Newbury, New Hampshire (September 15, 2026) – The 29th playing of the New England Senior Amateur Championship got underway on a flawless day at Baker Hill Golf Club, situated near glistening Lake Sunapee in central New Hampshire.
Jim Jankowski (Baker Hill GC, NH) used his home course knowledge to piece together a 2-under round of 70, which included four birdies. Jankowski is bidding to become the first New Hampshirite to win the event since 2019, and the first ever to win on home New Hampshire soil.
He’s tied at the top with Steven Tasho (Thorny Lea GC, MA), who carded three birdies to one bogey on the front, and parred all nine holes on the back.
Of the seven past champions in the field, Jack Kearney (Westover GC, MA) leads the way at 1-under, followed by Keith Smith (Franklin CC, MA) at even, and Andy Drohen (The Ranch GC, MA) and Frank Vana (Marlborough CC, MA), who are both 1-over.
Since introducing a Super Senior Division in 2008, only three players have won both the championship proper and Super Senior title. Three of the top six players after day one–Jankowski, Tasho, and Kearney—are also Super Seniors.
Jim Forsgard (Pinehills GC, MA), was the keeper of the chaos card on this day. He caught fire five holes into his round. After starting on the 10th tee, Forsgard bogeyed the 13th hole to drop to 1-over. Then he went bananas. Carding birdies on 14, 15, 17, and 1 was impressive enough, but an eagle on 2 pushed him into Cousteau depths, 6-under over 7 holes. But golf is a cruel game, and he played his final 7 holes in 5-over to finish at an eventful 1-over.
With 20 players within three shots of the lead, there’s no telling what Wednesday’s final round of play may hold.
Opened in 2001, the Rees Jones design sprawls across 260 acres of rolling terrain of the Lake Sunapee area. The course was built into the natural contours of the land with preservation of the existing environment a priority, and the club has earned Audubon Certification.
Per the club’s website:
Baker Hill is named after Benjamin Baker. The original farmhouse, outbuildings, and barns trace their origins back to the eighteenth century. Benjamin Baker, a Revolutionary War hero who fought at Bunker Hill, was one of the earliest settlers in the area. He constructed three barns on the property in the 1780s. Some of the original building materials, including rustic beams, are incorporated into the permanent structures of the Pro Shop and cabin.
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