By Richard Rapp
rrapp@massgolf.org
PEABODY, Massachusetts (April 27, 2026) – A field at the nexus of over 50 (age) and under 2.4 (handicap) gathered in Peabody with designs on forging a path to Scioto Country Club, site of the 2026 U.S. Senior Open Championship. But with Scioto a few stops down the line, they were first made to contend with another Donald Ross designed SCC: Salem Country Club. Salem, prior host of six USGA Championships, is a final boss in its own right, so it was no surprise that it provided a stern test at the Local Qualifying level.
As a glorious abundance of sunshine beckoned the flowers and the trees to go ahead and bloom already, the temperature crept into the 60s, but none of the scores dipped quite that low. Fifteen players gained passage to Final Qualifying. Seven of the fifteen are Massachusettsans, seven pros to eight amateurs, two Canadians…and while we’re taking inventory, there were reports of two types of fruit in the club’s signature chicken salad.
Doug Clapp (Manomet, MA) was off to an inauspicious start. The 2024 Massachusetts Senior Amateur Champion, victorious at this very golf course, stood on the 11th tee at 4-over, a few strokes on the wrong side of the projected cutline. But Clapp gathered himself, playing the next seven holes in a blazing 4-under, which allowed enough wiggle room for a bogey on the last. It’s not the cleanest card you’ll ever see, but 6 birdies, 6 pars, 5 bogeys, and 1 double amounts to an eventful +1 73, which was good enough.
For a second straight year, Pat Bates (Oklahoma City, OK) passed through Locals in Massachusetts. Salem may be a long way from OKC, but Bates grew up caddying just down the road at Essex County Club and won the 1993 Massachusetts Open at Tedesco CC, so call it a home game. The former PGA Tour pro and three-time All-American at the University of Florida got off to a sluggish start with back-to-back bogeys, but carded five birdies and one bogey the rest of the way to post 2-under 70, tied for the low round of the day.
Bates’ co-medalist was Shaun Powers (Pittsfield, MA), who’s 70 was comprised of a squeaky clean sixteen pars and two birdies. The other two players in red figures were Massachusetts amateurs Chris Piscatelli (North Reading, MA) and Jeffrey Weishaar (Georgetown, MA), with matching 1-under 71s.
Five players finished in a tie for the 15th and final spot with rounds of 2-over 74, necessitating a playoff.
Salem CC member and Assistant Coach of the Salem State golf team Kevin Daly (Beverly, MA) made good on his home track, gritting it out through four playoff holes, including a stellar up-and-down on the 2nd, to punch his ticket to Final Qualifying.
Notes:
Out of Town:
A trio of Massachusetts pros will join this field at the next stage after advancing through Local Qualifying at out-of-state sites on Tuesday, April 21.
Fran Quinn (Holden, MA), who has top-20 finishes at the U.S. Senior Open in 2019 (T14) and 2021 (T17), shared medalist honors at 3-over-par at Metedeconk National’s Pines Course (NJ). Quinn birdied both par 5s on his opening nine to turn at even-par 36. Brian Spitz (Weymouth, MA), a local golf instructor who made his U.S. Senior Open debut in 2022, holed a late birdie on the par-5 15th and made par on the final two holes to finish at 5-over-par.
At Outdoor Country Club (PA), Rey Garcia (Southborough, MA), who runs Garcia Hitting Academy, shot 3-over 75 and advanced through a 10-for-6 playoff to reach Final Qualifying.
Next Up: Final Qualifying will take place at 12 different sites in the United States, between May 18th and June 15th. The nearest site is New Haven Country Club in Hamden, CT, on May 27th. The Championship will be held July 2nd-5th at Scioto CC in Columbus, OH.
COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIERS AND ALTERNATES FROM SALEM CC
QUALIFIER (Name, City, Score)
Pat Bates, Oklahoma City, OK; (-2) 70
Shaun Powers, Pittsfield, MA; (-2) 70
Chris Piscatelli (a), North Reading, MA; (-1) 71
Jeffrey Weishaar (a), Georgetown, MA; (-1) 71
Jamie Lukowicz (a), Newport, RI; (E) 72
Martin Plante, Canada; (E) 72
Christopher Shields (a), Lee, MA; (E) 72
David Jones (a), Norwich, CT; (E) 72
Martin Lachance, Canada; (E) 72
Kyle Gallo, Berlin, CT; (+1) 73
Andy Hydorn (a), Houston, TX; (+1) 73
Dave Fusco, Monroe, NY; (+1) 73
Joe Rocha, Beverly, MA; (+1) 73
Doug Clapp, Manomet, MA; (+1) 73
Kevin Daly (a), Beverly, MA; (+2) 74*
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Brian Higgins (a), Bellingham, MA; (+2) 74
Damon Lusk (a), Reading, MA; (+2) 74
(a) Denotes amateur
*Advanced with par on 4th playoff hole
If you’re looking to identify players that are fit for a national championship field, why not test them at a golf course that has hosted the championship twice prior? Salem Country Club hosted the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2001 (Bruce Fleisher (E)) and 2017 (Kenny Perry (-16)).
While the club was founded in 1895, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the golf course. The current layout features what some consider the best set of Donald Ross’ signature green complexes in existence, which have long provided a stage for bewitching action, like The Day a Schoolteacher Conquered the Greatest Athlete in the World.
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