Massacusetts Amateur

Higgins proves

he’s a cut above

By Justin A. Rice Globe Correspondent / July 15, 2009

BROOKLINE - The Massachusetts Amateur has a nasty reputation for not being kind to its stroke-play medalist in match play. That fact might’ve subconsciously caused Matt Parziale and Taylor Fontaine to flub the 18th hole yesterday at The Country Club.

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“I try not to get fixed in on superstitions,’’ said Fontaine (69-74 -143), who was tied for first with Brian Higgins at 2-under-par 69 entering yesterday’s final round of stroke play. “I don’t think it was meant to happen for me to stick one [drive] out of bounds on 18.’’ Fontaine ended up fourth.

Parziale (70-70 -140) had been playing well but overshot the 18th green after his drive landed in the rough. He finished in second place at 2-under-par.

With a 69-69 for a two-day total of 4-under 138, it was Higgins who earned stroke play medalist honors.

He welcomes the chance to become the second straight No. 1 seed in match play to also take home the overall title, which would make him just the third medalist to do it in more than two decades.

“I want to [win],’’ said Higgins, 34, the Bellingham resident who was the 2008 Massachusetts’ Golf Association Player of the Year. “I want to prove the medalist can win this tournament again.’’

That quest will begin this morning when Higgins takes on No. 32-seed Chad Bouchard of Sterling National Country Club.

The second-seeded Parziale will face John Gilmartin of Indian Ridge Country Club, while No. 3 seed Benjamin Spitz is pitted against Antonio Grillo of Farm Neck Golf Club.

After shooting a 75 Monday, Spitz yesterday fired a tournament-low-round of 5-under 66 to finish at 1 under and in third place.

Fontaine plays Mike Calef of Brockton Country Club; match play concludes Friday.

Defending champion John Hadges last year became the first match-play No. 1 seed to win the entire tournament since James Driscoll, who is playing this year’s British Open, in 1998.

Coincidently, Hadges won last year by hitting a 6-foot putt to beat Parziale, 1 up, on the 36th hole of the final round.

Hadges (80-69 -149), who had one of the biggest second-round turnarounds to qualify for the 32-player match play bracket, one stroke under the cut line, plays at Thorny Lea Golf Club with Parziale.

“He is a real nice kid and it’s a nice rivalry,’’ Hadges said. “Matt’s got all the shots.’’

Heading into yesterday’s round in third place at 1 under, Parziale, 22, seemed poised to be medalist until the 18th. He was 2 under at the turn, including birdies on 4, 6, and 8. He birdied the par-5 14, as well as 17.

He wasn’t worried about overextending himself. If anything, last year’s loss proved he can go the distance.

“I did it last year with [Hadges],’’ he said. “I went 36 holes. We had a good match.’’

But a stellar round was capped with a double bogey on 18.

“I actually hit a really good shot out of the [18th] rough and it flew; you can’t miss this green long,’’ he said. “I played good today, so this hole doesn’t matter. If that’s my worst, then it’s not bad.’’

“[Today], a new tournament starts,’’ Parziale said. “It’s good to be playing good. I’d rather be playing good than bad.’’

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.