Sacconnesset Sets The Stage For Drama At The 115th Massachusetts Open Championship

The last time the Mass Open came to Sacconnesset, the routing was the same, but the course will feel far different this time around. Thanks to years of agronomic work and careful refinement, the fairways are firmer, the greens faster, and the rough more penal.

“The biggest changes they’ll see from the last time around is the firmness of the golf course,” Klein said. “Even though the course will play pretty long, with the firmness, it affects where the ball ends up.”

Klein said the club’s goal has been to maintain “championship conditions day in and day out,” with green speeds expected to range between 12-13 if weather cooperates. The rough measured about 3 inches a week before the tournament and won’t be cut again until after the final round.

As for the holes themselves, Sacconnesset offers a blend of bold opportunities and punishing hazards. The short par-4 2nd hole (about 304 yards) invites players to drive the green early, but a deep valley short of the green and thick native rough await any misfire. The front nine also features the scenic par-3 4th, played from an elevated tee to a green wrapped in bunkering. On the back nine, the par-5 11th presents a pivotal decision: lay up short of the retention pond or go for the green in two and risk it all. Klein also singled out the long par-3 13th (238 yards) as one players should feel no shame walking away from with par.

Klein said architect Rees Jones referred to the final three holes at Sacconnesset as the crescendo, three of the best finishing holes in golf and likely where the tournament will be decided. The 16th is a picturesque but perilous par 3 played over water to a sloping green. The 17th is a brute, a long, demanding par 4 that can stretch beyond 460 yards. And the 18th is a sweeping par 5 that tempts players to be aggressive, but danger lurks everywhere, and those contending will have an audience anxiously awaiting to see which shot they can execute next. 

WATCH: Hole-By-Hole Flyovers at Sacconnesset Presented By Delta

Defending champion Brandon Berry isn’t returning to defend his title, but six individuals competing have won in previous years: David Pastore (2023), Jason Thresher (2016, 2017, 2018), Joe Harney (2015), Ian Thimble (2014), Kyle Gallo (2011), and Andy Morse (1989, 1992).

One could argue the Mass Open has been a springboard of sorts for past winners in particular. After his victory at TPC Boston, Pastore earned inaugural 2024 PGA Tour Americas playing privileges, grabbing a pair of top 10 finishes over the past couple seasons.

Thresher was a member at Crestview Country Club in Agawam when he won the second of three straight titles at Sacconnesset in 2017, shooting 3-under 69 in the final round. He has since finished top 11 in four of the past five years, including second overall in 2023, remaining a constant threat to win the title.

Brookline native James Imai, a 3-time Massachusetts Junior Amateur Champion, nearly became the first amateur in more than two decades to win the Mass Open last year, leading on the 18th tee before Berry made eagle to claim the title. Imai, a Northwestern graduate, has since turned pro and can now collect a paycheck if he can put together another brilliant performance this year.

Course records have been broken in years past at the Mass Open. During the 2017 championship at Sacconnesset, John Clare (Camillus, NY) fired a closing-round 64 to set the mark at the time. Last year, Walpole native Jack Boulger, a former UConn and USC standout, opened the tournament by lowering the course record at Willowbend to 64, a number matched by Imai the following day. But with added length and firmness expected this week, that number will be far tougher to post.

While Imai is no longer an amateur, there will be plenty other locals looking to knock down the door. John Broderick (Dedham Country & Polo Club) recently represented Vanderbilt in the NCAA Championships. He finished T12 last year at Willowbend, adding a 4-under 66 in Round 2.  C.J. Winchenbaugh (Oyster Harbors Club), the reigning New England Amateur champion who just finished his first year at Georgetown, shot a 67 in the middle round last year and was the next best amateur behind Imai.

Ricky Stimets, the low amateur in 2023, is coming off a spectacular run to the final match of the 2024 Mass Amateur, along with an early-season victory in the Seagulls Four-Ball. And you can’t count out 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale, who’s no stranger to big moments or big stages. With a smooth, well-practiced swing, the past U.S. Open and Masters competitor knocked off several top players en route to the semifinals of last year’s Mass Amateur.

In addition to offering live scoring updates on its website, Mass Golf will post updates and photos of the competitors on its social media outlets. Follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and use the hashtag #MassOpen when posting.

The Mass Open is open to all media. For more information, contact Steve Derderian, Mass Golf’s Senior Manager of Communications, at 774-265-9130 or via email at sderderian@massgolf.org.

Scorecard

Sacconnesset Golf Club will be set up at approximately 7,000 yards and will play to a par of 36-36—72.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
Par	4	4	5	3	5	4	4	3	4	36
Yards	397	304	533	175	579	464	398	205	416	3471

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Par	4	5	4	3	4	4	3	4	5	36
Yards	410	547	413	238	353	394	184	461	570	3570

Note: Yardages subject to change.

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Player Notes

A collection of notable players in the 2025 Mass Open:

JACK BOULGER, 25, a Walpole native and member of Walpole Country Club, set the course record 64 in the opening round of the 2024 Mass Open at Willowbend, placing T7 overall for the second consecutive year. He’s placed in the top 20 each of the past four years.

a-JOHN BRODERICK, 21, a Wellesley native and member of Dedham Country & Polo Club, has finished runner-up in the New England Amateur each of the past two years and shot a 66 in the middle round of the 2024 Mass Open to place T12, following a T14 performance the year prior.

RYAN CELANO, 29, of Naples, Florida, and a member of The International, Monday qualified for the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship in 2024. The former University of Florida standout has also played several mini-tour events throughout the spring.

STEVEN DILISIO, 27, a Swampscott native and member of Salem Country Club, finished T9 in the 2024 Mass Open, spearheaded by a 5-under 65 in the first round and breaking a streak of missed cuts. The Duke graduate won the 2019 Mass Amateur at The Country Club.

CHRIS FRANCOEUR, 26, an Amesbury native, has competed on both the PGA Tour Americas and the Korn Ferry Tour. This year, he had a 3rd place finish in the Brazil Open and a T5 in the Bupa Championship. The former URI and Louisville standout won the Ouimet Memorial Tournament in 2020 and 2021.

JIMMY HERVOL, 27, a Hopkinton native, competed in the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying this year through Kirkbrae Country Club (RI). Hervol has played four events on the PGA Tour Americas this year, including a T22 finish in the Diners Club Peru Open.

JAMES IMAI, 24, of Brighton, nearly became the first amateur to win the Mass Open since Kevin Quinn in 1999, holding a one-stroke lead on the 18th of last year’s Mass Open. Despite sinking a long par putt, Virginia pro Brandon Berry edged him out with an eagle. Imai, a three-time Mass Junior Amateur champion, still matched the course record with a 64 in Round 2. The Northwestern graduate later qualified for the U.S. Amateur before turning professional.

JIMMY JONES, 29, of Tampa, Florida, advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying through Crumpin-Fox Club. Three weeks later, he earned medalist honors in the Mass Open qualifier at Woodland Golf Club. The Canadian-born pro is the son of Dawn Coe-Jones, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

PETER KNADE, 27, of St. Simons Island, Georgia, played on the Korn Ferry Tour last season, recording a top 40 finish. The former University of Maryland standout placed T2 in the 2022 Mass Open at Longmeadow Country Club.

KEVIN KRAFT, 54, of Dover, Pennsylvania, won the 2023 Pennsylvania Open and tallied a 7th-place finish in the 2021 Mass Open at Oak Hill Country Club. He also competed in the 2024 U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club (RI).

XAVIER MARCOUX, 24, a Concord native and member of Nashawtuc Country Club, competed on the PGA Tour Americas last summer after placing T3 in the Mass Open. Marcoux, the 2019 New England Amateur winner, will return to the Mass Open for the first time since 2021 when he placed T28 overall at Oak Hill Country Club.

ARTHUR OUIMET, 26, a native of Manchester, Connecticut, finished T6 in the 2024 Mass Open, shooting 67 in the final round. Ouimet, who advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying, said he is distantly related to Francis Ouimet, the legendary 1913 U.S. Open champion, and also a winner of the Mass Open in 1932.

OWEN QUINN, 26, a Holden resident and member of Worcester Country Club, is currently vying for a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour. The former Massachusetts Amateur Public Links champion has also competed in U.S. Open Final Qualifying in years past and has caddied for his father, Fran Quinn, in the U.S. Open.

MATT PARZIALE, 38, a Brockton native and member of Thorny Lea Golf Club, has recorded five top-10 finishes in the Mass Open since 2009, including three ties for second. Before winning the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, he shot a pair of 72s at Sacconnesset to finish T28 in the Mass Open and also captured the Massachusetts Amateur title that same year.

DAVID PASTORE, 33, of Stamford, Connecticut, won the 2023 Mass Open at TPC Boston and currently competes on the PGA Tour Americas. He has five starts in 2025 and placed second in the Bromont Open last year.

a-CHRISTOPHER POLI, 39, a Milton resident and member of Sacconnesset Golf Club, will be the lone representative from the host club in the field. In 2023, Poli finished T9 in the Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship just down the road at Willowbend.

MIKE VAN SICKLE, 38, a professional golf instructor from Wexford, Pennsylvania, has finished inside the top 20 of the Mass Open each of the past six years. Van Sickle, who is known for his colorful, sports-themed golf pants, finished top three in the 2023 WPGA Open Championship.

RICKY STIMETS, 34, of Osterville, finished runner-up in the 2024 Massachusetts Amateur and captured the 2023 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur title. A former professional, he was low amateur in the 2023 Mass Open at TPC Boston. Last year, he shot a 5-under 30 on his first nine of his second round. Despite opening the second nine with a pair of double bogeys, he still managed to card a 1-under 69, placing inside the top 30.

JASON THRESHER, 35, of West Suffield, Connecticut, won three consecutive Mass Open titles between 2016 and 2018, including 2017 at Sacconnesset. Since then he has finished in the top 11 in four of the past five championships, including T2 finishes in 2021 and 2023. The former Bryant University standout also won the 2024 New Hampshire Open and the 2023 Connecticut PGA Open.

JACK WALL, 24, of Brielle, New Jersey, is a Texas Tech graduate who won the 2023 Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, where he missed the cut by three shots. Wall won the 2023 New Jersey Amateur Championship, and last year placed in the top 20 in the Northeast Amateur, and second in both the New Jersey Open Championship and the Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship.

CHRIS WIATR, 32, of Juno Beach, Florida, is a former UConn captain who finished T3 in the 2024 Mass Open with a pair of rounds under par. He’s played several mini tour events this spring, with a T5 finish in the Abacoa May Classic.

a-C.J. WINCHENBAUGH, 19, a Weston native and member of Oyster Harbors Club, won the New England Amateur and New England Junior Amateur in 2024 before beginning his first year at Georgetown University. Led by a round of 67 in Round 2 last year, he placed T11 in the Mass Open.

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