MATTAPOISETT, Massachusetts (September 14, 2026) – When it comes to Team Tournaments in Massachusetts, you will struggle to find one that pulls households together quite like the Sheeran does. This year’s Sheeran Modified Scotch saw 56 married couples battle it out at the beautiful Bay Club in Mattapoisett on Monday.
Alyssa Barrett and Ryan Gendron (Falmouth Country Club) were set to celebrate their first anniversary this Sunday, but that party will likely get kick-started this evening after the two took home the Sheeran Trophy with a score of 73 (+2). Playing in their first official tournament together, the former college stars at Saint Leo University (FL) plotted along for most of the day before making a thrilling eagle on the 16th hole, which proved to be the difference.
Michael and Elizabeth Archer (Country Club of Greenfield) were their nearest competitors finishing with a gross score of 76 (+5). That 76 turned into a net score of 65 (-6), tops amongst the net division.
The format of the event is a modified scotch, in which both golfers hit their tee shot and select which drive they want to use. Then they play alternate shots into the hole. The field was open to amateur golfer teams who are legally married or in a legal domestic partnership and each have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 24.0.
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The warmth of the competitor’s smiles was matched only by that of the sun, as golfers were greeted with a picture-perfect day on Monday. It was a far cry from what the region experienced on Sunday, with over three inches of rain falling in Mattapoisett. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Golf Course Superintendent Pat Meehan and the maintenance team at The Bay Club, one would never know of the torrential rains that fell less than 24 hours earlier.
Former college golfers Alyssa Barrett and Ryan Gendron met at Saint Leo University over a decade ago. And while they’ve been together since then, they made it officially official just last year. Playing together in an event for the first time, the two got off to an admittedly slow start, bogeying 4 of their first 7 holes.
From there they settled in nicely, rattling off 9-straight pars before arriving at the 16th hole, tied for the lead. That’s when Gendron’s power and Barrett’s deft putting took over. “She hit first and put me in the fairway, and so I can go after it. (Because of that) I hit a good driver over the trees. We get up there. It’s 12 feet,” recalled Gendron.
Barrett then added with a laugh “I was like, he did his job. I have to do mine now, or else I’m not going to hear the end of it.”
After some back-and-forth about the putt, Barrett eventually stepped up and buried it for an eagle-2. One final par on the 17th hole secured the victory for the (somewhat) newlyweds and we can almost certainly expect to see these two at the Sheeran for years to come.
With a net score of 65 (-6), Michael and Elizabeth Archer took home the Net Division title. They birdied 6 of their first 10 holes and never looked back.
One of the younger golf courses on the Mass Golf roster of member clubs, The Bay Club is a par 71 Championship golf course designed by PGA Tour Professional, Brad Faxon in conjunction with golf course architect, Brad Booth. The club proudly maintains its status as a Certified Silver Audubon Signature Sanctuary, with 88% of the original forest still preserved. This unique certification was highlighted on an episode of The Mass Golfer on NESN.
In 2020, the club played the role of co-host for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. It has also hosted a half-dozen USGA qualifiers, including U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying last year. At that qualifier, Mass Golf staffer Jared Winiarz made a clutch eagle on the 15th hole in earning earning one of the two qualifying spots. On Monday, Jared was on-site once again, this time as a member of the tournament staff.
