July 8, 2025: Friday Newsletter

+ News, Notes, and weekly favorites

Author

Sean Melia
August 08, 2025

Hey Everyone,

It seems that August has decided to deliver some lovely, dry summer weather. This week I am competing in the Fallon Cup at Wollaston GC. It’s a member-guest that starts with an 18-hole gross best-ball qualifier. Then players are placed in flights of 16 teams for a net match play battle.

A wild format.

We shot a 74 and will probably be in the second flight, the PGA Tour Americas of the Fallon Cup, if you will.

Mass. Women’s Amateur Previews

I wrote two previews this week in the lead up to the Mass. Women’s Amateur at Concord CC.

⛳️ One preview covers the course, five holes of note, and some great viewing spots if you plan to attend. Most of that preview is for paid subscribers. Read it here.

🏌️‍♀️ The other preview focuses on the players in the field, and it’s free. I share bios on a handful of players in the event that should be worth keeping an eye on. Read it here.

Let’s get to some results and weekly favorites.

News and Notes

Pro Golf

🏌️‍♀️ Megan Khang finished T6 in the Women’s Open Championship last week. A result that earned her $302,000. Alexa Pano finished T33, which was one of her best results of the year.

🌽 The Korn Ferry Tour is in Omaha for the Pinnacle Bank Championship. Live scoring.

🇨🇦 Chris Francoeur shot a 66 (-4) in the BioSteel Championship in Ontario in the PGA Tour Americas. Live scoring

Amateur Golf

🏌️ I wrote two different previews for the Mass. Women’s Amateur. One is about the course and the other is

🏆️ Thomas Constantine won the Mass Junior Amateur at his home course - Franklin CC - over his Xaverian HS teammate, Chris Morrow. He won the final two holes to win 1-up. MassGolf has the full story.

🏆️ Sean Fitzpatrick won the MassGolf Public Links last week, and I completely forgot to mention it in last Friday’s newsletter. He hit every single green over two rounds at Cyprian Keys shooting 66-68 (-10) to win by seven shots. Once again, he had a birdie putt on every hole in the tournament. Results

🇺🇸 Morgan Smith, Rebecca Skoler and Allison Paik all competed in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes this week. Skoler and Paik both made match play, while Smith had a tough opening 78 but battled back with a 72 on the second day. Skoler shot 71-73 (E) and Paik shot 70-75 (+1). Paik earned her match play spot after surviving a 15-for-6 playoff. She made a birdie on the first playoff hole. Incredibly, the playoff went six total holes and took three hours. Paik lost on the 24th hole of her marathon match to Princeton standout Catherine Rao. Skoler bowed out to Kyra Ly 3&2. Results

🏌️‍♂️ Some mid-amateurs booked their spots in the U.S. Mid-Amateur next month at Troon North in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ben Spitz and Sam Russell qualified at The Orchards. So did New Hampshire stud James Pleat. MassGolf has a recap of the day.

Friend of the newsletter Conor O’Brien (we’ll claim him even though he grew up in Connecticut, he lives in Boston now…) also nabbed a spot with a 70 at The Apawamis Club in Rye, NY. He beat out Ben Mitchell in a 2-for-1 playoff with a birdie on the second playoff hole. He had to wait seven hours between carding his 70 and the first shot in the playoff. O’Brien played in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow and reached the Round of 32. He’ll have his brother-in-law Steve Bender on the bag in Arizona.

Steve Bender and Conor O’Brien

Plugs

A July Recap of the seven courses I played. 👇️ 

If you would like to support my work, you can upgrade your subscription.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

📖 I enjoying When the Going was Good about the height of the magazine industry.

I’m listening to…

💰️ This No Laying Up episode with Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter was excellent. Listen here.

🎼 Hulu has a Lollapalooza station, and I popped it on when Gracie Abrams was performing. I know nothing about her. I know she’s the daughter of J.J. Abrams. But she was pretty good!

I’m eating…

🥪 Johnny Pomodoro’s in Charlestown makes a mean meatbal sub.

🥩 Had some insanely good steak at Wollaston GC on Thursday night.

🥔 Nantucket Crisps might be my new favorite potato chip. We brought some bags back from vacation. Cool flavors like Polpis Pickle and Hummock Hot Honey.

I’m watching…

🏝️ Bachelor In Paradise has been mildly entertaining. They just added a cash prize for the first time ever and boy howdy the tune changed.

🏌️ Dipped back into the No Laying Up Scandanavia and Australia Tourist Sauce videos. Just really good stuff.

⛳️ The latest Fried Egg Course Profile about Olympic Club is excellent

Know someone who might enjoy this newsletter… send it along to them!

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