CHATHAM, Mass. – The 102nd New England PGA Section Championship final round was held at Eastward Ho!, an incredible links style course formatted to accentuate the Pleasant Bay of Chatham, Massachusetts. The par-71 course tips out at just 6,437 yards, but packs quite the punch, and features four par-3s and three par-5s. The course was developed by William Herbert Fowler and opened for play on July 3, 1922. Keither Foster renovated the course in 2004 to elevate its original features after a number of years of wear. Eastward Ho! celebrated its centennial year by hosting the thrilling 102nd NEPGA Section Championship.
Liam Friedman (Wollaston Golf Club) came out on top as the Champion of the 102nd NEPGA Section Championship at Eastward Ho! on Thursday, September 8th. Liam shot a three-over 74 in the third round to complete the Championship three-over with a score of 217. Liam collected four birdies in his final round. Starting off strong, Liam racked up his first birdie on hole 1, a par-4. Additionally, Liam made birdie on hole 5, a par-5, hole 8, a par-4, and hole 13, a par-4. The pressure was on for Liam on hole 18 as he had to make par to complete tournament play with the same score as Shawn Warren (Falmouth Country Club). Liam sunk an incredible putt that solidified a tie between him and Shawn, ultimately leading to a sudden-death playoff between the two talented NEPGA Professionals. The playoff concluded after the duo played hole 18, hole 10, and hole 11. Liam came out on top after winning the par-5 11th hole. His fierce mindset coupled with tactical play produced a clutch, 30 foot putt for eagle on the 11th hole. The Mahan Trophy was presented to Liam following the completion of the nail-biting sudden death playoff.
Shawn Warren (Falmouth Country Club) was runner-up in the Championship shooting an outstanding one-under 70 in the third round. Shawn completed his tournament play shooting a 217. He tallied five birdies in the Championship including a birdie on hole 8, a difficult par-4. Despite a tremendous playoff effort, Shawn fell short to Friedman.
Shawn and Rich Berberian (Vesper Country Club) received exemptions to the Professional National Championship which will be held at Twin Warriors & Santa Ana Pueblo Golf Clubs in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico from April 30-May 3, 2023. They will be joined by 12 other NEPGA Professionals who qualified today:
Liam Friedman (Wollaston Golf Club)
Ed Kirby (The Aquidneck Club)
Robert Bruso (Blackstone National Golf Club)
David Jankowski (Golf Garage VT)
Jeff Martin (Wollaston Golf Club)
Greg Kelly (Myopia Hunt Club)
Sean Barrett (Falmouth Country Club)
Todd Scarafoni (Bass Rocks Golf Club)
Brian Spitz (Harmon Golf Club)
Eric Higgins (Webhannet Golf Club)
David Bennett (Country Club of Vermont)
Sean Irons (Fall River Country Club)
The following NEPGA Professionals have been established as designated alternates following the completion of the 102nd NEPGA Section Championship:
Rick Finlayson (Franklin Country Club)
Jason Sedan (Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club)
Eric Barlow (Winchester Country Club)
Corey McAlarney (Edgartown Golf Club)
Nick Jagoe (Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club)
The 102nd Section Championship is presented by Cadillac, Club Car, and Rolex with support from Titleist, Footjoy, Golf Channel, TaylorMade, Nike, the PGA TOUR, Avidia Bank, Dormie Workshop, Mohegan Sun, and Callaway.
A tremendous thank you goes out to Eastward Ho! Head Golf Professional, Jason Winslow and the entire staff at Eastward Ho! for serving as a host of the 102nd NEPGA Section Championship.