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Eleey aims to defend Ouimet title; Umphrey, Vana also lead
Jacquelyn Eleey (Georgetown Athletics photo)
Jacquelyn Eleey (Georgetown Athletics photo)

CONCORD, Mass. (July 26, 2018) – It’s a position that she hasn’t been in since April, when she was finishing up her senior season leading the Georgetown Women’s Golf squad to a Big East title. She’s happy to be doing it again.

Quincy’s Jacquelyn Eleey fired a division best 2-under 68 Thursday in the second round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament and is the leader in the clubhouse for the women’s division as the tournament heads to its final day Friday at Woodland Golf Club.

Eleey started the day at T-3 on the leaderboard following her 2-over 74 performance Wednesday on the same Concord Country Club layout. She began her second round on the 10th tee.

Following a double bogey on her fourth hole, the par-4 13th hole, that had her sitting two-over through four holes, Eleey said she was able to make a change – a change that had a large impact for her remaining 14 holes.

“I don’t know really what kicked in. I had a really good approach shot on my sixth hole, number 14, and then had three birdies in a row,” said Eleey, who quickly went from over par to under par and never looked back for the rest of her round.

With her mom, Aileen, on the bag Thursday, Eleey made par on the ninth hole before making the turn, carding two birdies, a bogey and six pars on her final nine to finish her round at 2 under for the day, leaping ahead of day-one leader Hannah Ghelfi, who fell to T-2 on the leaderboard after finishing at 4-over 74.

“Today, I struck the ball really well and kind of saw the putts so I made some good 20 foot birdie putts and also hit it closer and made some more birdie putts,” said Eleey. “These greens were rolling super smooth, so if you just hit it on line, you had a good solid putt with good speed it’s going to go in. I just really saw the greens today.”

As the reigning Ouimet Memorial Tournament’s Women’s Division champion, Eleey, 23, seemed to be having all parts of her game working their best – always a good indication heading into the final round of any tournament. As the tournament shifts back to the same course where she won a year ago, she said that the idea of winning back-to-back titles would be a great experience – especially considering this is one of her final tournaments before she takes a stab at a professional career next month when she heads to Qualifying School in California.

CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION

Back in May, Tim Umphrey said that winning the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship was near the top of his many golf accomplishments. Fast forward to late July and the 21-year-old Umphrey has put himself in a perfect position to add to his growing resume.

Through two rounds of stroke play at Concord Country Club, Umphrey is the only competitor in the field to have posted two consecutive under-par rounds. His two-day score of 5-under par 135 places him atop the leaderboard. He will head to Woodland Golf Club on Friday with a two-stroke lead with just 18 holes remaining.

“I am hitting it good and am confident,” said Umphrey. “Woodland is a course where it is easy to go low at. To be at the top and not having to take it as deep is pretty good. I like Woodland too. It’s a good course and pretty similar to here. I have a good feeling.”

It was hard not to exude confidence following the past 48 hours where Umphrey has carded six birdies, three bogies and one eagle through 36 holes. He was even par through his first 17 holes before making eagle on Thursday afternoon on the 535-yard, par 5 18th hole to post a 2-under par 68.

He continued that stellar play the following morning and made three birdies and zero bogies through his first nine holes to make the turn at 3-under par 32. His first birdie of the day came on the 414-yard, par 4 14th hole where he sent his approach to seven feet.

After making birdie three holes later, Umphrey found himself in trouble in the fairway bunker on the 18th hole. Despite what appeared to be a difficult position, Umphrey muscled his shot out of the bunker to seven feet to set up his third birdie on that Concord CC back nine.

“I hit a few putts early today which was key,” said Umphrey, a rising junior at the University of Connecticut and a graduate of Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury. “I had a great par save – a 15 footer on the first hole. I had a few more on the front and turned at 3 under and played solid on the back.”

Umphrey would make four straight pars after making the turn and then carded bogey – his only miscue on the day – on the fifth hole. He responded well by hitting his second shot on the 387-yard, par 4 seventh hole to three feet.

When the deluge arrived in Concord, Umphrey was already through 17 holes.

“Luckily for us we only had one hole left,” said Umphrey, whose final hole of the day was the 146-yard, par 3 ninth hole. “It was a 9 iron so it wasn’t that bad, and then we had 20 minutes to warm up. It was a long wait, but it was alright.”

Playing alongside Umphrey the past two days was Matthew Organisak, who finds himself tied for second with day-one leader Jackson Lang and reigning champion Matt Parziale.

LOWERY DIVISION

It was a different day, but besides starting on opposite sides and a 2 hour and 39 minute rain delay between his 14th and 15th holes, the result was much of the same for Boxford’s Frank Vana, Jr., who finished his second round atop the Eddie Lowery Division leaderboard and is only 18-holes away from taking home his first senior division title – and sixth title overall – in the 51st playing of the tournament.

Exactly seven hours and 30 minutes after he originally teed off this morning, Vana, 55, finished his second round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament at 1-over 71, bringing his two-day total to 2-under 138 – which left him with a five-stroke margin of victory over Keith Smith, who skyrocketed up the leaderboard into second place with a 2-under 68.

“I played solid again today. I had two three putts again today and I missed a few in the eight-to-ten foot range for birdie, but it actually felt like I hit the ball better today,” said Vana, who shot a 3-under 67 yesterday. “I maybe did not putt as well. I made a few putts yesterday, but again, I had two three putts which can prove costly.”

Despite focusing on the pair of three-putts that came on his fourth hole – the par-4 13th hole – and his 15th hole – the par-3 6th – Vana made some key shots when he needed to, keeping him atop the field of 20 in the division and ensuring he leads the group of 12 who advance to tomorrow’s final round.



Results: Francis Ouimet Memorial
1MAJack LangLexington, MA30066-71-69=206
2MAMatt ParzialeBrockton, MA20070-67-70=207
T3MANick CummingsWeston, MA10070-70-70=210
T3MAMax FerrariFramingham, MA10070-68-72=210
T3MATim UmphreyNorthborough, MA10068-67-75=210

View full results for Francis Ouimet Memorial

ABOUT THE Francis Ouimet Memorial

This 54-hole stroke play tournament honors Francis Ouimet, considered America's First Golf Hero and one of the most important figures in the history of golf. His victory in the 1913 U.S. Open in a stunning playoff upset of Harry Vardon and Ted Ray is viewed as the turning point in American Golf. The event, first played in 1968, one year after Ouimet's death, is held at three top Boston-area courses, with the final round always taking place at the 6,721 yard Woodland Golf Club (Mr. Ouimet's home course). The most notable winner to date is Brad Faxon, who captured the 1980 event. There are three divisions: Men, Women, and Senior.

View Complete Tournament Information

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