Tournament Links: Final Results
 Connecticut |
51 |  Massachusetts |
56.5 |  Rhode Island |
54.5 |
By Becky Blaeser, Massachusetts Golf Association
Barrington, RI — Entering the final day of the 83rd Tri-State Matches, held this year at Rhode Island Country Club, Team Massachusetts knew it would need a full 12-member effort to continue their recent success in the annual tournament.
Trailing by double-digit points after the first day of play, the Bay State squad came out firing on day two to capture a record 13th straight Tri-State Matches title over the likes of foes Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The victory marked the 34th championship overall for Team Massachusetts dating back to the tournament’s inaugural year in 1928.
Competing in singles matches on Wednesday, the team’s 12 members added 42½ points to their day-one 14-point score to finish the two-day tournament with 56½ points, ahead of Rhode Island’s 54½ points and Connecticut’s 51.
“Thirteen straight Tri-State titles is impressive,” said Jesse Menachem, the MGA’s executive director. “We had a lot of returning players, which is nice, but to mix in some new faces onto the team, both seniors and mid-amateurs, was special. I think that it shows the quality and depth of play that we have, which enabled us to rebound from a round-one deficit.”
Leading the charge for the Bay State during the singles matches was 2016 New England Senior Amateur runner-up Jack Kearney (Elmcrest CC) and newly-elected Massachusetts Golf Hall of Famer member Frank Vana, Jr. (Andover CC), who each tallied 5½ of a possible six points in their respective matches.
Final Results
| Connecticut | Massachusetts | Rhode Island | |||
| Szewczul – Hermanson | 3 | Smith – Kearney | 3 | Parziale – Quigley | 3 |
| Kraczkowsky – Brett | 4 | Carey – Secia | 0 | Acciardo – Pirie | 5 |
| Flaherty – Vartelas | 5 1/2 | Parziale – Jeffers | 1/2 | Leopold – Blaser | 3 |
| Dietz – Hrostek | 1/2 | Vana – Gentle | 2 1/2 | Hoffman – Pelletier | 6 |
| Mullen – Nolin | 1 1/2 | Burke – Cappucci | 2 | Forcier – Valois | 5 1/2 |
| Ahern – Gettings | 1 1/2 | Riley Kelley | 6 | Silva – Hayes | 1 1/2 |
| CT Day One Total | 16 | MA Day One Total | 14 | RI Day One Total | 24 |
| Dave Szewczul | 5 1/2 | Keith Smith | 3 1/2 | Tom Acciardo | 0 |
| Bill Hermanson | 5 | Kevin Carey | 1 | Paul Quigley | 3 |
| Bruce Kraczkowsky | 4 | Brian Secia | 4 | Dr. George Pirie | 1 |
| Tom Brett | 2 | Jack Kearney | 5 1/2 | Dean Parziale | 1.5 |
| Brent Dietz | 0 | Matt Parziale | 5 | Billy Forcier | 4 |
| Geoff Vartelas | 3 1/2 | John Kelly | 1 1/2 | Brad Valois | 4 |
| John Flaherty | 3 1/2 | Daniel Cappucci | 4 | John Hayes IV | 1 1/2 |
| Chet Hrostek | 4 1/2 | Alex Jeffers | 3 | Kyle Hoffman | 1 1/2 |
| Monte Mullen | 1 | Ryan Riley | 3 | Kevin Silva | 5 |
| Steve Gettings | 1 1/2 | Jordan Burke | 4 | Ryan Pelletier | 3 1/2 |
| Kyle Nolin | 1 | Chris Gentle | 2 1/2 | Kevin Blaser | 5 1/2 |
| Brian Ahern | 3 1/2 | Frank Vana, Jr. | 5 1/2 | Bobby Leopold | 0 |
| CT Day Two Total | 35 | MA Day Two Total | 42 1/2 | RI Day Two Total | 30 1/2 |
| CSGA Total | 51 | MGA Total | 56 1/2 | RIGA Total | 54 1/2 |
