LINCOLN, Rhode Island (October 15, 2026) – Now in its 101st year, the Endicott Cup is a three-day event with standout women’s amateur representing Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The two-day, 36-hole stroke play championship is combined with the Tri-State Matches, and Rhode Island’s Kirkbrae Country Club served as the year’s hosts.
The Endicott Cup & Tri-State matches make for such a special tournament as the camaraderie between the women of each state and among the state teams increase the energy and excitement of an event so close to the end of golf season.
On Tuesday, Raquel Symula, Kristen Henderson, and Caren Althauser of Team Mass Golf held a T4 on the leaderboard for the overnight position at 10-over-par after the first round of stroke play, the low score position for the team. Both Symula and Henderson found one birdie on the championship course, a feat hard to come by on the brisk fall afternoon. Sitting above them on the leaderboard are 3 players representing Team Connecticut. Players will begin the second round of stroke play with tee times starting at 8:00am on Wednesday.
1- Laura Pirruccello (CT): +4, 75
2- Mercedes Large (CT): +6, 77
3- Lisa Fern-Boros (CT): +8, 79
T4- Raquel Symula (MA): +10, 81
T4- Nicole Elliott (CT): +10, 81
T4- Leigh Hammontree (RI): +10, 81
T4- Caren Althauser (MA): +10, 81
T4-Carole Oat (CT): +10, 81
T4- Kristen Henderson (MA): +10, 81
T10- Irene Haley (MA): +11, 82
T10- Kim Walecka (MA): +11, 82
T10- Christine Gagner (MA): +11, 82
On Wednesday, the second round of stroke play would determine the 7 players who would advance to Thursday’s Tri-State matches, with one alternate being picked by the team captains. At the conclusion of stroke-play, Kristen Henderson had the low score for Team Massachusetts, just two shots back of the Endicott Cup Winner, Mercedese Large, a familiar name in Mass Golf competition, but representing Team Connecticut this week.
1- Mercedese Large (CT): 77-79; 156 (Won on the 2nd playoff hole)
2- Laura Pirruccello (CT): 75-81; 156
3- Kristen Henderson (MA): 81-77; 158
4- Val Blinn (RI): 83-77; 160
5- Lisa Fern-Boros (CT): 79-82; 161
6- Carole Oat (CT): 81-81; 162
7- Nicole Elliott (CT): 81-82; 163
8- Christine Gagner (MA): 82-82; 164
9- Debbie Johnson (CT): 83-83; 166
10- Raquel Symula (MA): 81-85; 166
After the first two days, the low seven players from stroke play plus one alternate competed in two simultaneous matches against competitors from the other two associations. One (1) point was awarded for every hole won, ½ point for every hole halved and zero (0) points for any hole lost.
Team Massachusetts won back the Tri-State Matches title Thursday, tallying 152.5 points to defeat last year’s winner’s Team Connecticut by five points. Christine Gagner (Bedrock Golf Club) led the winning squad with 24.5 holes won, followed by Diane Carter (Salem Country Club), who earned 22.5 points.
In total Mass earned 74.5 points against Connecticut and 78 against Rhode Island.
In the Eaton Cup Matches (Net), host Rhode Island earned the team title, earning 156 points to defeat Massachusetts (140.5) and Connecticut (135.5).
Laura Hasenfus (Needham GC) earned 21.5 points for Massachusetts, while teammates Val Casella (LPGA Amateurs Boston) Abigail Vernon (The Country Club) collected 20 and 19.5 points, respectively.
In 1926, the first Endicott Cup tournament was held at Hartford Golf Club (CT) as a 36-hole stroke play competition between members of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Women’s Golf Associations. The Endicott Cup was presented by Priscilla Maxwell Endicott as the winner of the competition. The plan was that the first person to win the trophy three times would retire the cup.
Edith Baker won the Cup in 1926 and 1928 and requested that the trophy be perpetual, with the winner keeping it in her possession for the year. In 1929, Massachusetts (whose membership included Rhode Island) and Connecticut played the Kittredge Cup as the third day match play competition for the nine low gross players from each team. In 1930, Rhode Island joined as a third team and the Kittredge Cup was retired and replaced with the Tri-State Trophy.
Today, Endicott Cup competitors play two rounds of stroke play over the first two days. The seven low gross and seven low net players (plus an alternate from each state for the gross and net teams) compete in the Tri-State Matches (Gross) and the Eaton Cup (Net) on the third and final day.
“The Endicott Cup is truly a fun tournament which not only provides a great format for excellent golf but good competition against one another in an effort to make the match play teams as well as keen competition with the other states,” said former Massachusetts Endicott Cup captain, Marie Butera (2000). “More importantly, it provides an excellent opportunity for camaraderie and to develop friendships with golfers from Connecticut and Rhode Island.”
