Team Massachusetts Seeks To Repeat As Champions In 91st Tri-State Matches
By Steve Derderian sderderian@massgolf.org
After months of grinding through qualifiers, invitationals, and championships, one shot, one round at a time, you’ve earned your place. You’re no longer playing just for yourself. You slip on the team hat, the emblem of your state stitched across the front, arrive at an often historic, leaf-strewn course, and play not for personal standing, but for the pride of the team.
That’s the spirit behind the 91st Tri-State Matches, set for October 14–15, and making a return to Warwick Country Club for the first time since 2013. The top post-collegiate and senior players from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have earned their spots as representatives of their states.
Massachusetts has dominated recent years, winning four of the last five titles, including its last seven that have taken place in Rhode Island. In 2001, Rhode Island captured the title at Newport Country Club, the last time it defeated its neighboring states. Meanwhile, Team Connecticut most recently won in 2023 on its home turf.
This rivalry stretches back to 1907, when Massachusetts first claimed victory at Agawam Hunt Club in Rhode Island. Since 1928, the Tri-State Matches have become a cornerstone of New England amateur golf, with the top players selected by each state’s golf association, eager to take part in this end-of-season tradition.
The foursomes and four-ball formats will be worth 1 point (for the overall match). Halved matches will result in half-points being awarded. Four-Ball Matches begin at 8:30 a.m., with Foursomes matches to follow at 1:30 p.m. When the horn sounds during the morning four-ball matches, teams may complete the hole that they are playing (if needed), and the match result will then be final at that time.
The singles matches 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 nine consecutive holes will constitute their “front 9” and their next nine holes their “back 9”. Halved matches will result in half-points being awarded.
MEET TEAM MASSACHUSETTS
mid-AMATEURS
BEN BALTER
Age: 31
City: Wellesley, Massachusetts; Club: Weston Golf Club (Weston)
Player Of The Year Points: 371 points (5th)
2025 Accolades: Mass Four-Ball champion (w/Ben Knott); 2nd place in Mass Mid-Amateur Championship; 4th Low Amateur in Mass Open.
Fast Fact: Balter played collegiately at Wake Forest, followed by a stint in pro golf.
RAY DENNEHY
Age: 23
City: Princeton, Massachusetts; Club: Oak Hill Country Club (Fitchburg)
Player Of The Year Points: 185 (16th)
2025 Accolades: Round of 16 in Mass Amateur; T4 in Ouimet Memorial Tournament.
Fast Fact: Dennehy recently finished his collegiate career at UConn, where he earned 2024-2025 Cobalt All-American Scholar honors. He previously competed for Lafayette College.
CHRISTIAN EMMERICH
Age: 24
City: Swampscott, Massachusetts; Club: Kernwood Country Club (Salem)
Player of the Year Points: 267 points (9th)
2025 Accolades: North Shore Amateur champion; T4 in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Played in U.S. Open & U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying.
Fast Fact: Emmerich had two top-10 finishes for Boston College in his graduate year. He previously competed for Holy Cross.
SEAN FITZPATRICK
Age: 41
City: East Walpole, Massachusetts; Club: George Wright Golf Course (Boston)
Player Of The Year Points: 150 points (T20)
2025 Accolades: Massachusetts Amateur Public Links champion; Mass Amateur qualifier.
Fast Fact: Fitzpatrick won his first Mass Public Links title this year, hitting all 36 holes in regulation over the course of the two-day tournament at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club.
COOPER GRIFFIN
Age: 23
City: Weston, Massachusetts; Club: Woodland Golf Club (Auburndale)
Player Of The Year Points: 130 points (T25)
2025 Accolades: Played in U.S. Open Final Qualifying; Top 25 in New England Amateur.
Fast Fact: Griffin caddied for Patrick Kilcoyne in the final match of the Massachusetts Amateur.
Jake Ratti
Age: 28
City: Plymouth, Massachusetts; Club: Wollaston Golf Club (Milton)
Player of the Year Points: 395 points (4th)
2025 Accolades: Low Amateur at Mass Open (Top 10 overall); Top 15 in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur; Qualified for 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Andy Luther).
Fast Fact: Ratti played college golf for Bryant University and has caddied at Boston Golf Club for years. This will be his second Tri-State Matches appearance.
SAM RUSSELL
Age: 34
City: Boston, Massachusetts; Club: Cranberry Valley Golf Course (Harwich)
Player of the Year Points: 163 points (19th)
2025 Accolades: 2nd place at Worcester County Amateur; T10 in Mass Mid-Amateur; U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier; Played in U.S. Amateur Final Qualifying.
Fast Fact: Russell is also a former Bryant College standout. He was also runner-up in last year’s Cape Cod Amateur, with this year’s event coming up soon.
Daniel Schwartz
Age: 32
City: Brookline, Massachusetts; Club: George Wright Golf Course (Boston)
Player of the Year Points: 186 points (15th)
2025 Accolades: Norfolk County Classic winner; T7 in Mass Amateur Public Links; 9th in Worcester County Amateur.
Fast Fact: Schwartz is a professor in the English Language & Literature department at Brandeis University. Played in Tri-States in 2024 at Worcester.
BEN SPITZ
Age: 41
City: Milton, Massachusetts; Club: George Wright Golf Course (Boston)
Player of the Year Points: 350 points (7th)
2025 Accolades: 2nd in Ouimet Memorial Tournament; Quarterfinalist in Mass Amateur; Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur; Qualified for 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/David Spitz).
Fast Fact: Spitz won the Mass Amateur in 2006 and captured the Mass Amateur Public Links in 2017 & 2023.
jared winiarz
Age: 25
City: Norton, Massachusetts; Club: Segregansett Country Club (Taunton)
Player of the Year Points: 115 points (29th)
2025 Accolades: Attleboro Area Golf Association City Open champion; T4 in Mass Mid-Amateur; Played in 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Danny Frodigh); Qualified for 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (w/Danny Frodigh).
Fast Fact: Winiarz played collegiately at Babson College and the University of Hartford.
SENIOR AMATEURS
Doug Clapp
Age: 58
City: Plymouth, Massachusetts; Club: Old Sandwich Golf Club (Plymouth)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 707 points (2nd)
2025 Accolades: Qualified for U.S. Senior Open; Round of 64 in the U.S. Senior Amateur; T2 in Senior Hornblower Memorial; T2 in Mass Senior Four-Ball (w/John Hadges).
Fast Fact: Clapp has qualified for 23 USGA events and was one of 19 amateurs to compete in this year’s U.S. Senior Open.
dean godek
Age: 59
City: Feeding Hills, Massachusetts; Club: Agawam Municipal Golf Course (Agawam)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 290 (3rd)
2025 Accolades: 2nd in Mass Senior Amateur; 3rd in Mass Amateur Public Links; T2 in Mass Senior Four-Ball (w/Ed Garbacik).
Fast Fact: Godek won a Mass Four-Ball with the late Alistair Catto in both 1989 and 1999.
brendan hester
Age: 55
City: Northbridge, Massachusetts; Club: Pleasant Valley Country Club (Sutton)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 815 points (1st)
2025 Accolades: Massachusetts Senior Amateur champion; Ouimet Memorial Tournament (Lowery Division) champion; Qualified for U.S. Senior Amateur; T6 in New England Senior Amateur
Fast Fact: Hester finished T11 in this year’s R&A Senior Open, entering the final round tied for second place.
jim pattErson
Age: 57
City: Southampton, Massachusetts; Club: Orchards Golf Club (South Hadley)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 230 points (7th)
2025 Accolades: T3 in Mass Senior Amateur; U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier
Fast Fact: Patterson also competed on the 2023 squad that competed in Connecticut.
keith smith
Age: 67
City: Franklin, Massachusetts; Club: Franklin Country Club (Franklin)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 260 points (T5)
2025 Accolades: Qualified for U.S. Senior Amateur; T6 in Mass Senior Amateur; 4th in Ouimet Memorial Tournament (Lowery Division).
Fast Fact: Smith has won four Mass Senior Amateur titles and a Super Senior Amateur title.
steve tasho
Age: 66
City: North Easton, Massachusetts; Club: Thorny Lea Golf Club (Brockton)
Senior Player Of The Year Points: 212 points (T6)
2025 Accolades: Mass Super Senior Amateur champion; T3 in Mass Senior Amateur; 3rd in Ouimet Memorial Tournament (Lowery Division)
Fast Fact: Tasho is the only player to have won a Mass Amateur and Mass Super Senior Amateur title.
RHODE ISLAND ROSTER
Kevin Blaser
Mike Carparco
Mike Calef
Tyler Cooke
Mike Hamilton
Jamie Lukowicz
Billy Forcier
Nate Winsor
Kevin Silva
Bobby Leopold
Darren Corrente*
John McNeill*
Brian O’Leary*
Glenn Default*
Chris O’Neill*
Jeff Dantas*
*Denotes Senior Amateur
CONNECTICUT ROSTER
Justin Beal
Richard Dowling
Anthony Guerrera
Thomas Labbe
Ryan Burrill
Eric Bleile
Steven Wagner
Tim Bickford
Mark Eells
Peter Tomlinson
Dave Jones*
Bob Murphy, Jr.*
Patrick McGuiness*
Brian Hedstrom*
Rick Malafronte*
Keith Stone*
*Denotes Senior Amateur
STAY CONNECTED
Mass Golf will have coverage of the 91st Tri-State Matches at Warwick Country Club. Visit MassGolf.org and follow @PlayMassGolf on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news and content.
