Quechee, VT – The 2026 New England PGA Pro-Am Championship got started Monday afternoon at the beautiful Quechee Club in Vermont, where a mix of sunshine, passing clouds, and comfortable temperatures created an ideal backdrop for the first round of competition. The tournament is a 36-hole Four-Ball Stroke Play event featuring one New England PGA Professional and one amateur partner from the same facility and opened with a 1:00 p.m. shotgun start on Quechee’s Lakeland Course. With teams battling for low gross honors and a coveted championship title, the opening round delivered plenty of fireworks.
Setting the pace was the duo of Chris Houston, PGA and Noah Farland (a) of Laconia Country Club, who turned in a stellar 9-under-par 63 to claim the overnight lead. The pair wasted little time finding their rhythm, rolling in birdies on holes 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 14, and 15 before delivering the highlight of their round on the finishing hole. A closing eagle at the 18th capped off an impressive day and provided valuable separation atop the leaderboard.
Just two strokes behind, a trio of teams share second place at 7-under-par 65, setting the stage for an exciting final round.
Representing Southern New Hampshire University (Matt Arvanitis, PGA and Will McLaughlin (a)), Team SNHU pieced together a consistent scorecard highlighted by seven birdies. After making the turn, the team caught fire with birdies on holes 10, 12, 15, 16, and 18 to remain firmly in contention heading into Tuesday.
Team Golf Garage VT (David Jankowski, PGA and Austin Giroux (a)) matched the 65 with a balanced performance of their own. Birdies on holes 2, 5, and 6 helped build early momentum before another surge on the back nine, where the team circled three birdies over a five-hole stretch from holes 12 through 15 and added another on the closing hole.
Meanwhile, Vesper Country Club (Rich Berberian, PGA and Derek Wayman (a)) produced one of the most memorable stretches of the day. After birdies on holes 2 and 4, the team ignited the round with four consecutive birdies from holes 4 through 7, showcasing the type of scoring run capable of changing a championship in an instant. They added birdies on holes 9, 15, and 18 to complete their opening-round 65.
With only one round in the books, the championship remains wide open. Teams will return to action Tuesday morning for a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start on Quechee Club’s Highland Course, where the final 18 holes will determine this year’s champions.
The New England PGA would like to thank Golf Pro Payments, LinkSoul, Fairways to Heaven, Glow Vibe Golf, Homestretch Golf, and Golf Garage for their generous support of this year’s championship.
With several teams within striking distance and another challenging Quechee layout awaiting, all signs point toward an exciting finish on Tuesday