Adamonis leads Spitz by 1, others in pursuit

They are connected by golf in a variety of ways, much of it centered around Rhode Island. Today, Brad Adamonis and Ben Spitz will be united in a chase that has many pursuers but can produce just one winner.

Adamonis, who at 48 has played professionally for more than half his life – frequently in New England, but also on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour and many ports in between – posted a 2-under 68 Tuesday at Oak Hill CC in Fitchburg to seize a one-stroke lead over Spitz in the 111th Massachusetts Open.

Spitz, 37, eagled the par-5 seventh hole and posted the best score of the tournament, a 5-under 65, to secure himself a spot alongside Adamonis, a longtime acquaintance.

Adamonis is at 6-under 134 entering today’s final round, while Spitz is at 135.

It’s not like either can settle into a match-play frame of mind, however. That’s because after the misery of Monday when brutal rain caused havoc and only nine players broke par, Tuesday’s warmth and dry conditions produced 21 red scores and a jam-packed leaderboard was the result.

Max Theodorakis of Danbury, Conn., who shared the first-round lead at 66 with Adamonis, backed it up with a 70 and at 136 he’s in a tie for third with Rob Labritz of Pound Ridge, N.Y.

Matthew Conti, an amateur who plays out of Walpole CC, shot 68 – 137 and shares fifth with Shawn Warren (67), a longtime pro out of Maine.

Of the others also in pursuit, three-time champion Jason Thresher (67 – 139) is joint ninth, but five back, and Mike Martel, who won the Massachusetts Open when it was last held, in 2019, shot 71 – 140 and is tied for 12th.

The ties between Adamonis and Spitz are plentiful, most especially thanks to junior golf. As a kid, Spitz played a lot of Challenge Cup, the circuit that was the brainchild of Dave Adamonis Sr., Brad’s father, and is now under the direction of Dave Adamonis, Jr.

Rhode Island is where Adamonis grew up; the University of Rhode Island is where Spitz went to college.

There have been highlights for both – Adamonis have made it to the PGA Tour, thankfully during a time when his proud father could watch, while Spitz won the Massachusetts Amateur in 2006 and the Massachusetts Public Links Championship in 2017.

They could probably talk for hours about how golf has connected them, but today will be about focus, not nostalgia – and they’ll have a lot of others sharing that same mindset.

US Senior Women’s Open qualifier

Danielle Lee calmed things down early. Sue Curtin saved her best shot for late in the day. Different routes, but the same destination came their way yesterday – berths into the U.S. Senior Women’s Open (July 29 – August 1, Brooklawn CC in Fairfield, Conn.)

Lee, who plays out of The International in Bolton, earned medalist honors at the qualifier at Bass Rocks in Gloucester. She was 6-over through eight holes but played 1-under the rest of the way for 5-over 75. Her playing competitor, Curtin (Boston Golf Club), finished at 6-over, tied with Pam Johnson, an LPGA Tour Division member who teaches at Hatherly Country Club.

The drama in regulation was produced by Johnson, who birdied 18 to tie. But the playoff excitement belonged to Curtin, who said she hit her best shot of the day – and 8-iron to 4 feet – to birdie the second extra hole, the par-4 16th.

“It’s now hitting me that I’ve actually qualified,” said Curtin. “I know it’s a new event (the U.S. Senior Women’s Open debuted in 2018), but the women exempt are the women I grew up watching and idolizing. To compete against them is beyond thrilling.”

Match play march

Tara Joy-Connelly had an impressive week in winning the Women’s Southern Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship in Lake Worth, Fla. A Duxbury native who now lives in Vero Beach, Fla., Joy-Connelly defeated Kim Keyer-Scott, 1-up, in the finals at The Falls Club. Her run-up to the title included four wins, three of which didn’t go past the 15th hole. When things did remain tight, Joy-Connelly rose to the occasion, sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to edge Keyer-Scott.

Patterson, Clapp are Omaha-bound

Amateurs set the pace in a U.S. Senior Open qualifier at Thorny Lea GC in Brockton, with Jim Patterson of Southampton taking medalist honors at 2-under 68. Prevailing in a playoff at 1-under 69, Doug Clapp of Walpole grabbed the other spot, while John McNeil of Stow settled for first alternate. Another amateur, Brendan Hester, shot 70 and was awarded second alternate. The U.S. Senior Open will be held July 8-11 at Omaha CC in Nebraska.

Quinn tops packed leaderboard

Posting steady rounds of 68-70 to finish at 4-under, Owen Quinn of Holden earned a one-stroke victory in the Challenge Cup’s Players’ Invitational at New England CC. Mike Calef of Portsmouth, R.I. (72-67), Sean Magarian of Worcester (70-69) and Chris Francouer of Amesbury (68-71) were all at 139, tied for second.

Maintaining torrid pace

Caleb Manuel followed up his second-place finish in the Hornblower Memorial with a resounding victory in the Downeast Metro Am at Kebo Valley GC in Bangor. Having recently finished his freshman season for the UConn Huskies, the Topsham, Maine, native shot 66-63, good for 12-under and a 15-stroke win . . . . . Mark Brown, a fixture in professional tournaments in the Metropolitan New York area for years, shot 68-72-72 to finished joint 13th in the Long Island Championship at Fresh Meadow CC. A Milton native who honed his game while an assistant pro at Presidents GC in Quincy, Brown now works at Pine Hollow Country Club . . . . . Mia Grzywinski, a sophomore at Quinnipiac, made five birdies to shoot 30 on a sizzling final nine-hole stretch and win the Hartford Women’s Open at Goodwin and Keney Park GC. Grzywinski finished at 3-under after rounds of 71-66. Three Massachusetts women finished in the top 10 – Pam Kuong (73-74, sixth) of Wellesley Hills, and Angela Garvin (74-72, T-4) and Alia Godek (75-75, eighth) of Feeding Hills.

URI community rallies ‘round “Rosie”

He became arguably the face of golf media during a successful print and electronic career, but Tim Rosaforte always took pride in the fact that he was among great friends in New England. Thanks in large part to his New York roots and four glorious years at the University of Rhode Island.

Now, URI’s finest are stepping up to pay tribute to Rosaforte (Class of ’77), who was diagnosed a year ago with early-onet Alzheimer’s. “Rosie,” as he is belovingly called for all who know him, is 65.

To acknowledge Rosaforte and celebrate his notable career in golf journalism, URI is establishing the “Tim Rosaforte III ’77 Endowed Scholarship in Neuroscience.” URI neuroscience is involved in global efforts to understand the brain’s role in physical and mental health.

Friends, colleagues, and peers in the golf community, as well as URI alumni, are invited to contribute to this meaningful fund. Below is a link where you can donate:

https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1638/lg20/form.aspx?sid=1638&gid=3&pgid=770&cid=2270&dids=183&bledit=1