Women amateurs: Kuong notches another

In a wild summer that has seen her make the cut in senior competitions in Scotland and Alaska, Pam Kuong proved she is still a marvel when firmly entrenched in her native Massachusetts. Backing up an opening 75 with Tuesday’s 73 at Shaker Hills CC in Harvard, Kuong finished at 4-over 148 to win the Mass Golf Senior Women’s Amateur for a third straight time. (She won in 2019 and 2020; the tournament was not held in 2021.) Kuong, who plays out of Charles River CC in Newton, held off hard-charging Sue Curtin of Boston Golf Club and Cheryl Krueger of Orchards GC by three. With the tournament’s low round, a sparkling 69, Curtin finished at 151, tied with Krueger who closed with 75. Natalie Galligan (Pocasset GC) shot 78 – 154 to finish fourth.

Women professionals: Stricker advances

Certainly, the young woman who was T-7 at Stage 1 of LPGA Qualifying – Bobbi Stricker – had the most notable caddie (that would be her father, Steve, the PGA Tour legend), but at the head of the class was a competitor who carried her own bag, Italy’s Allesandra Fanali. “It was easy today,” she told reporters after closing with a 69 to reach 14-under and take medalist honors at Mission Hills CC in Rancho Mirage, Calif. But she agreed that having a caddie for Stage II in October will be the prudent move. The top three finishers – Fanali, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, and Valery Palata – are all amateurs and since they’re flying flags for Italy, Thailand and Colombia, respectively, it surely reinforces the notion that this game is richly global. Stricker, who played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, tied for low American on the leaderboard, her 10-under just four behind Fanali, a standout at Arizona State. It easily moves Stricker into Stage II.

Amateur men: Kittansett preps for big show

Golfers from 40 states will meander their way down cozy Point Road in Marion, Mass., to take on the challenge of the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at one of the world’s most glorious golf courses, The Kittansett Club. Competition will begin Saturday with the first of two stroke-play rounds, and after the inevitable playoff Monday morning to finalize the 64 qualifiers, the format will switch over to match play. Embarking upon this gem of a seaside course will be an elite field – 16 USGA champions, three former U.S. Amateur winners, and a three-time winner of this championship, Paul Stimson of North Carolina. Four Massachusetts golfers earned their way into the field – Tom Bagley, former president of Mass Golf; Roger Hoit, who plays out of Eastward Ho! in Chatham; Frank Vana, arguably the most polished New England amateur of his generation; and Mike Boden, a former club pro at The Hyannisport Club who lives in Sandwich.

Amateurs: An ace for Sheehy

Dick Quinn, the esteemed Associate Director of Communications/Director of Sports Information at Williams Colleges, brought to our attention a most noteworthy hole-in-one by Harry Sheehy. A legend in the Williams sports community (Class of ’75, he played basketball, then later coached the team before becoming AD first at Williams, then Dartmouth) Sheehy used a 9-iron to ace the par-3 ninth at Taconic Golf Club. It’s his second career ace, but Sheehy hasn’t seen either one. The first time (2006, in Nashville) he bent down to pick up his tee and didn’t see the ball go in, but this time was different. This time, Sheehy has a remarkable explanation for not following the shot – he suffered an eye stroke during heart surgery last September and is totally blind in his left eye and legally blind in his right. His spirit, however, remains undaunted. Great friends and the great game of golf have “shepherded Harry through these dark times, for which I’m eternally grateful,” said Sheehy’s wife, Connie.