The Massachusetts State Amateur Championship, better known as the Massachusetts Amateur, is a golf championship held in Massachusetts for the state's top amateur golfers. The tournament is run by the Massachusetts Golf Association (MGA) in mid-July each year. The amateur championship is the biggest and most subscribed event on the MGA calendar. Tournament entries are open to any amateur golfer who holds membership in an MGA member club and has an up-to-date MGA/USGA GHIN Handicap Index not exceeding 4.4.[1]
The first event was held in 1903 at the Myopia Hunt Club and won by Arther Lockwood. Thirty-eight contestants entered from the 42 MGA member clubs. The most famous winner of the championship was six-time champion Francis Ouimet. Other notable winners include Jesse Guilford, Dick Chapman and Eddie Lowery. Fred Wright holds the record with seven titles (1920, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, and 1938).
Since 1992, five Massachusetts Amateur Champions have turned professional: Trevor Gliwski, Flynt Lincoln, James Driscoll, Jim Salinetti and Rob Oppenheim. 2008 marked the 100th playing of the Massachusetts Amateur. Today the tournament holds a field of 144 players from 400 golf facilities across the state. The Championship starts with two days of stroke play. The low 32 scores continue on to match play competition.
In 2023, Molly Smith became the first woman to qualify for the tournament.[2]
| Year | Champion | Venue | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ryan Downes | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 2022 | Conner Willett | Concord Country Club | Concord | ||
| 2021 | West Newton | ||||
| 2020 | Matthew Organisak | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 2019 | Steven DiLisio | Brookline | |||
| 2018 | Patrick Frodigh | Boston | |||
| 2017 | Charles River Country Club | Newton | |||
| 2016 | Brendan Hunter | Williamstown | |||
| 2015 | Nick McLaughlin | Oak Hill Country Club | Fitchburg | ||
| 2014 | John Kelly | Kernwood Country Club | Salem | ||
| 2013 | Mike Calef | Longmeadow Country Club | Longmeadow | ||
| 2012 | Mike Calef | Tedesco Country Club | Marblehead | ||
| 2011 | Ryan Riley | Wyantenuck Country Club | Great Barrington | ||
| 2010 | John Hadges | South Hamilton | |||
| 2009 | Bill Drohen | Brookline | |||
| 2008 | John Hadges | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 2007 | Burgess Houston | Concord Country Club | Concord | ||
| 2006 | Ben Spitz | Worcester | |||
| 2005 | Frank Vana, Jr. | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 2004 | Frank Vana, Jr. | Williamstown | |||
| 2003 | Andy Drohen | Brookline | |||
| 2002 | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | |||
| 2001 | Brendan Hester | The Orchards Golf Club | South Hadley | ||
| 2000 | Jim Salinetti | Worcester | |||
| 1999 | Jim Salinetti | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 1998 | Belmont Country Club | Belmont | |||
| 1997 | Jim Salinetti | Weston Golf Club | Weston | ||
| 1996 | South Hamilton | ||||
| 1995 | Ed Fletcher | Concord Country Club | Concord | ||
| 1994 | Douglas Preston | Charles River Country Club | Newton | ||
| 1993 | Flynt Lincoln | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1992 | Trevor Gliwski | Longmeadow Country Club | Longmeadow | ||
| 1991 | John Salamone | West Newton | |||
| 1990 | Ray Wright | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 1989 | Jim McDermott | Worcester | |||
| 1988 | Thorny Lea Golf Club | Brockton | |||
| 1987 | Brookline | ||||
| 1986 | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | |||
| 1985 | Steve Tasho | South Hamilton | |||
| 1984 | Jim McDermott | Country Club of Pittsfield | Pittsfield | ||
| 1983 | Woodland Golf Club | Auburndale | |||
| 1982 | Tedesco Golf Club | Marblehead | |||
| 1981 | Steven Tasho | Williamstown | |||
| 1980 | Jim McDermott | Salem Country Club | Peabody | ||
| 1979 | Ed Polchlopek | Tyngsborough | |||
| 1978 | Dave Brilliant | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 1977 | Gary Burnett | Weston Country Club | Weston | ||
| 1976 | Bruce Douglass | Brookline | |||
| 1975 | Bruce Douglass | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | ||
| 1974 | Pleasant Valley Country Club | Sutton | |||
| 1973 | Belmont Country Club | Belmont | |||
| 1972 | Gary Burnett | Longmeadow Country Club | Longmeadow | ||
| 1971 | Tracy Mehr | Williamstown | |||
| 1970 | John Tosca, Jr. | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1969 | Peter Drooker[3] | West Newton | |||
| 1968 | Mike Ohanian | Nashawtuc Country Club | Concord | ||
| 1967 | Barrie Bruce | Brookline | |||
| 1966 | Warren Tibbetts | Charles River Country Club | Newton | ||
| 1965 | Ted Carangelo | Woodland Golf Club | Auburndale | ||
| 1964 | William Foley | Worcester | |||
| 1963 | Bruce Dobie | Tyngsborough | |||
| 1962 | Joe Carr | Salem Country Club | Peabody | ||
| 1961 | Oak Hill Country Club | Fitchburg | |||
| 1960 | Pat Granese | Tedesco Golf Club | Marblehead | ||
| 1959 | John Tosca, Jr. | Williamstown | |||
| 1958 | William G. Harding | The Kittansett Club | Marion | ||
| 1957 | David Sullivan | Longmeadow Country Club | |||
| 1956 | Charles Volpone | Belmont Country Club | Belmont | ||
| 1955 | Ed Connell | South Hamilton | |||
| 1954 | Rupert Daniels | Country Club of Pittsfield | Pittsfield | ||
| 1953 | Ernie Doherty | Salem Country Club | Peabody | ||
| 1952 | Tom Mahan, Jr. | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | ||
| 1951 | Ed Martin | Tyngsborough | |||
| 1950 | West Newton | ||||
| 1949 | Robert W. Knowles, Jr. | Brookline | |||
| 1948 | Ed Martin | Worcester | |||
| 1947 | John Chew | Commonwealth Golf Course | Newton | ||
| 1946 | Charles River Country Club | Newton | |||
| 1942–45: Cancelled due to World War II | |||||
| 1941 | Leo Martin | Longmeadow Country Club | Longmeadow | ||
| 1940 | Salem Country Club | Peabody | |||
| 1939 | Ted Adams | Tedesco Golf Club | Marblehead | ||
| 1938 | Fred Wright | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1937 | Dave Whiteside | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | ||
| 1936 | Charles River Country Club | Newton | |||
| 1935 | Edward S. Stimpson | West Newton | |||
| 1934 | William O. Blaney | ||||
| 1933 | Joseph P. Lynch | Worcester | |||
| 1932 | Edward P. Kirouac | Kernwood Country Club | Salem | ||
| 1931 | Fred Wright | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | ||
| 1930 | Fred Wright | Salem Country Club | Peabody | ||
| 1929 | Fred Wright | Belmont Spring Country Club | Belmont | ||
| 1928 | Fred Wright | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1927 | Charles River Country Club | Newton | |||
| 1926 | Fred Wright | West Newton | |||
| 1925 | Brookline | ||||
| 1924 | Woodland Golf Club | Auburndale | |||
| 1923 | Karl E. Mosser | West Newton | |||
| 1922 | Kernwood Country Club | Salem | |||
| 1921 | Worcester | ||||
| 1920 | Fred Wright | ||||
| 1919 | Winchester Country Club | Winchester | |||
| 1917–18: Cancelled due to World War I | |||||
| 1916 | Wollaston Golf Club | Milton | |||
| 1915 | Woodland Golf Club | Auburndale | |||
| 1914 | West Newton | ||||
| 1913 | Wollaston Golf Club | Milton | |||
| 1912 | Heinie Schmidt | West Newton | |||
| 1911 | John G. Anderson | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1910 | H.W. Stucklen | West Newton | |||
| 1909 | Percival Gilbert | Watertown | |||
| 1908 | T.R. Fuller | Wollaston Golf Club | Milton | ||
| 1907 | John G. Anderson | Woodland Golf Club | Auburndale | ||
| 1906 | Arthur G. Lockwood | West Newton | |||
| 1905 | Arthur G. Lockwood | ||||
| 1904 | Andrew Carnegie II | Essex County Club | Manchester | ||
| 1903 | Arthur G. Lockwood | South Hamilton | |||