By: Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org
SOUTH HADLEY, Massachusetts (July 30, 2024) – When players in the field saw the name Joey Lenane (George Wright GC) on the tee sheet for the 43rd Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship, they knew it would take a monumental effort to contend for the title.
Those thoughts were confirmed quickly on Tuesday when the 2023 New England Amateur champion fired an 8-under-par 64 at the Ledges Golf Club to grab the lead after one round of play at the APL. Playing in the event for the first time, and the course for the first time, Lenane carded seven birdies and an eagle to set the pace.
While Lenane now has one round under his belt at The Ledges, his closest competition, Cody Miller (Ledges GC) is likely working on number one hundred and something. Playing his home course, Miller shot 67 to stay within striking distance, just three back of the lead.
The Amateur Public Links is open to any amateur golfer who has an active Mass Golf Membership at a public golf course, has a Handicap Index® not exceeding 12.0, and does not have playing privileges at a private club.
With a resume like Lenane’s, an appearance at the Amateur Public Links comes with a bit of expectation. With a birdie on his first hole of the day, Lenane wasted no time putting his name atop the leaderboard, for all to see.
After cruising through the rest of the front, he arrived on the 9th tee at 4-under-par. With O.B. stakes lingering up the left side, Lenane made his only error of the day, hitting his second shot* out of bounds.
“It was helpful that I made birdie with the second ball there. It kept me in check, and I was able to save it from there and had a couple birdies coming in.”
The bogey on 9 was quickly erased with birdies on holes 10 and 13. That set the stage for his shot of the day on the drivable par-4 15th.
“I was 5-under at that point. I hit a really good shot. I didn’t know if I could get to the green with a 5-wood, but it was on a really good line, and I was praying for it to go,” said Lenane. “And then Dad gave me the big thumbs up, and the guys were like ‘Great shot.’ I couldn’t see that far from the tee, but it was like 6 feet, and I made the putt. It was good to keep the momentum.”
Lenane will now enter Wednesday’s Final Round with a 3-shot lead, and chance to win his second Mass Golf Championship (2017 Young Golfers’ Amateur).
For Cody Miller it was clear that birdies were going to be needed in bunches, as he teed off just minutes after Lenane posted 64. Starting his day on the 10th hole, Miller was struggling on the 579-yard par-5, staring down his fourth shot from 30 yards out.
In golf, it’s amazing how often a stroke of luck can completely change the outcome of a round. So when Miller’s birdie chip found the bottom of the cup, it was no surprise to see him play the next 16 holes nearly flawlessly.
“I grew up here. I played high school golf here. And yeah, it’s a great club. You know, I know where to hit it everywhere. That’s what it comes down to around this club,” said Miller.
Even though his round closed with a bogey, Miller finds himself just three back of the lead. And although the nerves were not a factor today, being in the final group tomorrow could bring element into the equation.
“Tomorrow might feel a little different, I’ll tell you that,” added Miller.
Only two other players broke 70 in the opening round: Michael Murray (Westover GC) 69 (-3), Colin Gleason (Barnstable Golf) 69 (-3). Both sit five shots back of the lead.
*Editors Note: Lenane hit his second shot out of bounds on the 9th hole. The original version of the story indicated that it was the tee shot that was hit out of bounds.
Many past champions of the Amateur Public Links have seen their victory lead to even more success on the golf course. Some have made the jump to professional golf (Owen Quinn ’18, Ryan Riley ’19), others have moved on to a more national playing schedule (James Imai ’21), and some are now members at private clubs.
Because of this, just two past champions were in the field this year. Zachary Miller (Sandy Burr CC), the champion at Sandy Burr CC in 2022 shot an open round 76 (+4), while two-time champion Ben Spitz finished with a 71 (-1). Last year, Spitz won the APL in thrilling fashion, draining a 66 foot eagle putt in a playoff.
Ben Spitz just drained a 66 foot eagle putt in a playoff to win the Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship! #MassGolf | #MassAPL pic.twitter.com/redUcZJJ4P
— Mass Golf (@PlayMassGolf) August 8, 2023
This year, for the first time in club history, The Ledges Golf Club is hosting a Mass Golf Championship. Situated in South Hadley, the course opened in August 2021, and plays to a par of 72 over 6,415 yards. The course was designed by architect, Howard Maurer, who is also known for his work in expanding Miacomet Golf Course (Nantucket) to 18 holes.
While the 2024 Amateur Public Links is the first championship proper hosted by Ledges Golf Club, it is far from the first Mass Golf event contested at the scenic layout. Over the past decade, five different championship qualifiers have been played at The Ledges (3 APL, 2 Senior Amateur).
Known for its scenic view of Mount Tom, The Ledges offers players a fun variety of holes, with several birdie (or eagle) chances at the drivable par-4s. Holes 4 (305 yards), 15 (287 yards), and 16 (295 yards) are reachable for many of the players in the field, and the latter two could play a pivotal role in determining a champion on Wednesday.
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