MEET THE PLAYERS SELECTED TO REPRESENT TEAM MASSACHUSETTS AT THE TRI-STATE MATCHES
For Immediate Release: October 7, 2022
NORTON, Massachusetts – The 88th edition of the Tri-State Matches moves to the Ocean State this year as Rhode Island is set to host the best mid-amateur and seniors golfers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
For the first time in event history, Aquidneck Club in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, will be the site of the team event with play taking place October 11-12. Team Mass Golf has won the past two titles in 2019 and 2021, with the 2020 matches being canceled.
The first Tri-State Matches event took place in 1907 when the team from Massachusetts won at the Agawam Hunt Club in Providence, Rhode Island. Ever since 1928, teams from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have competed for the title over a two-day period to compete for the regional title. Individual amateur golfers are selected each year by their state’s respective golf associations.
EVENT FORMAT
Each team selected 10 of its top mid-amateur players, plus six of its top senior amateur players. Player selection for Team Mass Golf is primarily based on Mass Golf Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year Standings.
The championship begins Tuesday morning with foursomes in the morning followed by singles matches in the afternoon. The final day will feature one round of four-ball matches.
The foresomes and four-ball formats will be “Nassau Style “matches (1 point for winning the front nine, 1 point for the back nine & 1 point (overall match). A competitor’s first 9-consecutive holes will constitute as their “front 9” and their next 9-holes their “back 9”. Halved matches will result in half-points being awarded. In the singles matches, match points will be decided over the 18-hole round.
MEET TEAM MASSACHUSETTS
mid-AMATEURS
BILLY ARGUS
Age: 27
City: Boston; Club: Wollaston GC (Milton)
Tri-States Count: Debut
Player Of The Year Points: 200 (16th)
2022 Accolades: Advanced to semifinals in Mass Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Argus led Saint Anselm College to the NCAA Division II title at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Championship in 2018.
Mike Calef
Age: 43
City: Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Club: Pine Oaks GC (Easton)
Tri-States Count: 10th Appearance
Player Of The Year Points: 237 (11th)
2022 Accolades: Advanced to quarterfinals in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Nick Maccario); Placed T3 in Mass Four-Ball (w/Kyle Tibbetts).
Fast Fact: Calef won the Mass Amateur in 2012 and 2013.
SEAN FITZPATRICK
Age: 38
City: East Walpole; Club: George Wright GC (Hyde Park)
Tri-States Count: 3rd Appearance
Player Of The Year Points: 386 (10th)
2022 Accolades: Won Mass Mid-Amateur Championship; Advanced To U.S. Open Final Qualifying; Advanced to Round of 32 in Mass Amateur Championship; Placed T3 in Norfolk County Classic.
Fast Fact: Fitzpatrick works full time as an electronic security integrator.
WILL FRODIGH
Age: 24
City: Westwood; Club: Dedham Country & Polo Club
Tri-States Count: Debut
Player Of The Year Points: 230 (12th)
2022 Accolades: Advanced to semifinals in Mass Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Frodigh finished his redshirt senior season at Elon University this spring.
JOE HARNEY
Age: 30
City: West Roxbury; Club: Charles River CC (Newton)
Tri-States Count: 2nd Appearance
Player Of The Year Points: 445 (5th)
2022 Accolades: Placed T2 in New England Amateur (shot 67, low score for Round 1); Placed 3rd in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Advanced to Round of 16 in Mass Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Harney won the 2015 Mass Open at Black Rock Country Club.
BRANDOn PARKER
Age: 34
City: Boston; Club: Worcester CC
Tri-States Count: 2nd Appearance
Player of the Year Points: 225 (13th)
2022 Accolades: Qualified for U.S. Amateur Championship; Placed 2nd in Mass Four-Ball (w/Taylor Fontaine); Advanced to Round of 32 in Mass Amateur Championship; Placed 6th in Mass Mid-Amateur; Competed in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Kyle Tibbetts)
Fast Fact: Parker also qualified for the U.S. Amateur back in 2009 and 2010.
Matt Parziale
Age: 35
City: Brockton; Club: Thorny Lea GC (Brockton)
Tri-States Count: 8th Appearance
Player Of The Year Points: 715 (1st)
2022 Accolades: Medalist in U.S. Amateur Qualifier (Winchester CC); Placed 2nd in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Placed T2 in Mass Mid-Amateur Championship; Placed 2nd in Norfolk County Classic; Advanced to Round of 32 in Mass Amateur Championship; Advanced to Round of 64 in U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Parziale played in this year’s prestigious Crump Cup at Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey.
JAKE SHUMAN
Age: 26
City: Boston; Club: Blue Hill CC (Canton)
Tri-States Count: Debut
Player of the Year Points: 379 (8th)
2022 Accolades: Co-Stroke Play Medalist in U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (Advanced to Round of 32); Advanced to Round of 16 in Mass Amateur Championship; Advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying.
Fast Fact: Shuman completed the 100 Hole Hike this year to support the Youth on Course program in Massachusetts.
RICKY STIMETS
Age: 31
City: Osterville; Club: Worcester CC
Tri-States Count: Debut
Player of the Year Points: 369 (9th)
2022 Accolades: Advanced to Round of 16 in Mass Amateur Championship; Placed T2 in Amateur Invitational; Placed T3 in Norfolk County Classic; Placed T6 in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Placed T7 in New England Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Stimets got married in California on September 30.
KYLE TIBBETtS
Age: 34
City: South Boston; Club: Framingham CC
Tri-States Count: Third Appearance
Player Of The Year Points: 220 (14th)
2022 Accolades: Advanced to Round of 32 in Mass Amateur Championship; Placed T4 in Mass Mid-Amateur Championship; Placed T3 in Mass Four-Ball Championship (w/Mike Calef); Competed in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Brandon Parker).
Fast Fact: Tibbetts has finished T5 or better in five Mass Golf championships over the past three years.
SENIOR AMATEURS
DOUG CLAPP
Age: 55
City: Plymouth; Club: Old Sandwich GC (Plymouth)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 608 (2nd)
2022 Accolades: Won New England Senior Amateur Championship; Won Senior Hornblower Memorial Tournament (Champion); Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Clapp finished T13 in the R&A Senior Amateur at Royal Dornoch in Scotland, shooting a 69 in the first round.
TODD EZOLD
Age: 59
City: Westfield; Club: Twin Hills CC (Longmeadow)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 200 (T6)
2022 Accolades: Won Mass Senior Four-Ball Championship (w/Mike Trombley); Placed T2 in Mass Senior Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Ezold played minor league baseball within the New York Yankees organization in 1985 and 1986, making it as high as the Double A level.
JOHN MCNEILL
Age: 61
City: Stow; Club: Amateur Golf Tour Of New England
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 310 (3rd)
2022 Accolades: Placed T2 in Mass Senior Amateur Championship; Placed T3 New England Senior Amateur Championship.
Fast fact: McNeill is the Dean of Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
KeVIN SHEA
Age: 58
City: Hingham; Club: Cohasset GC
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 150 (8th)
2021 Accolades: Placed T2 in Mass Senior Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Shea’s birthday is December 25th (Christmas Day).
Steve Tasho
Age: 63
City: North Easton; Club: Thorny Lea GC (Brockton)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 288 (4th)
2022 Accolades: Won Norfolk County Classic (Senior Division); Placed T2 in Ouimet Memorial Tournament (Senior Division); Placed T4 in Senior Hornblower Memorial Tournament.
Fast Fact: Tasho is a two-time Mass Amateur champion (1981, 1985).
Frank Vana Jr.
Age: 60
City: Boxford; Club: Marlborough CC
Tri-States Count: 28th Appearance
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 712 (1st)
2022 Accolades: Won Mass Senior Amateur Championship; Advanced to Round of 32 in U.S. Senior Amateur; Placed 3rd in Ouimet Memorial Tournament (Senior Division); Placed T5 in New England Senior Amateur Championship.
Fast Fact: Vana was one of four Massachusetts natives to represent the Bay State at the U.S. Senior Amateur at The Kittansett Club in Marion.
RHODE ISLAND ROSTER
| Kevin Blaser (Mid-Am) |
Brad Valois (Mid-Am) |
| Austin Cilley (Mid-Am) |
Jantzen Vargas (Mid-Am) |
| Tyler Cooke (Mid-Am) |
John Auclair (Senior) |
| Mike Hamilton (Mid-Am) |
Dave McNally (Senior) |
| Nick Hedden (Mid-Am) |
Tim Murray (Senior) |
| Bobby Leopold (Mid-Am) |
Chris O’Neill (Senior) |
| Tom McCormick (Mid-Am) |
Dean Parziale (Senior) |
| Kevin Silva (Mid-Am) |
Ed Wholey (Senior) |
CONNECTICUT ROSTER
| Chris Ayers (Mid-Am) |
Arthur Ouimet (Mid-Am) |
| Eric Bleile (Mid-Am) |
Jamie Sheltman (Mid-Am) |
| Ben Conroy (Mid-Am) |
Bill Hermanson (Senior) |
| Ben Day (Mid-Am) |
Dave Jones (Senior) |
| Rick Dowling (Mid-Am) |
Patrick McGuiness (Senior) |
| Mark Eells (Mid-Am) |
Craig Platt (Senior) |
| Dan Gallo (Mid-Am) |
Richard Shildneck (Senior) |
| Anthony Guerrera (Mid-Am) |
Dick Stevens (Senior) |
STAY CONNECTED
Mass Golf will have complete coverage of the 88th Tri-State Matches at Aquidneck Club. Visit MassGolf.org and follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and content.
