By Stephen Hanjack
shanjack@massgolf.org

MILTON, Massachusetts (July 23, 2025) – Sitting atop the clubhouse patio at Wollaston Golf Club on Wednesday, one might think that Mass Golf and Delta Air Lines were unveiling a new element to their longstanding partnership. Seemingly every 90 seconds, a new Delta aircraft appeared from the clouds, slowly descending toward Logan and giving travelers a brief look at the action from Round 1 of the 58th Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

Those taking in the action from a bit closer than 2,250 feet saw just a few players break par on Wollaston’s championship layout. Among them was Ben Spitz (George Wright GC) who set the pace with a 4-under-par 67 in the Championship Division.

In the Lowery Division, Brendan Hester (Pleasant Valley CC) was the only player to finish in red figures with a 71 (-1). And in the Women’s Division, defending Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Champion Morgan Smith (Mount Pleasant GC) holds a two-shot lead over the defending champion in this event, Isabel Brozena (Indian Ridge CC).

The Ouimet Memorial Tournament is a 54-hole, stroke-play tournament featuring an exempt-only field of top junior, amateur, mid-amateur and senior players who belong to Mass Golf Member Clubs. In its current form, the first two rounds of the event take place at an alternating venue, with the final round taking place at Woodland Golf Club.

Of note, the Championship Division is playing to a par of 71, while the Women’s and Lowery Divisions are playing to a par of 72.

Online: Leaderboard | Event Homepage | Photo Gallery

Championship Division

Ben Spitz has won a Massachusetts Amateur, a Massachusetts Junior Amateur, a Massachusetts Amateur Public Links, and a bevy of other events as well. But the Ouimet Memorial Tournament has been one that has escaped him to this point. Playing just minutes from home, Spitz made birdie on his first hole of the day, tacked four more (plus an eagle) in the middle of his round, and finished the day at -4, good for the solo lead in the Championship Division.

“This is a great course for this event,” said Spitz. “It can get it can get pretty crazy out there, but it was set up really fair. Great course, was in perfect shape.”

With two rounds still to go, Spitz knows there is still a lot to be sorted out. But the fact remains, he’s in position to add to his impressive resume.

“We got a ways to go. It’s just one round,” added Spitz. “Yeah, to win anything’s fun, my kids would love it. They just always ask me for a trophy when I get home (and) when I don’t have one, it’s like, a look of shame.”

Three players sit two shots back of Spitz after Wednesday’s opening round. Mike Calef (Pine Oaks GC), Shuvam Bhaumik (Thorny Lea GC), and Arthur Zelmati (Swansea CC), all of whom played in the morning, finished at 2-under-par. Calef and Bhaumik both carded six birdies while Zelmati’s day was highlighted by a long birdie putt on the 18th hole which triggered a putter-drop celebration, fueled by shock rather than showmanship.

The only past champion in the (Championship Division) field is Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea GC), who remains in contention after an opening round 72 (+1).

Women’s Division

Anyone that follows the women’s game knows there is no surprise to seeing the names Smith-Brozena-Smith stacked atop of the leaderboard.

Defending Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Champion, Morgan Smith holds the lead after one round of play thanks to a very tidy 72 (E) that saw two birdies cover two bogeys.

Two back of Morgan is the defending champion of this event, Isabel Brozena, who has spent much of the summer competing in events across the country in the Elite Amateur Series. (Brozena currently sits 14th in the Women’s Cup Standings)

Following a couple of late bogeys, a bad break on the 18th hole tested Brozena’s short game, and patience. Her approach shot appeared to hit a sprinkler head, then rock, coming to rest in a tricky spot above the hole.

“I had just gone bogey, bogey, so I was a little bit frustrated. And then with that unlucky bounce, I was seriously, like, ‘Are you kidding me!?’” recalled Brozena. “But yeah, I mean, I just played it off the hill, tried to get it as close as I could.”

The well-played pitch led to a nerve-settling par for Brozena, getting her into the clubhouse within striking distance of Smith.

“I felt like I kind of left a little bit out there today, especially on the greens,” added Brozena. “But, yeah, it means so much just to be in contention. Like I said this last year, but this field is always so good.”

Speaking of competitive fields, Brozena is also set to compete in the Women’s Am at Concord CC in just a few weeks. Last year, Brozena had to miss the Women’s Am due to college commitments.

“I’m excited to back in Massachusetts!”

One back of Brozena, and three back of her older sister Morgan, is Maddie Smith (Mount Pleasant GC), who earlier this summer won the New England Women’s Amateur Championship and the Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship. Maddie held the lead for much of the morning before a tough closing stretch led to Morgan pulling ahead.

Lowrey Division (Senior)

A past winner of the Championship Division (1994), Brendan Hester teed it up in the Lowery Division for the first time on Wednesday. Now 55 years old, Hester’s is on the younger side of the Lowery Division, and appeared to have a considerable advantage with his length off the tee.

After making four birdies over a five hole stretch in the middle of his round, Hester was able to steer it home with a round of 71 (-1), with help from his son/caddie, Jack.

“Having opportunities with wedges and shorter clubs was probably the big thing,” said Hester. “I don’t know the last time I played here, but I don’t remember it very well, so we just kind of worked together to try to manage our way around here. There’s a lot of course knowledge you need at this place.”

The event, too, holds a special place in the mind of Hester.

“The Ouimet is such a special organization, and I was a Ouimet scholar,” added Hester. “I am (now) fortunate enough to give back to Ouimet Fund. It’s just something that they do for golf that’s, bigger than than you and me.”

As is the case in the Championship Division, a trio of players sit two back of Hester with Jim Patterson (Orchards GC), Doug Clapp (Old Sandwich GC), and Todd Ezold (Springfield CC) all shooting 73 (+1).

Round Two will take place at Wollaston GC on Thursday. A cut will then be made prior to Friday’s Final Round at Woodland GC. (Championship 30+ ties, Women 12+ ties, Lowery 12+ ties)

WATCH: Five Big Things from Round 1 of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament

What is the Ouimet Memorial Tournament?

The Ouimet Memorial Tournament is a 54-hole, stroke-play tournament featuring an exempt-only field of top junior, amateur, mid-amateur and senior players who belong to Mass Golf Member Clubs. In its current form, the first two rounds of the event take place at an alternating venue, with the final round taking place at Woodland Golf Club.

One year after his death, friends of Francis Ouimet founded the Ouimet Memorial Tournament to honor his legacy, and it has been played every year since 1968. The first seven Ouimet Tournaments took place at Woodland Golf Club before converting to a co-host model in 1975. Francis Ouimet is the Brookline native who became a U.S. golf legend following his historic victory in the 1913 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline.

Since its founding, the tournament has always concluded at Woodland. In 1975, the tournament expanded when it came under the operation of the Ouimet Scholarship Fund, which awards millions of dollars in need-based college scholarships each year to deserving young men and women who have worked at Massachusetts golf courses.

In 1999, the Ouimet Fund’s 50th anniversary year, the Ouimet Memorial Tournament introduced a senior division named the Lowery Division, which honors Eddie Lowery, Ouimet’s 1913 U.S. Open caddie who became a frequent Ouimet Memorial contestant. And in 2004, the Women’s Division was launched. Alison Walshe won that inaugural year as well as the ensuing two years to become the only contestant — in any of the tournament’s three divisions — to achieve a ‘three-peat.’

Mass Golf took over operations of the event in 2018, and the format of the tournament transformed from a traditional invitational and exemption format that had preceded in the previous decades of the tournament to one that was based on merit in Mass Golf competition and exemptions.

Beginning in 2018, the Ouimet Memorial Tournament featured three days of competition for all three divisions, with the first two rounds conducted at the same venue, and in remaining with the original format of the event, the third and final round for each of the three divisions has continued to be played at Woodland.

*Information from 2020 event release

Recent Champions

Championship Division
2024 – Jack O’Donnell
2023 – Ryan Downes
2022 – Ryan Downes
2021 – Chris Francoeur
2020 – Chris Francoeur

Women’s Division
2024 – Isabel Brozena
2023 – Shannon Johnson
2022 – Catie Schernecker
2021 – Molly Smith
2020 – Anne Walsh

Lowery Division
2024 – Frank Vana, Jr.
2023 – Scott Copeland
2022 – Keith Smith
2021 – Steven Tasho
2020 – Frank Vana, Jr.

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About Wollaston Golf Club

Even with a expansive resume that includes 15 Major Championships and 9 USGA titles, few courses can claim a key role in growing the legend of Tiger Woods. Thanks to Woods’ thrilling, come-from-behind victory at the 1992 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, Wollaston Golf Club is one of those courses.  Woods made history with his win at Wollaston, becoming the first player to ever win two U.S. Junior Amateur Championships. The next year, he would win his third consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur, and followed that up with three-consecutive U.S. Amateur titles from 1994-1996.

Wollaston Golf Club has called its current site ‘home’ since 1970. Sitting within the Blue Hills and playing to a maximum yardage of approximately 6,900, Wollaston remains one of the only Tom Fazio designed courses in Massachusetts. Before Fazio’s design, Wollaston Golf Club was located on the present site of Presidents Golf Course in Quincy. 

Wollaston has played host to nine of Mass Golf’s Signature Championships, with three of those Championships being contested on the present-day layout. In 1995, Geoffrey Sisk won his first of six Massachusetts Open Championships. Prior to that, Loren Milhench won her first of two-straight Massachusetts Women’s Amateurs (1985) and Dana Quigley won his third-straight Massachusetts Open Championship (1984).

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