The July 4th holiday means that summer is officially in full swing, and with that comes the meat of the region’s amateur golf championship season.
Dead ahead are the two state amateurs and, of course, the highlight on the more myopic area golf scene – the Joseph F. Healey Memorial Championship – is closing fast on us, slated for July 18-20.
The Healey is a 54-hole, medal-play event that annually celebrates the top players in the region. With roots all of the way back through the North Shore Amateur to the Allan B. Rogers Memorial Championship, it remains an annual gathering for a tremendous cause – the Healey Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The event honors Healey, a beloved golf pro in the area, celebrating the spirit of the game and the values Joe represented.
Defending champ Nick Maccario is again expected to defend his title.
A talented field of contenders including Bryant University’s Aiden Azevedo and MCLA’s Mat Gover, along with seasoned players like Connor Greenleaf of Windham, should make things interesting.
Change is in the works for the 2025 Healey. In addition to the open championship, the Senior Division will now be 55-plus, with a new, Legends Division for players 65-and-over.
Registrations are open now for players,
Players with handicap indexes of under 12.0 are eligible to play. Cost of the event is $175 and helps benefit the Healey’s college scholarship program, which has provided nearly $100,000 in awards over the term of the event to area students.
For more information or to register, check out the event’s new Website: jfhmemorial.org.
State Amateur madness
A couple handfuls of top area players will head to the Mass. Amateur at GreatHorse and the New Hampshire Amateur at Rochester CC.
Both events kick off on Monday, July 7 with two rounds of medal-play before the match-play competition begins.
According to Mass. Golf, only Far Corner CC’s Nick McLaughlin and Bradford CC’s Matt Lucy qualified locally for the state am.
The region will be well-represented in the Granite State.
Per usual, Atkinson CC will have a strong contingent with Azevedo, Gover, Eddie DiLorenzo and Jack Pepin slated to tee it up. Robbie DeFeo of Hoodkroft CC and Windham CC’s Alex Gambordella are ready for action. Meanwhile, a slew of local players who qualified through the NHGA’s golf allegiances, are in the field: Sam Maurice (Auburn), Stephen Ramos (Danville), Zach Hutton and Patrick McKenna (Derry), Harry Garland (Pelham), Michael Foley (Salem), and Thomas Manning (Windham).