By Steve Derderian
sderderian@massgolf.org
OSTERVILLE, Massachusetts (June 5, 2026) – Oyster Harbors Club has always had a way of capturing the imagination. When the Massachusetts Open first came to Grand Island in 1932, the New Bedford Sunday Standard ran a story under the headline “Golfers’ Divots May Be Doubloons,” wondering whether competitors might find more than turf beneath their divots, invoking tales of Captain Kidd, buried treasure and the mysterious past of Cape Cod’s southern shore.
But Oyster Harbors was never merely the setting for an old pirate’s tale. Conceived in the 1920s as one of the country’s early golf-centered planned communities, the island colony paired Cape Cod elegance with a Donald Ross course carved from 140 acres of dense woods near Nantucket Sound. Though established as a stylish, exclusive resort, Oyster Harbors spent its early years very much in the public eye, drawing visitors, exhibitions and seven Massachusetts Opens played between 1932 and 1942, with fields loaded with some of the game’s leading names.
Now, after an 84-year absence, the championship returns to add another chapter. The 116th Massachusetts Open brings 144 players back to Oyster Harbors, where the Clarence G. Cochrane Memorial Trophy and a share of the $75,000 purse are the real treasures at stake on a layout long associated with the likes of Francis Ouimet, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and inaugural Masters champion Horton Smith.
The 54-hole stroke play championship is set for June 9-11 and will be played at Oyster Harbors for a record eighth time, more than any other venue, during the club’s centennial season.
“It couldn’t be any more exciting,” said Douglas Mayo, General Manager of Oyster Harbors. “To have this be our record eighth Mass Open, especially during our centennial year, is something the membership is overwhelmingly excited about.”
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There is plenty to say about how Oyster Harbors came to be, but few details capture the scale of its creation like the account of John R. Blackinton, Donald Ross’ stepson. During the fall 1925 clearing alone, an estimated 800,000 trees were removed from the 140 acres set aside for golf. Stumps were pulled, dynamited and cleared by hand; loam was hauled nine miles from West Barnstable; and cow manure came by rail from Maine. At the height of construction, 348 men worked alongside 96 horses, six tractors, two steam shovels, 42 trucks and a steamroller. Newspaper accounts put the cost at $250,000, with $28,000 spent on one hole alone, while noting that Oyster Harbors was attempting something unusual for American golf: stolon fairways, grown from a grass used on many British links and valued for its soft, durable structure.
The club itself has since prevailed through the Great Depression, two hurricanes, and potential corporate acquisitions. And through it all, the layout awaiting players this week remains true to its Ross roots, but hardly frozen in time. Recent work by Gil Hanse Golf Course Design reshaped all 66 bunkers, restored sand-face visuals, enhanced natural collection areas and reinforced a wider variety of shot options on a layout still built around its original green sites. Its conditioning is overseen by superintendent Weston Neff, who previously worked at Winged Foot when it hosted the 2020 U.S. Open.
At roughly 6,900 yards, Oyster Harbors will not overwhelm the field with length, nor will it be mistaken for target golf. The fairways should offer room, but the test toughens around the greens, where Ross’ contours, falloffs and collection areas can punish imprecision.
All the par 3s will offer intrigue, particularly the 147-yard 3rd, where a massive waste area has been reintroduced in front of the green to catch wedges or short irons that come up short. The 5th and 10th, both par 3s, play over 200 yards.
After crossing Grand Island Drive, players reach what is often considered Oyster Harbors’ toughest hole. The 6th hole bends left around a scrub-pine hillside and gives golfers a choice: play safely out to the right or take on the inside corner, where bunkers, a pond and a longer uphill approach can quickly make things complicated. The No. 1 handicap hole finishes at a raised green with a broad false front and gentle ridges that make even a good approach no guarantee of success.
“Gil was mesmerized with the amount of topography of the greens,” Mayo said. “He took so many notes and was overwhelmed by the thought process. When you step out here, you’ll feel like it was back in the day.”
The rest of the front nine eases up a bit. Holes 7, 8 and 9 are all par-4s under 400 yards, with few hazards in the way. The 7th is a straightaway tee shot with a turtleback green, while the 8th offers an approach into a diagonal punchbowl green.
The back nine, which sets up over 100 yards longer, weaves much more closely around the spectacular colonial- and shingle-style homes. Players beginning on the back nine will start on the 11th and finish with the par-3 10th. Most holes on the inward nine will stretch over 400 yards, including the par-4 12th with a multi-tiered green. The 13th (442 yards) has a massive bunker stretching about halfway into the fairway and potentially obscuring the view of the green. The final three holes work back toward the opening stretch.
The 17th is one of Oyster Harbors’ most memorable par 3s, a hole where the eye goes first to the solitary, wind-bent pine standing behind the green. The hole itself is framed by broad, deep bunkers and short-grass surrounds. Players must find the proper section of the green or risk leaving themselves a delicate recovery from sand, slope or tightly mown turf. Players then turn the corner one last time for the dogleg-right 18th, playing back toward the sweeping Oyster Harbors clubhouse, nestled on a bluff along idyllic Cotuit Bay.
“It’s a championship course that’s in wonderful condition,” Mayo said. “All 18 holes are great holes. When you play the golf course, it’s pure golf. I hope [the competitors] say every hole was a challenge and memorable. I want them to say ‘that’s a championship venue in Massachusetts.'”
Defending champion Steven DiLisio (Salem Country Club) will seek to become the first person to repeat as champion since Jason Thresher (West Suffield, CT) won three straight from 2016-2018. Those two will tee off from No. 11 at 1:03 p.m. Tuesday with David Pastore (Stamford, CT), who earned the 2023 title.
The trio will be joined by a deep group of standout professionals including Evan Harmeling (TPC Boston), back for the first time since 2019, now with a Korn Ferry Tour win under his belt. After his 2013 Mass Open victory, he donated his entire winnings to the One Boston Fund, a charity set up to help the victims and families affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. Former PGA Tour pro James Driscoll (Charles River Country Club), a two-time Mass Amateur champion, will also return to the mix after an eight-year absence. Other past champions returning are Michael Martel (New Ipswich, NH, 2019), Joe Harney (Charles River Country Club, 2015), Kyle Gallo (Berlin, CT, 2011), and Andy Morse (West Roxbury, MA, 1989 and 1992).
They’ll also go up against young standouts with vast experience playing Oyster Harbors, including Georgetown University’s Alan Rose III; 2023 Mass Golf Player of the Year and Mass Open Low Amateur Ricky Stimets (Barnstable Golf); as well as head golf professional Chris Concannon and seasonal assistant golf pro Jeremy Berkshak. Former Dartmouth College golfer John Lazor, who played in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, is also a member of Oyster Harbors.
Brookline native James Imai (KOHR Golf), a three-time Massachusetts Junior Amateur champion, nearly became the first amateur in more than two decades to win the Mass Open two years ago. Both Imai and 2022 Mass Amateur winner Conner Willett (Charles River Country Club) have since turned pro and will look to add to their legacies in this tournament.
Dozens of PGA Professionals and golf instructors will also try to make a splash, including GreatHorse’s Director of Instruction Chris Tallman, who finished third last year and won the Connecticut PGA Championship. Colby Cannon, assistant golf professional from nearby Wianno Club, and Harmon Club instructor Brian Spitz are also competing. New Hampshire’s Nicholas Pandelena (Atkinson, NH), who finished third in 2023 while awaiting MRI results for a foot injury, is also back in the field. The oldest player in the field is Champions Tour pro Kirk Hanefeld (Salem Country Club), a past club pro at Salem and The International with more than 25 senior major appearances and five state open wins (RI, NH, ME).
Scroll down for a full list of notable players in the field.
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.
Oyster Harbors Club will be set up at approximately 6,871 yards and will play to a par of 36-36—72.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 410 | 491 | 147 | 567 | 214 | 400 | 372 | 387 | 380 | 3368 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| Par | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 207 | 448 | 378 | 442 | 567 | 406 | 480 | 170 | 405 | 3503 |
Note: Yardages subject to change.
A collection of notable players in the 2026 Mass Open:
JACK BOULGER, 26, a Walpole native and member of Walpole Country Club, has won a pair of events on the Minor League golf tour this year, including the tour’s 2026 Major II with consecutive rounds of 68 at Abacoa Golf Club (FL). He placed T7 in 2023 and 2024 and T28 last year.
STEVEN DILISIO, 28, a Swampscott native and member of Salem Country Club, won the Mass Open by one stroke last year, becoming the eighth person to have captured the Mass Open and Mass Amateur (2019). The Duke graduate shot 69 in the first and third rounds, making a clutch birdie putt on the par-3 16th down the closing stretch to give him the decisive edge. He also placed T9 the year before at Willowbend.
JAMES DRISCOLL, 48, a Brookline native and member of Charles River Country Club, will make his first Mass Open appearance since 2018 at GreatHorse where he finished T12. Driscoll, a two-time Mass Amateur winner who went on to play in four majors on tour, will look to become the ninth person to win both a Mass Amateur and Mass Open.
a-AIDAN EMMERICH, 22, a Swampscott native and member of Kernwood Country Club, is a recent Temple graduate and winner of the Hornblower Memorial Tournament for the second time (also 2023). Last year, Emmerich shot 69 in the opening round of the Mass Open and placed T10, one stroke behind low amateur Jake Ratti. Emmerich also advanced to the semifinals of the Mass Amateur, knocking off college standouts John Broderick, Carson Erick, and Trevor Drew in the process. His older brother Christian, a former Holy Cross and Boston College golfer, is also competing.
EVAN HARMELING, 37, a Lexington resident and member of TPC Boston, won the 2013 Mass Open and earned his way in through qualifying this year. Making his first Mass Open appearance since 2019 at Vesper Country Club, Harmeling has since won the Korn Ferry Tour’s Savannah Golf Championship. He also played in the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic this season.
JAMES IMAI, 25, of Brighton, nearly became the first amateur to win the Mass Open since Kevin Quinn in 1999 when he came up just one shot short in 2024 at Willowbend. Imai, a three-time Mass Junior Amateur champion and Northwestern University graduate, currently plays on the GProTour, earning a second-place finish in this year’s Albemarle Championship, followed by a third-place finish in the Kannapolis Open.
a-REESE JENSEN, 19, a Duxbury native and member of Duxbury Yacht Club, made several starts in his first season with the Harvard men’s golf team. He also advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying this year with a top finish in Local Qualifying at Woodland Golf Club. He also made the semifinals in the 2024 Mass Junior Amateur.
LOUIS KELLY, 33, a PGA Professional based in Raleigh, North Carolina, won the 2022 New Jersey Open and is making his first Mass Open appearance. That could bode well historically as Rob Labritz and Michael Kartrude, also PGA Professionals, won the Mass Open in 2021 and 2022, respectively, in their first appearances.
a-JOSEPH LENANE, 22, a Dedham native and member of George Wright Golf Course, recently finished his fourth and final year at North Carolina State and in 2025, was a semifinalist in the Mass Amateur championship. His best finish in this event is T11 in 2023 at TPC Boston.
OWEN QUINN, 27, 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 finished T10 last year and had a morning share of the first-round lead with a 3-under 69.
DAVID PASTORE, 33, of Stamford, Connecticut, won the 2023 Mass Open at TPC Boston and currently competes on the PGA Tour Americas. He has four starts in 2025 with a pair of made cuts. His younger brother Paul will also compete in the tournament.
JAKE RATTI, 28, a Plymouth native and member of Wollaston Golf Club, finished as low amateur last year as his final round of 3-under 69 moved him into the top 10 overall. Ratti, the 2024 Mass Mid-Amateur winner, competed in both the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 2026 U.S. Four-Ball. He also advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying this year with a strong finish at Woodland Golf Club.
a-ALAN ROSE III, 21, a Weston native, will represent his home club and hit the opening tee shot from Hole 1. The Georgetown University product earned a top-20 finish in the Princeton Invitational this spring, and last year advanced to the Round of 16 in the Mass Amateur. During his junior career, he was medalist in the 2022 U.S. Challenge Cup Match.
MIKE VAN SICKLE, 39, a professional golf instructor from Wexford, Pennsylvania, has finished inside the top 20 of the Mass Open each of the past seven years, placing T4 last year. Van Sickle, who is known for his colorful, sports-themed golf pants, finished top three in the 2023 WPGA Open Championship.
a-RICKY STIMETS, 35, an Osterville resident and member of Barnstable Golf, has plenty of familiarity with Oyster Harbors, where both his grandfather and father were longstanding members. Stimets, who advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying this year, 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.
CHRIS TALLMAN, 39, a Holyoke resident and the Director of Instruction at GreatHorse, finished solo third last year and held a share of the lead on the back nine of the final round. Tallman won the Connecticut PGA Championship earlier this year four shots clear of the field, adding a T8 finish in the Walter Lowell PGA Tournament.
JASON THRESHER, 37, of West Suffield, Connecticut, won three consecutive Mass Open titles between 2016 and 2018. Since then he has finished in the top 11 in four of the past six 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, 25, 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. Wall won the 2023 New Jersey Amateur Championship, and last year shot the best final round with a 5-under 67 to finish T4 at Sacconnesset. In 2024, he was top 20 in the Northeast Amateur and second in both the New Jersey Open Championship and the Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship.
For complete coverage of the Massachusetts Open Championship, visit MassGolf.org or follow Mass Golf on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @PlayMassGolf and hashtag #MassOpen.
