Every golfer chases some sort of improvement, the hope that today’s swing or score will be better than yesterday’s and a little bit closer to where they want to be.
That shared pursuit is what brings Delta Air Lines, the Official Airline of Mass Golf, back once again for the Most Improved Golfer Challenge. Open to all Mass Golf members, the season-long challenge measured dedication and progress through Handicap Index® improvement.
This year’s challenge winners are Dez O’Grady, a 26-year-old Acton native, and Susan Chambers, 50, of Chelmsford and an active member of LPGA Amateurs Boston. Each player made significant progress by posting the equivalent of at least 10 18-hole rounds between July 1 and November 14, earning Delta Air Lines flight credits in celebration of their achievements.
Dez O’Grady knows how rare certain golf moments can be, and this season, he experienced one he’ll never forget. Just 10 days after his father made the first hole-in-one of his life, O’Grady followed suit with his own first ace on the exact same hole, No. 15 at Concord Country Club.
This achievement was just one part of a meaningful year for the young man from Acton. O’Grady claimed this year’s challenge after lowering his Handicap Index from 12.5 on July 1 to 5.5 by November 14, for a total improvement factor of 1.376. Known for his positive approach, he was also a natural fit to caddy during the Women’s Mass Amateur at Concord, where he watched some of the top talent in the state compete for the title.
“The only way to escape a black hole is to travel the speed of light,” O’Grady said while reflecting on his improvement. “It’s very easy to dwell on a bad shot and think, ‘If I just made that putt I would have shot X,’ and victimize over a bad break. But if you can channel that pent-up negativity and frustration in a positive manner into the next swing and truly leave that negativity behind you, you’re going to like your results.”
To celebrate his progress, O’Grady plans to travel and visit a close friend in San Diego and to attend another friend’s wedding in Tampa Bay next summer.
Susan Chambers, a native of Chelmsford and a member of LPGA Amateurs Boston, credits her improvement to the people around her.
“It takes a village to teach me to golf,” said Chambers, who began the challenge with a 41.4 Handicap Index, and improved to a 30.7 by November (1.250 Improvement Factor).
Working with her coach, McKenzie Wells, she focused on making one manageable change at a time, slowly building confidence as things began to click. Just as important was the support of her fellow LPGA Amateurs Boston members, who provided encouragement, patience, and plenty of celebration along the way.
“We have a fantastic time playing together,” Chambers said. “It’s high and low handicappers combined, always enjoying the day, and everyone cheers when I actually par a hole.”
To celebrate her achievement, Chambers and her husband are already looking ahead to their next trip, with plans to tee it up somewhere in the sunny Carolinas.
Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged and inclusive community.
With a community made up of over 145,000 golf enthusiasts and over 360 member clubs, Mass Golf is one of the largest state golf associations in the country. Members enjoy the benefits of handicapping, engaging golf content, course rating and scoring services along with the opportunity to compete in an array of events for golfers of all ages and abilities.
At the forefront of junior development, Mass Golf is proud to offer programming to youth in the state through First Tee Massachusetts and subsidized rounds of golf by way of Youth on Course.
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