AMHERST — When he stepped up to the first tee during Wednesday’s match against Chicopee Comp, Mikey Corduff didn’t look much thicker than the golf club he was holding. Don’t underestimate Frontier’s freshman captain, he swings that club with the force of a man many times his size.
Corduff’s grandfather, Aaron Wilson, knows all about it. Mikey usually beats him by about twenty shots.
“He kills me, I can’t even come close,” Wilson said after watching Frontier’s 22-2 win at Cherry Hill. “He’s got a great attitude. You never see him throw his stick or anything like that. I love watching him because he’s outweighed by 50, 80, 100 pounds every time he plays.”
Corduff needed just 11 putts on Tuesday to shoot a 36, as he celebrated his 15th birthday. He claimed medalist honors once again against Chicopee Comp with a round of 38. Frontier qualified for the Western Mass. tournament with the victory.
Off the first tee, Corduff and his club sent a drive arrow-straight down the fairway. Four shots later, he picked his ball out of the hole and marked down a par on his scorecard. On the second hole, Corduff watched his birdie putt roll just past the hole, but he tapped in for a second par.
He triple-bogeyed the third, then bounced back to par the next two holes. On the sixth, a 247 yard par 4, Corduff’s opponent Derek Boutin hit a beautiful drive that held up on the fairway against the steep slope. Corduff’s drive caught the slope and bounced into a hollow just below the green. But he chipped up and on to the green, the ball coming to a stop three feet from the pin. Corduff stood over the putt, shimmied to steady himself, and sank the putt for birdie.
Corduff finished the round with two more pars and a bogey on the ninth to win his match 4-0. His partner, Rowan Blair, won the second match 3-1 over Carter Brunelle, including a stretch where he hit four trees in as many holes but watched all four balls pop back out into the fairway. Frontier’s Bryan Baumann beat Jacob Girouard 4-0 in the third match. Chicopee Comp’s Ashley Girouard fell to Kalen Evans 4-0, but her round included a second shot on the fourth hole that set up a birdie putt she rolled in. In the fifth match Porter Clancy beat Brandon Hoar 3-1.
Corduff checked one of his personal goals for the season off his list with the victory.
“I wanted to make Western Mass as a team, make states, and to average under 40,” Corduff said after the round.
Frontier is now looking forward to the tournament, which will be held at the same course where the team fell short two years ago. “We were there for the trophy presentation when they were giving it to Belchertown and I said to the guys, ‘If we stick together in three years that’s gonna be us up there,’” coach Bill Fitzpatrick said.
The prediction is one step closer to coming true, and Corduff is playing his best golf at the right time.
“He was in a little bit of a slump until yesterday, but we worked on a couple things on the putting green and got it together,” Fitzpatrick said. “His putting is coming around just in time because we have the tournament on Friday.”
Corduff and Blair will compete in the PVIAC Invitational at Crumpin Fox Golf Club on Friday morning.
And the freshman is going in with the same attitude he brings to the tee against his grandfather or any other opponent.
“I want to win,” he said. “I’m not scared, no. I’m determined.”
Frontier 22, Chicopee Comp 2
at Cherry Hill, par 35
Medalist: Mikey Corduff (F), 38
No. 1: Corduff def. Derek Boutin, 4-0; No. 2: Rowan Blair (F) def. Carter Brunelle, 3-1; No. 3: Bryan Baumann (F) def. Jake Girouard, 3-1; No. 4: Kalen Evans (F) def. Ashley Girouad, 4-0; No. 5: Porter Clancy (F) def. Brandon Hoar, 3-1; No. 6: Kevin Baumann (F) def. Ben Warren, 4-0
Frontier (7-5); Chicopee Comp (5-10)
Monson 14, Easthampton 10
at Quabog C.C. par 36
Medalist: Cam Kratovil (M) 37
No. 1: Kratovil (M) def. Austin Kuenzel, 4-0; No. 2: Aidan Jennings (M) def. Tyler Colby, 3-1; No. 3: Tyler Cortis (E) def. Liam James, 3-1; No. 4: Ely Boyle (E) def. Zack Wysk, 3-1; No. 5: Alex Fisher (E) def, Sean McMinn, 3-1; No. 6: Cam Daniels (M) def. Jakob Humbeck, 4-0
Easthampton (6-5, 5-4 Bi-County East); Monson (8-1, 6-1)
Smith Academy 18, Greenfield 6
at CC of Greenfield par 36
Medalist: Ryan Cote (G), 42
No. 1: Cote (G) def. Chris Darragh, 3-1; No. 2: Dan Cavanaugh (SA) def. Hunter Roberts, 3.5-.5; No. 3: Carter Woodward (SA) def. Gabe Larouche, 3-1; No. 4: Cam Haley (SA) def. Jake Cote, 2.5-1.5; No. 5: Hunter Zygmont (SA) def. Danny Provost, 4-0; No. 6: Brett Gratz (SA) def. Connor Pedigree, 4-0
Smith Academy (9-0); Greenfield (2-6)
South Hadley 22.5, Hopkins 1.5
at Hickory Ridge
Medalist: Jake Remillard (SH) 37
No. 1: Zack Kofila (SH) def. Jack Ter Doest, 4-0; No. 2: Billy Scott (SH) def. Justin Butterfield, 3-1
No. 3: Jake Allard (SH) def. Alvin Li, 3.5-0.5
No. 4: Remillard (SH) def. Connor Asselin, 4-0; No. 5: Logan Waite (SH) def. London Cannon-Eckerle, 4-0; No. 6: SH by forfeit, 4-0;
South Hadley (13-2); Hopkins (0-13)
Hampshire 16, Northampton 8
at Beaver Brooks, par 36
Medalist: Makenze Felty, Hampshire 42
No. 1: Aidan Chapdelain, (N) def. Garrett Antosz, 3-1; No. 2: Evan Boyle (H) def. Brad Moreau, 3.5-.5; No. 3: Makenze Felty (H) def. Jason Cooper, 4-0; No. 4: Will Lafosse (H) def. Asa Geller, 3-1; No. 5: Levi Zielinski (H) def. Wilson Heath, 3-1; No. 6: Mike McCarthy (N) def. Ryan Egloff, 2.5 – 1.5;
Hampshire (10-5); Northampton 6-8