LYNN — Gannon Golf Club was playing tough on Tuesday for the final round of the 39th Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship, but in the end it was Brookmeadow Country Club’s Bill Drohen who took home the title after shooting a score of even-par 70 for the second straight day. Drohen shot a total score of 70-70-140 for the tournament.
Drohen made a birdie on the second hole to get off to a great start Tuesday, but bogeys on both the third and fourth holes led him to make the turn in 35 strokes. He recovered well on the back nine, making eight pars and a birdie to finish the day with a 70 and win the tournament by one stroke.
Gannon’s membership was also well-represented on the leaderboard, as two Gannon members — Rob Thomas and Jon Gagnon — finished in the top 20 for the tournament.
Thomas shot a score of 6-over 76 Tuesday to finish the tournament with a total score of 71-76-147, good enough to tie for 11th place.
Thomas had an up-and-down front nine, making two birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey to make the turn in 37 strokes. Two more bogeys and another double-bogey on the back nine slowed his momentum even more, but a birdie on the 18th and final hole of the tournament left him with a 76 for the day.
Gagnon finished Tuesday at 7-over 77 for a total score of 72-77-149, placing in a tie for 17th.
“The whole experience was so great, I told (Gannon course superintendent) Pat Manning after the round that he did such a phenomenal job with the course,” said Gagnon. “The course was perfect, you couldn’t have had any better conditions. And on top of that the course played tough out there. The greens were fast and the fairways were fast, it was like a mini US Open.”
Gagnon started off steady on the front nine, making two bogeys and seven pars to make the turn in 36 strokes. Then, four straight bogeys pushed him down the leaderboard before a birdie on the 14th hole settled things a bit. But he then made two more bogeys coming in to finish the back nine in 41 strokes and shoot a score of 77.
“The course played tougher than normal today and I didn’t putt very well, that’s what did me in,” said Gagnon.
There was another exciting moment Tuesday as Sam Hood (Sandwich Hollows GC) made an ace on the 214-yard par-3 ninth hole. Hood finished in a tie for third place with a total score of 73-70-143.
Other local players wrapping up their tournaments included Olde Salem Greens member Timothy Richmond in a tie for 22nd place (72-79-151), The Meadow at Peabody member T.J. Vose in a tie for 42nd place (77-78-155), North Shore Amateur champion Jared Mscisz in a tie for 44th place (74-82-156), Gannon member John Boland in a tie for 49th place (76-83-159), The Meadow at Peabody member Church Waesche in 59th place (78-84-162) and The Meadow at Peabody member Michael Malley in 60th place (78-85-163).
