By Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org
AUBURNDALE, Massachusetts (April 21, 2026) – They say that the pressure of standing over a meaningful putt in competition is enough to make your hands go numb. Now imagine facing that putt with temps in the low 40s. On Tuesday, that is exactly what competitors faced at Woodland Golf Club for U.S. Open Local Qualifying, where a field of 75 hopefuls was whittled down to 4 (plus 2 alternates).
Massachusetts Amateurs Reese Jensen (Duxbury, MA), Matthew Cowgill (Weston, MA), Jake Ratti (Plymouth, MA), and Matthew Williams (Hingham, MA) all survived the elements, and the nerves, to advance through Tuesday’s Local Qualifier.
The four have moved one step closer to advancing to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills CC, and will compete at U.S. Open Final Qualifying in the coming weeks.
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A one-hour delay to account for morning frost saw many players pulling up to the first tee bundled in layers. And by days end, the extra layers were needed again as temperatures dropped quickly.
A member of the Harvard University golf team, Reese Jensen took advantage of the “warm” weather mid-day and birdied 4 holes over a 6 hole stretch in the middle of his round in earning Medalist honors with a score of 70 (-1).
One of the leaders for most of the day was Matthew Cowgill, who will now be making his 3rd appearance in Final Qualifying after a round of level par, 71. After an opening nine 33 (-3), Cowgill hit his shot of the day, a chip from the cart path on 10, setting up a crucial par save. From there he was able to steer it home, surviving a few late bogeys.
Watching the scoreboard all day, Jake Ratti knew his bogey on 15 would hurt his chances at advancing, but wouldn’t eliminate him from contention.
“I made bogey on the 15th and saw my position ready didn’t change,” said Ratti. “So I knew I was still in it.”
Following that, the positivity would pay off as he made his first birdie on the day on the 17th to pull into a tie with several others at 2-over. But then on the 18th, Ratti’s drive caught the fairway bunker, up against the face.
“I kind of had to hook it a little bit and hit it pretty high,” said Ratti of the fairway bunker shot on 18, which set up a birdie putt of about 25-feet. “So it was the shot of the day, definitely. I was kind of surprised he got over the lip.”
After hitting the incredible approach, Ratti paid it off by running home the long birdie putt. The putt allowed Ratti to avoid a playoff and earn his spot in U.S. Open Final Qualifying for the first time ever.
The final spot was decided in playoff between the group of Matt Williams, Matthew Naumec (Boston, MA), and Timmy Adams (Falmouth, MA), all of whom shot 73 (+2). The trio took three very different routes to the green, but all reached in regulation. Adams was unable to get his 60 footer down in two after hitting an incredible escape shot from the trees right of the fairway. Naumec was too aggressive with his short range birdie bid and also three-putted, which opened the door for Williams.
Fending off the nerves, and battling the dropping temps, Williams was able to scrape home his 18-inch putt, avenging his loss in a playoff back in 2022. This is also the first time Williams has advanced to Final Qualifying.
Next Up: The four qualifiers from Wednesday will now compete in 36-hole U.S. Open Final Qualifying on either May 19 or June 2.
COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIERS AND ALTERNATES FROM WOODLAND GC
QUALIFIER (Name, City, Score)
Reese Jensen (a), Duxbury, MA; (-1) 70
Matthew Cowgill (a), Weston, MA; (E) 71
Jake Ratti (a), Plymouth, MA; (+1) 72
Matt Williams (a), Hingham, MA; (+2) 73*
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Matthew Naumec (a), Boston, MA; (+2) 73**
Timmy Adams (a), Falmouth, MA; (+2) 73
(a) Denotes amateur
*Advanced with par on 1st playoff hole
**Determined on 4th playoff hole
As the permanent home to the final round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament, Woodland Golf Club is a familiar layout to many of Massachusetts’ top amateurs. With ‘The Ouimet’ often played in the scorching summer heat, Tuesday offered a new challenge for Massachusetts’ best players, as temps struggled to top 45°.
Donald Ross was commissioned to design Woodland Golf Club’s complete 18-hole layout in 1901. He was then brought back in the 1920s to redesign the golf course after additional land was purchased. In 2020, under the direction of golf course architect, Tyler Rae, Woodland re-imagined and re-shaped its bunkers while also installing a new irrigation system. A main point of emphasis for Rae was bringing a more classic look back to the property.
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