WINCHESTER – All week long, Swampscott’s Aidan Emmerich, a 2022 St. Mary’s High graduate and Kernwood CC member, has been the model of consistency at the 118th Massachusetts Amateur at Winchester Country Club on his road to Saturday’s championship match.
Until Saturday’s championship match, that is.
Emmerich held a slim 1-up lead after the morning 18 against Providence College commit Zachary Georgantas of Foxborough after the morning round, thanks to a grind-it-out, par-saving 12-foot putt on the 18th hole. Each player cruised through the morning round in even par 71.
With his best friend and trusted sidekick Charlie Locke on the bag, let’s just say the duo saved their best for last.
Emmerich went on a tear in the afternoon 18, turning the match into an 8 & 6 rout. He served notice right away, birdieing the 19th hole.
“All week, I was waiting for that one 20-foot putt to fall and to see it go down on No.1, it was like, this is go time. When you’re making putts like that, you have to take advantage of how you’re playing,” Emmerich said.
“I knew after he made that putt on No. 1, he was all business,” Locke said. “We were talking about him not making any long ones, so we just needed that one long one to go down and everything else would come with it. I knew with the way he was hitting it today, especially on the back 18, Aidan was not going to lose.”
Infused with a fresh burst of swagger, Emmerich kept his foot on the gas, piling up birdies like they were going out of style.
He won the par-4 21st hole with a par, then birdied the par-4 22nd to get to four up. He birdied the par-5 26th hole to get to 5-up. Standing on the tee of the devilish par-3 27th hole and with the hole cut dangerously close to disaster on the left, Emmerich and Locke decided to kick it up a notch.
“I told Aidan, ‘what do we have to lose? Just go right at it,'” Locke said.
That he did, stiffing an 8-iron to within three feet for birdie to take a commanding 6-up lead into the back nine.
“I think that shot was the dagger,” Emmerich said. “I’d been playing mostly middle of the green, but just thought, why not go for it? That was a golf shot.”
By the time the dust settled, Emmerich had brought the normally-tough Donald Ross layout to its knees with four more birdies, the final on the par-5 12th hole to close out the match.
“It’s been a year-long grind,” Emmerich said. “I put my head down after making the semis last year. I was like, ‘I want to win that trophy.’ All week, I just knew that if I trust myself, this could be the end goal. Sometimes, with such a long day, you lose your focus, so I just worked on that. After I saved that par, I said to [Charlie], ‘let’s lock in and win this.'”
Mission accomplished — in large part due to Locke’s support and sage advice.
“He’s my best friend and he deserves this as much as I do,” Emmerich said during the post-match presentation of the Massachusetts Cup.
Emmerich also thanked his family and friends, adding “I wouldn’t be here without them.”
A Swampscott resident, Locke has been on Emmerich’s bag since the two were in the eighth grade. Locke remembers the first time the two became a team.
“It was in the club championship, but I couldn’t even finish the round because my feet were so screwed up,” Locke said. “I love being on the bag with him and am having the greatest time ever. He’s been working so hard after coming up short last year. This year, his confidence and ability to flush a bad shot out is really good.
“I told him yesterday that he has 30 seconds to get mad at a shot. This has been awesome. Aidan hits the shots and I’m just there to get in his ear, so I love it.”
The win has an added perk: an exemption into next month’s U.S Amateur Championship at historic Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Penn., a club that’s hosted more USGA championships than any other and is well-known for the iconic wicker-basket flagstick toppers.
When asked if he would be on the bag at Merion, Locke didn’t hesitate.
“You bet I’ll be there,” he said. “All I know about Merion is the wicker baskets, but I’m excited to have the chance to keep it going with Aidan. It will be my honor.”
This will be Emmerich’s third USGA championship appearance, having played in the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur. His best finish was in 2021, when he qualified for match play and advanced to the Round of 32.
A 2026 graduate of Temple University, Emmerich said he is “pumped to go back to Philly. I haven’t played Merion, but I’ve only heard great things about it, so I’m excited. I have to get my head down and get to work. I have a lot more work to do.”
