Maccario finishes strong, wins NCC

Given that only a few days earlier John Broderick had gone head-to-head to defeat Matt Parziale in the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship, there seemed to be a delightful storyline to Sunday’s final round of the Norfolk Country Classic.

Parziale, who had opened with a 64, was paired in the last group alongside Broderick, who had begun the NCC with a 65.

Different format, of course. At the Four-ball, Broderick had another 17-year-old, Weston Jones, as his partner, while Parziale was teamed with longtime friend Herbie Aikens.

Ah, but ripe and flavorful on paper doesn’t always develop that way and that was the case Sunday at Presidents GC in North Quincy because Nick Maccario stormed from five off the lead to win arguably one of the most popular amateur events for local competitors.

Maccario backed up his 68 with a 67 for 5-under 135, finishing one ahead of Parziale, who closed with 73, and Brandon Parker (68-68). Broderick, the 17-year-old who plays out of Dedham Country & Polo Club, fell into a share of fourth with a 73 – 137 and tied for fourth with Andrew DiRamio (67-70).

Team stuff is back in play

From partnerships at the Mass. Four-ball Championship to individual play at the Norfolk County Classic, it’s back to the team stuff for a handful of the notable local competitors. That’s because the U.S. Amateur Four-ball Championship gets underway May 22 at Chambers Bay, 40 miles south of Seattle.

Parziale and Aikens will be in the field, as will Maccario and Mike Calef. Kevin Gately of Pembroke has qualified and will play with Sam Jenkins, while a couple of local collegians will go right from the NCAA Regionals to Chambers – Michael Thorbjornsen of Wellesley will play alongside his Stanford teammate, Karl Vilips, and Davis Chatfield of Attleboro and Notre Dame will be paired with his teammate, Palmer Jackson.

The other local entrant will be Chris Owen of Westwood, who’ll be paired with his brother, Robert.

Molly Smith sweeps a pair

Not a bad couple of days for Molly Smith of Westford as she waltzed into the winner’s circle twice, once alongside her father, Phil Smith.

Molly and Phil worked together to shoot a 6-under 65 at Twin Hills CC in Longmeadow and squeezed out a one-stroke victory in the annual Mass Golf mixed Four-ball Championship, the Stone Cup.

Anina Ku (Granite Links) and Oliver Cordeiro (Belmont CC) shot 66 and tied for second with Tracy Martin (Vesper) and James Pleat (Granite Links).

A few days earlier, Molly was in Bloomfield, Conn., for one of the bigger tournaments on the Challenge Cup schedule – the Merchant Cup. At Winterbury Hills GC, Smith shot 69-72 and posted to a five-stroke victory over Isabel Brozena (69-79) of North Reading.

In the boys’ division, Ryan Downes (72-70) of Longmeadow defeated John Pagano of Worcester (71-71) in a playoff.

Qualifying updates

Reigning Mass. Open champion Mike Martel shot 3-under 69 at Crumpin-Fox to take medalist honors in a U.S. Open local qualifier Monday. Two other professionals, Matt Shubley of Canada and Jeff Curl of Alabama, posted 70 to also advance, while Will Lodge shot 72 and defeated Max Hutter in a playoff for the fourth and final spot . . . . . In a U.S. Open local qualifier at Weston Hills in Weston, Fla., former Mass. Open champion Michael Welch of Quincy shot 70 and missed a playoff by one.

Storming back to win

Billy Andrews of Portsmouth CC and Dan Wilkins of Laconia CC fell 3 down through four holes and figured if it was a fight, it would have been over. But because it was golf, Andrews and Wilkins stayed on their feet, settled down nicely, and by 12 holes had squared the match against Patrick Beahn of Blackstone National and Bob Bruso, a PGA member. Andrews’ birdie at the 16th hole proved to be the difference as he and Wilkins captured the NEPGA Pro-Pro Championship at Kirkbrae CC in Rhode Island . . . . . In the annual Hudson Cup, Nick Jagoe of Wanumetonomy GC in Middleton, R.I., shot 2-under 68 to record a three-stroke win at Marshfield CC.

Women get a NEPGA championship

When the 101st New England PGA Championship is held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Worcester CC, a new wrinkle will be in play for the female professionals. For the first time, the 36-hole NEPGA Women’s Section Championship will be played within the competition.

“The New England PGA is committed to creating additional playing opportunities for our female PGA Professionals,” said Mike Higgins, NEPGA executive director.

Women professionals will be able to compete in the Women’s Section Championship the first two days, just the three-day NEPGA Championship, or both events simultaneously.

It will be open to all Class A PGA Professionals in good standing within the New England Section.

The Hall calls

The Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame Class for 2021 has been made official and includes Norwood native Allen Doyle, who scripted a story of remarkable perseverance in the 1990s. A dynamic amateur, Doyle turned pro at 46, became the oldest PGA Tour rookie a year later, then built an impressive career on the PGA Tour Champions where he won 11 times, including U.S. Senior Opens in 2005 and 2006, plus two other majors.

The other inductees will be:

Duxbury native Tara Joy-Connelly, nine-time winner of the Mass Golf Anne Marie Tobin Women’s Player of the Year.

Richard Haskell, the late Executive Director of the Mass Golf Association who added six statewide amateur tournaments during his reign (1969-97) and was a preeminent historian.

Harry McCracken, who up until his death in 2019 at the age of 94 was still commandeering the New England Golf Association.

Jesse Guilford, the New Hampshire native who spent much of his life in Newton and whose superb career included wins in the U.S. Amateur (1921), Massachusetts Amateur (three times) and Massachusetts Open (twice).

Philip Young, picked from the innovator category, invented the process that created the original Titleist golf ball.