Meet the Mass. Am Elite Eight

After three days of golf, the field in the Mass. Amateur has been trimmed from 144 players to 8. The range will be a little quieter on Thursday morning as these elite eight of talented golfers get loose in hopes of playing 72 more holes and lifting the Mass. Amateur Trophy on Friday afternoon.

Fans are welcome. Parking and attendance are free.

Here are the eight players still alive and what they did to get to this point.

Ryan Downes - Longmeadow, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 77/70 in stroke play. Beat Ben Balter 3&1. Beat Reese Jensen 3&1.

Downes might have played his worst golf of the week on Monday when he shot a 77. That would be a bad sign for everyone remaining at GreatHorse, the course where he has honed his game. His dad, Billy Downes, is the Head Pro at GreatHorse. Ryan Downes is the youngest winner in Mass. Amateur history, when he won in 2023 at age 17. Ryan Downes won the MIAA D1 championship in 2023 at GreatHorse. He has played a MassGolf championship on his home track already, but came up short in the Mass. Junior Amateur in 2023 when Carson Erick beat him in the semi-final. Downes tied the Vanderbilt program record with a 61 in the Mason Rudolph Championship. He had a scoring average of 71.70, and his best finish was a T5 at the Southwestern, one of three top-6 finishes. Downes competed in the Northeast Amateur in June and finished in T55.

Trevor Drew - Tyngsboro, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 69/73 in stroke play. Beat Ricky Stimets 3&2. Beat Jake Mrva 1-up.

Drew is another player returning home from a college year in the south. The Western Kentucky golfer played in nine events in his freshman year, and his best finish was 4th place at the 2025 Mesquite Desert Classic, firing a 7‑under total of 209 (67‑70‑72). Drew reached the quarterfinals in last year’s Mass. Amateur before losing to Ryan Downes.

Aidan Emmerich - Swampscott, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 73-73 in stroke play. Beat Carson Erick 3&2. Beat John Broderick 3&2.

Emmerich barely missed out on his second Hornblower championship this year. The rising senior at Temple is playing some excellent golf. He was the medalist in his U.S. Amateur Local Qualifying and finished as the second-lowest amateur in the Mass Open, notching a tenth-place finish.

Patrick Kilcoyne - Belmont, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 75-69 in stroke play. Beat Guy Antonacci 4&2. Beat Alan Rose 2&1.

Kilcoyne is a standout junior at Gettysburg College who was named Centennial Conference Golfer of the Week after firing a 66 and leading his team to victory at the Mary Hardin‑Baylor Invitational. He finished his 2022–23 season with a 74.9 scoring average over 22 rounds, including a win at the McDaniel Spring Invitational. A former Belmont High MVP and four-time league all-star, he’s continued to excel in regional events.

Joey Lenane - Dedham, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 68-72 in stroke play. Beat Danny Frodigh 2&1. Beat Zach Pelzar 5&4.

Lenane’s stock continues to rise. The 2023 New England Amateur and 2024 Mass Golf Public Links champion seems primed for another win. He made the cut in the Northeast Amateur and reached match play in the North South Championship at Pinehurst two weeks ago. During his junior year at NC State, Lenane was a consistent contributor, playing in 30 rounds with a 72.40 stroke average.

Jake Ratti - Hanover, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 75-74 in stroke play. Beat Matt Parziale 1-up. Beat Ray Dennehy 2-up.

Ratti earned low amateur honors in the Mass Open last month after rounds of 72-76-69 slotted him in T7. He is playing some solid golf on either side of the winter, as he won the 2024 Mid-Amateur last fall, stunning everyone at Cranberry Valley when he shot 64 in the final round, including playing the final five holes in five-under par. He holed out from a bunker for eagle on the 18th to put a cherry on top of his trophy. Ratti has already improved on his performance at Framingham last year. He reached the Round of 16 at Framingham CC before losing to Danny Frodigh.

Ben Spitz - Milton, Mass.

How he got here: 72-73 in stroke play. Beat A.J. Oleksak. Beat Max McGolgan 3&2.

Spitz is a veteran of the Massachusetts amateur golf scene and the 2006 Mass. Amateur champion. He continues to compete at a high level, reaching match play in last year’s championship at Framingham CC and advancing to the Round of 16. Spitz has qualified for multiple U.S. Mid-Amateurs and remains one of the most consistent mid-ams in the state.

Billy Walthouse - Longmeadow, Mass.

How he got here: Shot 76-71 in stroke play. Beat Sean Fitzpatrick 3&2. Beat Brad Valois 2&1.

Walthouse is an accomplished mid-amateur, with a decorated resume that includes a standout career at the University of Rhode Island and multiple appearances in the U.S. Amateur. He reached the semifinals of the 2017 Mass. Amateur and was low amateur at the Mass Open that same year. Walthouse has competed professionally on PGA Tour Canada and the Minor League Golf Tour. He’s played in four U.S. Amateur Championships and continues to contend in regional invitationals like the Hornblower and Ouimet.