ANDOVER, Mass. – The 2023 New England PGA season has been full of exciting moments, culminating today in Andover, Mass. with the Avidia Cup Stroke Play Finals at Indian Ridge Country Club. Coming into the day there were multiple season-long races up for grabs, as well as a single-day Championship.
Shawn Warren, PGA (Point Sebago GC) shot an impressive 5-under, 67 to claim the single-day Stroke Play Championship. Andrew Stolze, PGA (The Club at New Seabury) finished in a three-way tie for second place to claim the 2023 Avidia Cup season-long points race final. Rich Berberian Jr., PGA (Vesper CC) captured the 2023 NEPGA Rolex Wogan Player of the Year title. Ed Kirby (The Aquidneck Club), who competed in the second Stroke Play Series event of the season, placed 4th in the Avidia Cup Finals Standings and clinched the 2023 Rolex Wogan Senior Player of the Year.
Warren came into the day sitting in 45th place for the Avidia Cup season-long standings and third place in the Rolex Wogan Player of the Year standings. He carded four birdies on the front nine, making the turn at 3-under. Three birdies and a bogey on the back gave him the final 5-under for the single-day Stroke Play win. He also finished in second place in the NEPGA Rolex Wogan Player of the Year standings.
Eric Higgins, PGA (Webhannet GC), Eric Barlow, PGA (Winchester CC), and Stolze all tied for second place overall at the Avidia Cup Final, shooting 4-under, 68s.
Stolze carded two birdies on the front nine and made the turn at 1-under. He went on to card four more birdies on the back, including birdies on the final three holes of the day to clinch the second place spot and the Avidia Cup Final trophy.
Higgins shot 2-under through the front nine with birdies on the par-5 4th hole and the par-4 6th and 8th holes. He made birdies on the par-4 10th hole and par-5 12th hole to move to 4-under. He traded a bogey and birdie on 13 and 15 to finish at 4-under for a share of second place overall.
Barlow came into the day sitting in 12th place in the Avidia Cup standings and fourth place in the Rolex Wogan Player of the Year. Barlow was even through the opening nine holes of the day and carded an impressive four birdies on the back to finish in the tie for second place.
Kyle Puzzo, PGA (Framingham CC) and David Bennett, PGA (Country Club of Vermont) shared fifth place at the Avidia Cup Finals, shooting 3-under, 69s. After making the turn at 1-over, Puzzo put up four birdies on the back to finish 3-under overall. He carded a total of five birdies on the day. Bennett was 4-under at the turn with four birdies. One birdie and two bogeys on the back gave him the final 3-under for a share of fifth place.
The 1st and 10th tee challenge, sponsored by SCNS Sports Foods also came to a close today. Jeff Stewart (Sandbaggers), David Jankowski, PGA (Golf Garage VT), Barlow, and Bennett all finished the 1st Tee Challenge at 3-under for a share of the win. Jeff Martin, PGA (Wollaston GC), Barlow, Chad Penman (Boothbay Harbor CC), Arthur Wilson, PGA (Golf Galaxy), Kirk Hanefeld, PGA (LM), and Bob Bruso, PGA (Blackstone National GC) all finished at 3-under in the 10th Tee Challenge for a share of the win.
The New England PGA would like to thank head golf professional, Mike Miller and the entire Indian Ridge Country Club staff for their gracious hospitality. Thank you to the 2023 Avidia Cup Final partners – Avidia Bank, Ahead, Bushnell, Maui Jim, New England Golf Cars/Yamaha, Tagmarshal, SCNS Sports Foods & PGA TOUR.