship. Megan Khang shot 68 and Alexa Pano shot 82… Live scoring

🇨🇦 Chris Francoeur is off to a great start in the Bromont Open in Canada. He shot an opening round 63 and sits in 5th place. Coming into the week, he was 12th in the season-long points race. The top ten earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour. A big stretch of golf ahead for him. Live Scoring

🔨 Michael Thorbjornsen is T37 in the ISCO Championship after a first-round 69 (-1). Live Scoring

🌽 The Korn Ferry Tour is in Colorado for the Ascendant. Play was suspended in the first round.

Amateur Golf

🏌️ Ryan Downes and Patrick Kilcoyne will face off in the Mass Amateur Championship tomorrow. Winner gets a trophy and a trip to the Olympic Club for the 2025 U.S. Amateur.

Rich Rapp summed up the semifinals nicely. Read it here.
Head over to MassGolf’s Instagram for a live stream of the match starting at 7:30.

⛳️ The New Hampshire Amateur is also happening this week. Holy Cross’ Ryan Scollins (Wrentham, Mass.) is in the quarterfinals. He’s utilizing his Bald Peak GHIN to compete. Live Scoring

🏆️ Michael Walsh won the Vermont Amateur (results) and Eli Spaulding (results) won the Maine Amateur this week. Spaulding defended his title. The last New England state to crown a champion is Massachusetts.

🏆️ Maddie Smith won her second Mass Girls’ Junior Amateur in three years. She beat Kaitlyn Doe 2&1 in the final Live Scoring

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🏌️‍♀️ The third annual Worcester County Women’s Amateur starts on Friday, July 11. They’ll be at Tatnuck CC. Live Scoring.

Plugs

An Instant Classic

The one thing that kept running through my head as I drove home from GreatHorse was the legacy that Ryan Downes is building. He’s playing in his third Massachusetts Amateur Championship match in the last four years.

He’s not even 20 years old.

He lost to Conner Willett in 2022 but turned right around to win in 2023 at Essex CC as the youngest champion ever. Last year, he lost to Ethan Whitney in the quarterfinal.

That puts his match play record at 15-2 in the last four Massachusetts Amateurs. A win on Friday would make it 16-2.

He’s not even 20 years old.

Today, Joey Lenane won holes 5, 6, 7, and 9 and seemed ready to exact some revenge for a 2023 defeat at Essex CC. Downes was leaking a little bit of oil; his driver put him in trouble on holes 5 and 7, leading to three straight bogeys.

However, Downes shot a 31 on the back. Lenane, who didn’t make a bogey on the first 18 holes, shot a 34 and didn’t win a single hole, and instead found himself on the defensive, saving par on 15 and 16 to remain all square after Downes pulled even with a birdie on 14.

Lenane made par on 16 with a great chip shot

As Downes pumped his fists after landing some haymakers late in the round, Lenane, on the other hand, poured in clutch putts on holes 15, 17, and 18 like he was playing a practice round. He barely reacted to Downes making his putts and simply grabbed his ball and went to the next tee after making his putts.

Downes celebrates a birdie putt on 17

Styles make fights, they say. Downes and Lenane both took their chances to overpower the golf course. And both took their chances to intimidate their opponent with big putts, long drives, and deft wedges.

The duo combined for 10 birdies, seven on the back nine, and just four bogeys over the course of the 19-hole match.

It’s a match that will be remembered because both players displayed their incredible talent and grit; it’s quite clear they both have bright futures in the game.