HARVARD, Mass. — Both first-round leaders in the New England Junior PGA Championship returned to Shaker Hills Country Club on Wednesday and finished what they started. Emma Abramson (Sandwich, Mass.) and Sean Magarian (Worcester, Mass.) each converted their 18-hole leads into championship titles.
Coming off an eagle on the 18th hole in the first round, Abramson stayed hot with a birdie on the opening hole of the final round. She played the next 10 holes five-over par, but birdied three of her final seven to shoot 2-over par 74, one stroke better than Tuesday’s first round, to cruise to a five-stroke win at 5-over par for the tournament. With rounds of 75-74, Abramson posted the Girls division low round of the day both days of the event.
Gianna Papa (Foster, R.I.), who entered the final round just one stroke behind Abramson, shot 78 on Wednesday to finish second at 10-over par. Vicenza Papa (Foster, R.I.) made the biggest jump up the leaderboard on Wednesday, shooting 3-over par 75 to climb from seventh place into a third place finish.
Magarian’s day was highlighted by an 18th-hole eagle which gave him the decisive margin of victory. After playing the first 13 holes of the final round in even par, with 11 pars, a birdie and a bogey, Magarian grinded his way to the title over the last five holes. He bogeyed the 14th, 16th and 17th holes before his eagle-3 on the Par-5 18th clinched the victory at even-par for the tournament with rounds of 71-73.
Max Hutter (Weston, Mass.) shot his second-consecutive 73 on Wednesday to finish alone in second at 2-over par. Jack Pepin (Plaistow, N.H.) shot 4-over par 76 wednesday to finish third. The round of the day belonged to Joseph Lenane (Dedham, Mass.) who shot 1-under par 71 with birdies on two Par-3s, and just one bogey for the day. Lenane improved by seven strokes from his first-round 78 to jump into a tie for fourth with Ethan Whitney (Westminster, Mass.) and Thomas Murdough (Lincoln, Mass.) at 5-over par.