Massachusetts Tri-State team
(MGA Photo)
BARRINGTON, RI (October 19, 2016) -- Entering the
final day of the 83rd Tri-State Matches, held this year at
Rhode Island Country Club, Team Massachusetts knew
it would need a full 12-member effort to continue their
recent success in the annual tournament.
Trailing by double-digit points after the first day of
play, the Bay State squad came out firing on day two to
capture a record 13th straight Tri-State Matches title
over the likes of foes Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The victory marked the 34th championship overall
for Team Massachusetts dating back to the
tournament’s inaugural year in 1928.
Competing in singles matches on Wednesday, the
team’s 12 members added 42½ points to their day-one
14-point score to finish the two-day tournament with
56½ points, ahead of Rhode Island’s 54½ points and
Connecticut’s 51.
“Thirteen straight Tri-State titles is impressive,”
said Jesse Menachem, the MGA's executive director.
“We had a lot of returning players, which is nice, but to
mix in some new faces onto the team, both seniors and
mid-amateurs, was special. I think that it shows the
quality and depth of play that we have, which enabled
us to rebound from a round-one deficit.”
Leading the charge for the Bay State during the
singles matches was 2016 New England Senior Amateur
runner-up Jack Kearney (Elmcrest CC) and newly-
elected Massachusetts Golf Hall of Famer member Frank
Vana, Jr. (Andover CC), who each tallied 5½ of a
possible six points in their respective matches.
Two-time Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year
Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) added five of his own
points as each member on the group recorded at least
one point in the winning effort.
After earning just 14 points during the first day of
competition, Team Massachusetts held the day-one
leader Rhode Island to only 30½ points in Wednesday’s
singles matches. Connecticut earned 35 points during
Wednesday's singles matches, but it proved not enough
to counter the 16 points they collected on Tuesday.
"It was a great feeling for us all to come out today,
perform well and have all teammates contribute to the
win," said Vana, who was competing in his 22nd Tri-
State Match. "We compete against each other all season
long, so it's fun to come out here as a team and
represent our state. It's a huge honor and means a lot
to each one of us."
In Wednesday’s singles matches, Vana and Kearney
each dominated their individual matches. Vana finished
with seven birdies and one bogey on the day to hold
Connecticut’s Brian Ahern to 3½ points. Rhode Island’s
representative in the match, Bobby Leopold, was unable
to garner any points.
Kearney, one of the team’s four senior-amateur
players, held Tom Brett (Connecticut) to only two points
and Dean Parziale (Rhode Island) to 1½ points. His 5½
points also tied Connecticut’s Dave Szewczul for the
most among senior amateur players.
Even with their success on Wednesday, the effort
would not have been sufficient without the top
performances from teams in Tuesday’s foursome
matches. The duo of Ryan Riley (Thorny Lea GC) and
John Kelly (Twins Hills CC)had accounted for a
maximum six points on Tuesday.
Their performance was crucial to the overall
success of the team as the points accumulated over the
two days were added to determine the event’s winner.
For each match, one point is available for the front
nine, back nine, and overall match. For round two, the
front nine and back nine will be considered the players
first nine holes and second nine holes.
Also scoring crucial points for Team Massachusetts
were Jordan Burke, Daniel Cappucci and Brian Secia,
who tallied four apiece. Keith Smith (3½), Alex Jeffers
(3), Ryan Riley (3), Chris Gentle (2½), John Kelly (1½)
and Kevin Carey (1) rounded out the scoring for
Massachusetts as they built on their own Tri-State
record for consecutive victories.
Wednesday’s final round of the Tri-State Matches
were the last competitive event of the season for each
of the three state golf associations. Next year’s event,
for which Massachusetts will look for their 14th straight
title, will be hosted by Team Connecticut.
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ABOUT THE
The history of the Tri-State Matches dates
back to 1907 when the team from
Massachusetts was victorious at the
Agawam Hunt Club in Providence, Rhode
Island.
Since that time, teams from
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and
Connecticut have come together each fall
to compete for the regional title. Individual
amateur golfers are selected each year by
the respective state golf associations.
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