Mekhala Costello (Mass Golf Photo)
As the sun broke through the early morning fog and painted Taconic Golf Club in brilliant hues, the 121st Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship entered Round 2 on Tuesday, revealing not just a brighter sky but also another opportunity to tackle the puzzle that the majestic mountain view masterpiece presents.
Round 1 leader Mekhala Costello (Blue Hill Country Club), of Canton, had her struggles at times but pulled off the most electrifying finish of the day. With the Williams College stadium in view, Costello’s arms sprung up in celebration like a touchdown celebration when her third shot from 90 yards into the par-5 18th green hit the middle of the green and spun back into the cup for an eagle to finish 2-under-par 69 for the second consecutive day.
“For as long as I remember, I don’t think I holed out,” said Costello, who earned stroke-play medalist for the first time, each day finishing one shot shy of the women’s course record (3-under 68). “I felt more pressure today to back it up. I was playing pretty consistently, and that was just a good way to finish.”
Westford sisters Morgan Smith and Molly Smith finished 2-over and 3-over total, respectively, to round out the top 3. Molly was on course record pace by shooting 5-under 30 on the front nine, and she will have top-10 seeding along with Morgan and fellow past champions Allison Paik (2020) and Shannon Johnson (2018).
Top-seeded Costello will lead off the parade of matches in the Round of 32 beginning at 8:00 Wednesday morning as she faces Hingham High School girls golf coach Samantha Leary (South Shore Country Club), who prevailed in a 3-for-1 playoff for the final spot in match play. The winners advance to the Round of 16 in the afternoon. Quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Thursday, and the 18-hole final match begins at 8:00 Friday morning.
A standout soccer player all her life, Costello is living in the moment. Soccer at Amherst College is on the horizon in the fall, but she said Tuesday she may be back on the links in the spring to compete in golf as well. In her time balancing multiple sports (also hockey), she has grown more comfortable playing in the Mass Women’s Amateur. In her debut three years ago at Plymouth, she played with a pair of Division I standouts – past champion Angela Garvin of Maryland and Virginia’s Rebecca Skoler, who won the title last year.
“I felt like I was just thrown in, but honestly, they were super nice to me,” Costello said of the 2021 experience. “That helped me each year. I can see what it takes to be at the top and then get more comfortable.”
In 2022, Costello took a step forward by earning the 4th seed, and then last year, she played her way into the second seed, making it to the quarterfinals before falling to Morgan Smith. On Tuesday, she answered both her bogeys with birdies. After a bogey on the par-4 4th, she tapped in from 3 feet for birdie on the par-3 5th, and after a bogey on the 15th, she countered with a birdie on the par-4 16th despite hitting it past the hole. After a clutch two-putt par on the 17th, Costello drove into the left edge of the fairway and laid up with a 4-iron to set up her finish.
“There’s something about this tournament that I love,” Costello said. “My chipping kind of saved me yesterday and today. I’ve just been enjoying it. I know scores are erased tomorrow, but it’s nice to feel what it’s like to be at the top.”
Once Molly Smith has a course figured out, all you have to do is stand back and watch. That seemed to be the case for half of Round 2. In her second-ever pass at Taconic, Smith lit up the front nine with a bogey-free 5-under 30, including three straight between holes 4-6. On just about every hole, she was hitting pitch wedge into the green, adjusting for whatever number it called for.
“I felt more prepared,” said Smith, the University of Central Florida standout and 2023 finalist. “There are a couple holes where I changed strategy with clubs off the tee and things like that. The more you play, the more you learn. Today, I felt more comfortable on most of the shots.”
While she was on record pace, the back nine spelled a bit more trouble as she made a bogey on the 10th and then hit the pin on the 12th, followed by a bad chip. While things were sliding on the back, Smith made a 15-footer for birdie on the 18th to finish the round on a high note.
“On the backside, I’m not exactly sure what happened, but it’s nice to end with a birdie because things were off track a little bit,” Smith said. “I made 11 birdies and had so many mistakes, so if I can clean up the mistakes and keep trying to learn a little bit more, I feel like my game is in a good spot.”
After stroke play concluded, Samantha Leary found herself in a 3-for-1 playoff with Mia Yohe (Pinehills Golf Club) and Camille DeStefano (Youth on Course/Mass Golf) for the final spot in match play. After all five made par on the par-5 1st, Leary broke the deadlock with a winning par putt on the par-3 17th.
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ABOUT THE
Massachusetts Women's Amateur
18-hole stroke play qualifier for 2 match play flights of
32 players. Must have a current established GHIN
handicap from a Massachusetts Golf Association
member club.
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