Some Mass. Women's Am thoughts

+ Results, News, Notes, and weekly favorites

Author

Sean Melia
August 15, 2025

Hey Everyone,

After playing a lot of golf over the weekend and last week (four rounds at Wollaston GC for the Fallon Cup), I spent Monday and Thursday at Concord CC watching the Mass. Women’s Amateur.

It was great watching players battle such an outstanding course. I stand by my theory that the Quarterfinal and semifinal day is the best one to attend either the men’s or women’s state amateurs. You can watch the match live on MassGolf IG.

I have a few observations from my two days out at Concord CC that I’ll share in after the News and Notes section.

News and Notes

Pro Golf

🏌️ Keegan Bradley is taking one for the Ryder Cup team. He shot 72 (+2) at Caves Valley in the BMW Championship. He’s been bad since winning the Travellers Championship in June and stoking the playing captain flames. Seems more likely he’ll have a headset and some golf cart keys and not his golf clubs with him at Bethpage Black. Live Scoring

🌽 Ricky Werenski had the best round among the three Bay Staters in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Boise Open. Live Scoring

🌊 Fletcher Babcock shot 5-under par and won the Rhode Island Open at Ledgemont CC in a three-way playoff against Will Frodigh and Brendan Valvano. A birdie on the first playoff hole sealed the deal for Babcock. Bay Stater Owen Quinn finished one shot out of the playoff, and newly minted professional Ethan Whitney finished T7 (-2). Results 

Amateur Golf

🇺🇸 Ryan Downes reached the Round of 64 in the US Amateur at The Olympic Club. He cracked his driver on the third hole of his second round and tumbled down the leaderboard. But he got a new driver the following morning for a 20-for-17 playoff. He made birdie on the first playoff hole. Only three players made birdie on that hole over the opening two days. Downes lost to Texas Longhorn, Christaan Maas, from South Africa. Live Scoring

New Englanders in the U.S. Amateur 👇️ 

🏌️‍♀️ Isabel Brozena and Shannon Johnson are currently facing off in the Mass. Women’s Amateur Championship Match. Championship Central

🇺🇸 John Lazor grabbed one of three U.S. Mid Amateur spots this week at North Kingstown GC in Rhode Island. Results

🏙️ MassGolf announced this week that the 2028 Mass. Amateur and 2028 Mass. Women’s Amateurs will be held inside the Boston City Limits. George Wright will host the men, and Franklin Park will host the women. This will mark the 120th Mass. Amateur and the 125th Women’s Amateur. Here’s the press release.

🏆️ Christian Emmerich won the North Shore Amateur at Far Corner GC in Boxford. He shot 68-75 (-1) to beat defending champion Shuvam Bhaumik by a shot. It was a nice summer on the golf course for Emmerich after completing his MBA at Boston College this spring.

🏌️‍♀️ Friend of the Bay State Golf, Maria Cianchette of Maine, booked her second straight berth into the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. It’s at Monterey Peninsula C.C., in Pebble Beach, California. Here’s my interview with Maria from this winter where we discuss her business, Sometimes Draws, and how she got into competitive golf.

Plugs

I did a course spotlight on Taconic GC, one of my favorite courses in the state.

Observations from Women’s Amateur Championship

💪 Standing on the par-5 first tee at Concord CC highlighted the explosion of distance in the women’s game over the last few years. Morgan Smith overpowered Taconic GC last year, and Isabel Brozena has done the same en route to the Championship Match this week. Brozena hit it 285 yards on Tuesday evening during a long drive competition, and in competition on Monday she hit one 300 yards to the edge of the fairway on the 18th hole.

Watching Brozena and Molly Smith duel in the semifinal was something else; they battled for supremacy off the tee, but they also hit some lovely wedges and saved par. Brozena made two of her birdies on par threes, too. Making a two on the ninth and 15th holes.

📈 The talent at the top end in Massachusetts is strong. College bags dotted the first tee this week (I do wish more of them were local colleges, though). Players are heading to various parts of the country to play their college golf, and with the addition of Pheobe Brinker, a Duke grad who is now working in Boston, the rising tide should lift all boats and inspire the younger players.

🏌️‍♀️ Ryley Regan, a 13-year-old from Granby, Mass., reached the Round of 32 this week. Super impressive performance and one that should boost her in the coming years as she continues to spread her competitive wings.

Any female golfer with a 10 handicap or better can sign up for the Mass. Women’s Amateur. There are no qualifiers, and they could have had more competitors sign up than the 79 they had in the field this year. Around 250 women in the state have a handicap that meets the expectations. There are pros and cons to this.

First, the pro is that young players can get a bunch of experience and rub elbows with the best players in the state.

But the downside is that it can generate a big spread in the scoring over the opening 36 holes of stroke play because the course needs to be set up to challenge the top players (who are getting longer). Three players shot under par in the stroke play portion, usually one player does that each year.

The hope would be that the spread shrinks over the years as the game grows and the junior players continue to compete and gain experience.

FYI, Oak Hill CC and The Kittansett Club are the hosts of the next two Mass. Women’s Amateurs.

🥴 The first five holes at Concord CC decided a lot of the matches late in the week. The four quarterfinal matches were won by the player who held the lead standing on the sixth tee box; as I listen to the live feed of the final while I polish up this newsletter, Brozena used her distance to grab a 2-up lead through three holes.

🎒 Tim Lenane, the father of Joey Lenane, is a golf sicko. He hoofed it with Shannon Johnson all week in some extreme heat. He did the same for Joey in the Mass. Amateur at GreatHorse, and he was also on the bag for Aidan O’Donovan at the Hornblower in May. In addition to carrying the bag, he was opening bottled water for officials and chatting with everyone. He has an incredible knack for remembering names and boosting spirits. Johnson gave him a lot of credit for her success this week.

Shannon Johnson and Tim Lenane

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When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

🤖 The Looming Social Crisis of AI Friends and Chatbot Therapists by Derek Thompson was a great, and jarring, read.

I’m listening to…

🎹 I popped Ben Rector on this week. Hadn’t listened to him before. He’s a little safe and corny, but a good summer listen.

🎙️Coldplay’s Rush of Blood to the Head got into the rotation this week.

I’m eating… (I can’t wait to have a kitchen again…)

🍚 Shy Bird fried rice was delicious this week. Also had their chicken nuggets.

🐔 Tatte’s chicken salad sandwich is an excellent lunch or dinner option.

I’m watching…

🏌️ The U.S. Amateur during primetime has been excellent viewing. The final rounds will be on Friday and Saturday, and the final match will be on Sunday. Highly recommended. These kids are playing for no prize money.

👇️This clip stopped me in my tracks.

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

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