BROOKLINE — South Deerfield’s Jake Zaranek posted 1-over-par 72 to sit in a 10-way tie for 13th after the opening round of the 111th Massachusetts Amateur Championship, Monday at The Country Club.
Greenfield’s Cody Booska is also at 1 over. Chris Francoeur holds the outright lead at 4 under.
Booska birdied two holes on his back nine, nearly sinking his approach from the fairway on No. 17 before settling for a tap-in birdie from just an inch away. Zaranek also birdied the 17th hole, the very same hole that Justin Leonard famously birdied to clinch a U.S. win in the 1999 Ryder Cup at the historic club.
Round 2 of stroke play is set for Tuesday. The top 32 after Round 2 advance to single-elimination match play, which begins on Wednesday.
“It was one of my better 1-over rounds, for sure,” said Booska, who made his seventh Mass. Am. appearance. “I had a couple 10- to 15-foot par saves which kept the momentum going. I started struggling with the ball-striking a bit but making some putts definitely helped. Overall, I’m happy with 1-over. ”
Zaranek, who just last week qualified for the U.S. Amateur, sat at even-par after the birdie on 17, but gave one back on 18 after his approach went long and he had to chip back over a cart path.
“The way I struck the ball today, I had the potential to shoot a really good number,” the 20-year-old Fairfield University rising junior said. “I hit the two par 5s in two and didn’t make a birdie on either one of them. I gave myself a lot of chances, didn’t really make the putts but going forward I think I have the chance to put a number out there.”
The Williston Northampton graduate rattled off 13 straight at one point.
“I’m striking the ball really well,” Zaranek said. “I’m giving myself a lot of opportunities, I just need to capitalize on them. I feel like my putting is good, I just haven’t been getting the putts to fall yet.”
Dillon Brown and Herbie Aikens are one shot back of Francoeur after 3-under 68s. Just nine players broke par in the opening 18.
South Deerfield’s Jonathan Elkins, who plays out of Springfield Country Club, was in good shape heading to the back nine of his opening round. The 18-year-old was 1-over through 11, but bogeyed No. 12 and hit his tee shot on the par-3 16th into a precarious spot in the greenside bunker. The plugged lie did not give Elkins much to work with, and he wound up double-bogeying en route to a 4-over 75.
“Sixteen was just a thing of its own. I wasn’t able to make anything good out of it,” he said. “I figured if I could just make double (bogey), save that one shot, it’s going to take a little pressure off (Tuesday’s round). I didn’t want to make any big, big mistakes out here.”
Indeed, Elkins rebounded with pars on 17 and 18 and is in a tie for 44th. He hit 13 greens in regulation on the day.
“To go out and play just an OK round and still see my name up there with some of the state’s best amateurs, it just eliminates a lot of doubt in my mind going forward,” Elkins said.
Amherst’s Ronald Laverdiere, who plays out of Crumpin-Fox Club, shot 6-over 77. He sits in a tie for 67th place.
James Patterson, of Orchards Golf Club, is tied for 99th following an 8-over 79.