Penn State Commit Lillian Guleserian Leads Through Round 2; Pardus One Ahead In Senior Division
By Tori Schuller
HAVERHILL, Massachusetts (June 25, 2025) — With the back nine at Haverhill Country Club open for business Wednesday, players took advantage, the most notable being Lillian Guleserian (Blue Hill Country Club).
Guleserian fired a smooth 3-under-par 33 after the turn with four birdies and a bogey, contributing to her score of 3-under 69 for the day at the New England Women’s Amateur Championship.
She started the birdie train off early on the back nine, with an 8-footer catching the edge of the cup and falling in on the 10th. On holes 12 and 14, Guleserian was right on target, leaving her 7-foot and 3-foot putts. Hole 17 gave Guleserian another birdie, with a close chip from the fringe and another 8-foot make.
The 2024 Mass Golf Girls’ Junior Player of the Year was 1-over-par after just nine holes on day 1 and set herself a strategy for the full 18 today.
“With those shorter par fours and short par fives… I tried to play a little more conservative on the front and then take advantage of the back,” Guleserian said.
Lillian Guleserian hits her tee shot on the 11th in round 2 at Haverhill Country Club (Teddy Doggett).
While Guleserian sits two strokes ahead of second place, she is well aware of the full 18 open to scoring Thursday.
“It feels good to have a little bit of a cushion, but I know there’s a bunch of people up at the top of the leaderboard that could put in some good rounds tomorrow,” Guleserian said.
For her plans on Thursday, Guleserian will stick to her motto: patience.
“I think my main thought out there today was just to be patient,” said Guleserian, an incoming first-year at Penn State University. “Three bogeys in a row is not great, but I felt confident that I could make up some ground and make some birdies on the back.”
Sitting right behind Guleserian on the leaderboard is Amelie Phung (eClub of Connecticut), tied for second with Maddie Smith (Vesper Country Club). With an eagle on the par-5 6th, Smith held the lead at 1-under at the turn. Smith, a 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier, gave a couple of shots back on the 13th and 14th but made a birdie on the 17th to get within two shots of the lead held by her fellow Team Massachusetts U.S. National Development Program teammate.
Maddie Smith drains her par save putt on the 10th at Haverhill Country Club (Teddy Doggett).
Phung was tied for first after Tuesday’s round and, after bouncing between bogeys and birdies, remains at even par. Noticeable holes for Phung were 11, 14, and 17, earning birdies on each as she aims for her first title in the event.
“This is one of my favorite tournaments, I get to meet a lot of new people,” said Phung, the runner-up in a playoff in 2024. “It’s a new course for me, and any new course is an opportunity to get a new look and different experience.”
At first glance, the course might seem easy, but it proves difficult for any length player. With tree-lined fairways on almost every hole and multiple elevation changes, Haverhill Country Club can be a challenge for anyone. Although the course is a new sight for Phung, she is paying attention to the elevation changes in the course and getting a few tips from the members.
“I paid a lot of attention to how I play the elevation,” Phung said. “A lot of the members have been friendly and giving me advice on how I play the greens and how to attack the different holes. It’s been a lot of concentration on the course and how you position yourself.”
Amelie Phung hits her tee shot on the 11th at Haverhill Country Club (Teddy Doggett).
Jayne Pardus (Boston Golf Club) wore her motto of the day on her navy cap, “FUN” printed in large pink letters. Such was the case on the par-4 14th hole (277 yards) when she holed out from eagle using a 56-degree wedge from about 60 yards out, giving her enough for a one-stroke lead on the field. Even a dreaded four-putt on the 17th was negated by the fact that she was on the green in two.
Pardus, who has qualified for the past two U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (Round of 32 in 2023), remains just a stroke ahead of Tara Joy-Connelly (The Kittansett Club), who has won the past two Senior Division titles.
A previous winner of the Championship Division in 1995 and 1996, Joy-Connelly shot the low round of the day at 1-under 71, kicked off by some redemption on the opening hole. Her second shot was in the rough Tuesday and found the hazard leading to a triple-bogey. Her second shot Wednesday instead found the green and set up a birdie putt. She added two more on the 6th and 11th for a solid round.
“I was out of sorts yesterday, so starting off with the birdie today was nice,” said Joy-Connelly, who despite playing a practice round, finally got a full look at the full 18 in Round 2. “I didn’t play the back nine when I came up late Saturday afternoon, so I skipped a few holes. But I just kept picking a target and aiming at it.”
Round 1 leader Pamela Kuong (Charles River CC) and Debbie Johnson (Blackhawk CC-CT) will also give chase as they sit three strokes back at +6, 114. Haverhill member Kim Grady also made the cut, knocking down a birdie on the par-4 11th.
Jayne Pardus reads her putt during round 2 of the New England Women’s Amateur (Teddy Doggett).
A total of 34 players in the Championship Division and 17 in the Senior Division made the cut for the final round Thursday. The Championship cut line was +14, 122 (27 holes), and the Senior Division had a cut at +23, 131 (27 holes).
Merrimack College made its presence known all over Haverhill CC this week, and not just because the Warriors have called it home since 2016. From tee to green, those navy and gold bags popped up across the championship field thanks to current team members Jillian Johnson (Hatherly CC-MA); June Doerr (Abenaqui CC-NH); Mya Murphy (MIAA-MA); Charlotte Cute (Ocean Edge GC-MA); Eva Gonzales (Eva Gonzales Overlook CC-NH). Merrimack alum Jacquelyn Stiles (Nashawtuc CC-MA) was also into the field.
Amy Butcher (Lakeside-VT), 68, the oldest among the senior players in the field at age 68, made the cut on the number.
Haverhill Country Club sits on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Next year’s event will be fully in the Granite State as Concord Country Club (NH) will host next year’s playing of the event June 23-25. The club previously hosted in 1978, won by Rhode Island’s Julie Greene.
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