The 122nd Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship is underway at Concord Country Club, and several local competitors are in the mix after the first round of play on Monday.
The format of the tournament starts with two days of stroke play followed by match play on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until a winner is decided. The top 32 players based on their scores from Monday and Tuesday advance to Wednesday’s match play.
Thorny Lea Golf Club’s Shannon Johnson and Vesper Country Club’s Molly Smith finished Monday’s opening round as the only two players under par, with Johnson firing a 4-under 68 and Smith posting a 2-under 70. Isabel Brozena of Indian Ridge Country Club rounded out the top three with a 72 (even par).
As for local competitors, it was Ryley Regan of Granby and Orchards Golf Club recording the lowest score out of western Massachusetts. Regan birdied her first hole before making back-to-back bogeys. She then played the next three holes 4-under par with two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth to jump to 3-under par and in a tie for the lead. Regan cooled off and eventually finished with a 74 (2-over par) to put her in a tie for fourth heading into Tuesday.
Also out of Orchards Golf Club is Julianna Megan, who shot a 5-over 77 with birdies on the 9th, 12th, 16th and 18th holes. She shot a 36 on the back nine to put her in a good position now tied for 14th.
Annie Dai (Orchards Golf Club) shot a 14-over round of 86 and Helen Wright (Cold Spring Country Club) posted a 17-over round of 89 to round out Hampshire County participants.
