BOXFORD – The move from August to June for Bill Flynn’s 52nd annual North Shore Amateur Golf Tournament was an adjustment for Terry Manning. Still, there was no chance he was going to miss it.
“I’ve played in this since I was probably 13. I told the (the late Bob Flynn) that one day I would win this event,” said Ipswich’s Manning, now 19.
Wednesday afternoon in a sparkling day at Far Corner Golf Club, Manning made good on the promise, shooting a sizzling three-under par round of 69 to post a four-shot championship win.
“I wish he was here to see it, but I’m glad I won,” said Manning, the 2023 Salem News Golfer of the Year as a senior at Saint John’s Prep. “Every year I come out and I say I do this for Bobby. So I’m happy with this year. I love the environment. I love the way they set up the golf course. It’s crazy. The pin locations are awesome. They make it fun. They make it challenging.”
Coming off the Mass. Open recently, Manning was on top of his game at his home course of Far Corner.
“I hit a lot of fairways. I kept the ball in play. I made sure I was aggressive through the day, knowing it was only a one-day tournament, and I gave myself some fairly decent looks,” he said. “I went on a four-hole birdie stretch – nine through 12 – which was nice, and I stayed steady throughout. The putter was rolling, too, so that helps.”
The victory comes at a perfect time for Manning. He is currently weighing his options, potentially playing college golf and considering a run at the pro ranks.
“The goal is to go and play college golf. I’m talking to one or two schools right now. I know some coaches who will be happy (to see this),” he said. “I might try to play a bunch of the mini-tours down South this winter and see if I can progress from there or go to college. I’m keeping the options open.”
Placing second at one-over par 73 was Everett’s Lucas Dascoli, who plays his golf out of Mount Hood after a career at Saint Anselm.
Beverly veteran Kevin Daly, who plays out of Salem Country Club, was third at 74. The 57-year-old, who won this event in 1986, was the senior division winner in a very satisfying day.
Like Manning, Daly works his playing schedule around this event, to make sure to be here.
“It’s the Flynn family. I worked for Mr. Flynn for a long time when I was just a kid. I worked for Joanne (Flynn) for years,” Daly said. “I’ll always come back for them. As long as they’ll have me, I’ll try to come back. “
Daly, an assistant golf coach at Salem State, loves the unique format of the North Shore Am. And he brought his “A” game on Wednesday.
“I love to play in events like this where they have a senior division and a regular division. I try to hang in there with the young guys,” Daly said. “I hit the ball great today. My tee ball was great, my irons were great. My putting was just OK. I had a lot of birdie putts that I didn’t make. It was a pretty solid round, so overall I’m very happy.”