Follow along - I’m trying to qualify for the Mass Mid-Am

inJacobyWeTrust

inJacobyWeTrust

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https://mga-2023massachusettsmidamateurqualifier.golfgenius.com/pages/4006759

I’m trying once again to qualify for a Mass Golf event tomorrow (mid-am this time). My first ever attempt was something like 16 years ago and I shot 75 to get into a playoff, where I promptly dumped it into the water and was an alternate for the Mass Am. Event tomorrow is at my former and hopefully future home course, Franklin Country Club.

My best friend not only qualified for the Pub links but also made the cut this year, so I’d love to finally make it. Follow along and ridicule/congratulate as appropriate.

iJwT= the name that rhymes with Boston Ward in the 10:50 time
 
cshea

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+2, T11 with 3 to play.

Looks like Top 13 and ties advance. Hang on through the 3 holes and IJWT should be in good shape. Par is 71, clubhouse lead is a dude who shot 72 and there are 2 players who posted 73.
 
rmurph3

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Bogeyed 16, now +3/T13 (right on the qualifying line). Finding a birdie here would be huge....

Edit: Par on 17, still +3. As cshea notes, with only four scores better than +3 in the clubhouse so far, getting in with +3 would seem to be good enough.
 
T

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I know a bunch of other people in the field as well who are very good golfers that IJWT is beating right now. Great playing.
 
rmurph3

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Wow, got the birdie on 18! He's in at +2. Only 2 guys better in the clubhouse, so that looks very safe for qualifying. Congrats, "Boston Ward"!
 
Kliq

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Thank you for making this slow day at work slightly more entertaining.
 
Koufax

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Fabulous! Congratulations.

Some of the guys were identified as belonging to The Tour. Is that real? How can they participate in an amateur tournament?
 
petefungtorres

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I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one refreshing the leaderboard this afternoon and hoping for a bird on 18. Well done, it looks like +3 would have made it anyway but when that putt on 18 dropped +3 was T15. Waiting and hoping +3 would make it would have been way less enjoyable than having a beer knowing you were in and not in a playoff!
 
T

TFP

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TFP said:
I know a bunch of other people in the field as well who are very good golfers that IJWT is beating right now. Great playing.
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Just for those who don't golf a ton - tournament golf like this is no joke. Every shot in the hole, all rules followed to a tee, nowhere to hide. Posting a 73 is really impressive stuff, even for low handicappers. Very easy for a scratch golfer to shoot 80 in these if a few things go wrong.
 
cshea

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Koufax said:
Fabulous! Congratulations.

Some of the guys were identified as belonging to The Tour. Is that real? How can they participate in an amateur tournament?
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The Tour is an amateur golf club. They don't belong to a single course and travel around playing tournaments across MA/New England. It is not referring to PGA Tour professionals.

Mid-Am is amateur players excluding college kids. I think the mimimum age to qualify for a mid-am is 25.
 
rmurph3

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Looks like +4 is going to be the qualifying line, so the birdie on 18 ends up being just for style points. Some really nice style, at that...
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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Thank you so much everyone! I’m thrilled to have qualified with my 73. Weird round, hit only 6 greens and 7 fairways but made basically everything with the putter. Onto the Mid-Am 9/18-9/20!
Which unfortunately after this I might have to live thread as well…
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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I have to say that I checked back in on this thread and it brought me to tears, imagining random internet people rooting me on! Let’s see how the actual tourney goes
 
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wade boggs chicken dinner

wade boggs chicken dinner

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inJacobyWeTrust said:
I have to say that I checked back in on this thread and it brought my to tears, imagining random internet people rooting me on! Let’s see how the actual tourney goes
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I may be an internet stranger but I'm not random!

Looking forward to the Mid-Am thread, though I suggest you start it earlier - maybe with some practice rounds.
 
Deathofthebambino

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inJacobyWeTrust said:
I have to say that I checked back in on this thread and it brought me to tears, imagining random internet people rooting me on! Let’s see how the actual tourney goes
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Damn, wish I saw this thread when it happened. Congrats man, so excited for you.

I've got a ton of friends that play in these on a weekly basis. A buddy of mine (he plays out of North Hill now) qualified with you at Franklin (he was 74).

Friend I played with yesterday qualified for the Mass. Senior Open the other day at Wayland CC (he shot 72) and another friend shot 70, same day to qualify as well.

The guy I played with yesterday also qualified for the New England Senior Am (he shot 70 at Sandy Burr in the qualifier on August 10th). As did another guy from our club.

I had 4 friends qualify this year for the Mass. Am, sadly, none made the cut.

If any of you guys play in these tourneys, please post the links, I fucking love following this stuff.
 
Dave Stapleton

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I can't believe I missed all of this. I was a member at Franklin for over 15 years before moving to Rhode Island. I would've told you all not to worry if he needed to birdie 18!! Congrats man!
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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Bump with minor update: practice round booked at Willowbend for the afternoon of Thursday 9/14. Gonna have to hustle down there after working a half day but will be great to see the track in person! I suspect times and pairings will be released this week.
Shot 75 at Wachusett today despite somehow playing the relatively easy par 5s in +3, missed a billion gettable putts. Got a few weeks to tighten things up anyway.
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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As predicted, starting times and pairings were released today. Got the late/early shift, starting on 10 at 1:06pm on Monday 9/18 and 8:51am off 1 Tuesday 9/19.

I think there are 3 separate 9s and we're playing Bay and Bog, so not sure it really matters whether I start on "1" or "10" since they're each the first hole of the respective 9.
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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Far too detailed update post-practice round: played yesterday, and very glad I got to see the course. Coincidentally was paired with 2 guys who also qualified at Franklin, including the medalist.
The course has several blind-ish shots both off the tee and into the green depending on where you are positioned in the fairway, and the greens are tricky.
Birdied 1 Bay yesterday and then slogged thru a sloppy 78 with 34 (!!) putts after that. Not a course that was designed for walking so I’ll opt for a cart - I’m also bringing a caddy but his main jobs will be making fun of me to keep things light, and making sure I maintain a slight buzz on high noons.
I took fairly thorough notes that I’ll lean on heavily during the event. My opening tee shot will be a hybrid or fairway wood that is very visually unappealing, but at least I know the line. The BOG 9 is not as fun as the BAY 9 as it’s more target golf but given the wet forecast for Monday if I can make it thru the first 9 in decent shape I’ll feel good about my chances.
Now we enter the weekend of endlessly debating wardrobe choices as I stalk my playing partners, aka the final countdown.
Heading down Sunday afternoon to avoid the bridge closure, and will enjoy the Pats on SNF at a local watering hole that night. I’ll do my best to update the thread between rounds. Let’s do this!
 
petefungtorres

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inJacobyWeTrust said:
Far too detailed update post-practice round: played yesterday, and very glad I got to see the course. Coincidentally was paired with 2 guys who also qualified at Franklin, including the medalist.
The course has several blind-ish shots both off the tee and into the green depending on where you are positioned in the fairway, and the greens are tricky.
Birdied 1 Bay yesterday and then slogged thru a sloppy 78 with 34 (!!) putts after that. Not a course that was designed for walking so I’ll opt for a cart - I’m also bringing a caddy but his main jobs will be making fun of me to keep things light, and making sure I maintain a slight buzz on high noons.
I took fairly thorough notes that I’ll lean on heavily during the event. My opening tee shot will be a hybrid or fairway wood that is very visually unappealing, but at least I know the line. The BOG 9 is not as fun as the BAY 9 as it’s more target golf but given the wet forecast for Monday if I can make it thru the first 9 in decent shape I’ll feel good about my chances.
Now we enter the weekend of endlessly debating wardrobe choices as I stalk my playing partners, aka the final countdown.
Heading down Sunday afternoon to avoid the bridge closure, and will enjoy the Pats on SNF at a local watering hole that night. I’ll do my best to update the thread between rounds. Let’s do this!
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Thanks for the update - nowhere near too detailed! Sounds like solid prep to me and I hope the putter gets hot for you when it counts.

I was actually thinking of this thread as I was refreshing golf genius for my son's tournament over the weekend. He's on the club team at VATech and it was their first tourney of the year. He went 73 / 69 to finish -1 and solo third on the individual side. As a team they finished -2 and won by 13 strokes.
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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petefungtorres said:
Thanks for the update - nowhere near too detailed! Sounds like solid prep to me and I hope the putter gets hot for you when it counts.

I was actually thinking of this thread as I was refreshing golf genius for my son's tournament over the weekend. He's on the club team at VATech and it was their first tourney of the year. He went 73 / 69 to finish -1 and solo third on the individual side. As a team they finished -2 and won by 13 strokes.
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That’s some real good playing, congrats to your son!
Complete washout today with nice weather the rest of the week, glad they postponed. Gonna kill the afternoon at TH Sandwich, not a bad alternative plan.
 
Riconway3155

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I've been refreshing like a crazy person - He's got a whole back 9 a couple front holes left to make up some ground! Is there a cut line for day one? I don't know the rules here.
 
petefungtorres

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Good Lord the leaders went low today, presumably before the wind picked up. Hopefully for Boston* the wind stays low and there are early bird chances. Lots of opportunities tomorrow!
 
T

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I’m friends with Zak Kovat and if you check out his back 9, it’s absolutely wild today. 1 par, 4 birdies, 2 bogeys, an eagle, and a double for a -2 33.

Golf is a weird weird game.
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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Hoo boy that was a grind. Front (Bog 9) the wind was up and it was swirling. Almost impossible to feel confident over the ball. Besides 2 loose swings I hit it ok but obviously 44 isn’t getting it done. Flip to the Bay 9 - best I’ve hit it all year. Had 6-7 birdie putts inside 10 feet and the only birdies I made were on 3, where my wedge from 72 yards hit the stick and somehow didn’t drop leaving me a 4 inch kick in, and the last where I rolled in a 25 footer (I called to my caddy that I was due, and walked it in starting about 10 feet out - that was a nice feeling to finish). Played with past Champion Steve Tasho who did not have fun (nice guy though) and the 22nd alternate who shot 93 after finding out he was in the field on his way to work this morning.
Off early tomorrow, hoping to post a number and then play cut watch at the bar as the afternoon wave rolls in.
 
Deathofthebambino

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inJacobyWeTrust said:
Hoo boy that was a grind. Front (Bog 9) the wind was up and it was swirling. Almost impossible to feel confident over the ball. Besides 2 loose swings I hit it ok but obviously 44 isn’t getting it done. Flip to the Bay 9 - best I’ve hit it all year. Had 6-7 birdie putts inside 10 feet and the only birdies I made were on 3, where my wedge from 72 yards hit the stick and somehow didn’t drop leaving me a 4 inch kick in, and the last where I rolled in a 25 footer (I called to my caddy that I was due, and walked it in starting about 10 feet out - that was a nice feeling to finish). Played with past Champion Steve Tasho who did not have fun (nice guy though) and the 22nd alternate who shot 93 after finding out he was in the field on his way to work this morning.
Off early tomorrow, hoping to post a number and then play cut watch at the bar as the afternoon wave rolls in.
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Good luck tomorrow man.

I actually know 4 other guys in the field with you. Colin Brennan from Indian Ridge will apparently never stop playing well. Dude is a killer, shot 72 today, which isn't far from his age. Devin Russell was my member/member partner for years at Andover, before he moved down to Duxbury. My boy Brian had a tough day today. He works as an assistant in our shop at Andover, but hasn't given up his amateur status. Poor guy just can't find enough time to get on the course.

Anyway, go get them tomorrow. You're in it.
 
inJacobyWeTrust

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That was not my day from the start, just didn’t have it. Grinded it out and parred the last 3 to keep it under 90. That course is punishing and there’s just nowhere to miss. Tasho rebounded with a 72 today and the other guy had bounce back as well with a 78. Only 1 birdie (on 3 again) and never really had any good looks. Oh well, great experience and hopefully I’ll be back next year. Thanks for following along and encouraging!
 
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