Semifinals of 106th Massachusetts Amateur ready to go at Kernwood

SALEM – The weather may have disrupted the original schedule of play, but Mother Nature was on the side of the 106th Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Thursday.Under perfect conditions at Kernwood Country Club, the final round of 32 match as well as the round of 16 and quarterfinal matches were all completed as scheduled.Following a full day of competition, the semifinals are now set and will be contested beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday.The first semifinal match will feature John Kelly (Twin Hills CC) against Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC), while the second match will see Jake Shuman (Blue Hill CC) take on Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC).The final 36-hole match will now – due to the delays caused by inclement weather on Wednesday afternoon – be contested on Friday morning beginning at 7 a.m. The second 18 holes will begin no later than 11:30 a.m.This marks the first time since 2006 that weather has forced the Massachusetts Amateur Championship to continue past its scheduled five-day period.?We can?t thank the staff and membership of Kernwood Country Club enough for accommodating these changes,” said Kevin Eldridge, the MGA?s director of rules & competitions. “It was in the best interest of the competitors to extend the event into Saturday instead of trying to complete nearly four rounds of match play in just one day.”Here are highlights from Thursday?s action.John Kelly, Twin Hills CC def. Ryan Harris, The International, 4 and 2When a competitor plays 5-under par golf through 16 holes, it is hard to beat him. That was exactly what happened when John Kelly (Twin Hills CC) faced off against Ryan Harris (The International) in the first quarterfinal match of the day.After defeating Christopher Gentle (Mount Pleasant GC) by a score of 2 and 1 in the round of 16, Kelly came out firing against Harris, who had bested Jackson Lang (Nashawtuc CC).Both players made birdie on the first hole before Kelly took his first lead of the match when Harris carded bogey on the 420-yard, par 4 2nd hole. The two competitors would match each other shot for shot and Harris pulled even with a birdie on the 340-yard, par 4 8th hole. Two straight bogies by Harris on the next two holes allowed Kelly to extend his lead to 2 up. It would be a lead that he would not give up.Matt Parziale, Thorny Lea GC def. Victor Galvani, Framingham CC, 19 holesFor a long walk up a fairway and an extended period time on the green, Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC) believed that his experience at this year?s championship had come to an end. After all, he had watched his 2-up lead through 12 holes evaporate and then he missed a short putt for birdie on the 17th hole, which would have squared the match heading into the 18th hole.Parziale was able to send a strong drive down the 18th fairway but he came up short with his approach. His opponent – Victor Galvani (Framingham CC) – meanwhile was in cruise control as he landed his approach in a perfect spot, 18 feet just left of the center hole location.What happened next is something that no prognosticator could have foretold. Parziale left his chip short and missed his par butt for bogey. Galvani left his birdie putt well short and then three putted to lose the hole and send the match to the 19th hole.That 19th hole – otherwise known as the 490-yard, par 5 1st hole at Kernwood – has been a special place for Parziale this week. Through two rounds of stroke play and three matches, Parziale has made five birdies and one par.One of those birdies came at the most important moment. After his drive sailed right into the rough, Parziale found a way to shape his 5-iron approach over the trees and into the right bunker. Galvani?s chip came up short, while Parziale rolled his third shot to eight feet. Galvani could not make his birdie putt, and had to watch as Parziale did what Galvani could not just minutes earlier.Jake Shuman, Blue Hill CC def. Jason Short, Marlborough CC, 5 and 3Since the first day of stroke play, Jake Shuman (Blue Hill CC) has