WEST HARTFORD >> Things were not looking too promising for Massachusetts native James Turner (above) at the 87th New England Amateur on Wednesday.

Through 23 holes nearing the midway point of his second round, Turner stood at 5-over-par. “I was 11 (shots) back. I knew I had to start turning things around,” he said.

There was still plenty of time to make up ground. He made four birdies to complete his second round, then shot 3-under 67 in the third round on Thursday to move into contention. The final round Thursday afternoon turned into the best moment of Turner’s young career.

The 18 year old fired a 5-under-65 at The Hartford Golf Club to win the New England Amateur by five strokes over five golfers. Turner finished with a four-round total of 7-under-par 273.

“There are a lot of guys here capable of shooting the same scores I did,” Turner said. “It was just my day. The putts dropped for me.”

Turner was tied with Ryan Tombs with nine holes left. Then Turner went eagle-par-birdie-birdie to move out in front by five strokes.

“With a five-shot lead, I was trying not to make any big numbers coming in,” Turner said.

Two bogeys on his final four holes didn’t matter. Tombs couldn’t keep pace, finishing in that five-way tie for second place that included Zach Zaback, Geoff Vartelas, Bobby Leopold and Matt Paradis.

87th NEW ENGLAND AMATEUR

(at The Hartford GC)

James Turner (Mass.), 73-68-67-65-273; Zach Zaback (TPC River Highlands), 72-71-69-66-278; Geoff Vartelas (Lyman Orchards GC), 68-71-71-68-278; Bobby Leopold (RI), 68-73-69-68-278; Matthew Paradis (NH), 72-68-69-69-278; Ryan Tombs (NH), 72-67-67-72-278; Christopher Gentle (Mass.), 73-67-68-72-280; Davis Chatfield (RI), 71-72-71-67-281; Matt Hutchins (Maine), 69-73-70-69-281; Chet Hrostek (GC at Oxford Greens), 71-69-72-69-281; Brad Valois (RI), 69-67-74-71-281; Max Theodorakis (Ridgewood CC), 69-69-71-72-281; Logan Broyles (VT), 68-69-71-73-281; Garren Poirier (VT), 72-71-70-69-282; John Flaherty (TPC River Highlands), 75-66-71-70-282; Brian Carlson (Clinton CC), 67-76-67-72-282; Matt Parziale (Mass.), 75-69-71-68-283; Peter French (Mass.), 70-72-70-71-283; Monte Mullen (TPC River Highlands), 72-68-71-72-283.

Other state finishers

Rasmey Kong (Eclub of New Haven), 74-70-67-73-284; Brian Ahern (Wampanoag CC), 72-69-69-74-284; Eric Dietrich (The Farms CC), 75-69-71-70-285; Corey Birch (Silver Spring CC), 71-71-70-73-285; Nick Harrington (The GC of Windham), 71-71-70-75-287; Kyle Buschmann (Middlesex Eclub), 69-73-73-73-288; Gabe Van Ness (Clinton CC), 72-72-76-71-291.

WEST HARTFORD >> There is a good enough crop of state golfers already either on or headed to the University of Connecticut men’s golf team this fall.

You can add the 36-hole leader at the 87th New England Amateur to that roster as well.

Tim Umphrey of Massachusetts fired a 3-under-par 67 to stand at 5-under 135 after two rounds of the Amateur at The Hartford Golf Club.

“I have pretty high confidence right now,” Umphrey said. I am really excited to start the season at school. I feel that if I am playing like this, I should be able to play and be in the starting five for the matches.

Umphrey, 19, leads Brad Valois of Rhode Island (4-under 136) by one stroke and Logan Broyles of Vermont by two.

Max Theodorakis, who just graduated from Danbury High in June, stands in fourth place after a pair of 69s put him at 2-under 138.  Theodorakis, who will play at Campbell University this fall, was the medalist at the CIAC Division I championship meet last month.

Geoff Vartelas of Lyman Orchards GC in Middlefield, and a former standout at Xavier High and Penn State, is tied for fifth at 1-under 139, four strokes behind Umphrey.

Monte Mullen (TPC River Highlands) and Chet Hrostek (GC of Oxford Greens) moved within striking distance of Umphrey. Both trail by five strokes after shooting 68 and 69, respectively.

First-round co-leader Brian Carlson out of Clinton CC and a junior-to-be at Purdue University, bogeyed six of his first nine holes. He ended up with a 76 and tied for 28th place (143).

Fifteen of the 45 players who made the cut for the final 36 holes today are from Connecticut. The final group of Umphrey and Valois go off the 10th tee at 8:50 a.m. Thursday. The final round is scheduled to begin at noon.

87th NEW ENGLAND AMATEUR

(At The Hartford GC)

Timothy Umphrey (Mass.), 68-67-135; Brad Valois (R.I.), 69-67-136; Logan Broyles (Vt.), 68-69-137; Max Theodorakis (CT, Ridgewood CC), 69-69-138; Ryan Tombs (N.H.), 72-67-139; Brandon Parker (Mass.), 71-68-139; Ben Balter (Mass.), 69-70-139; Geoff Vartelas (CT, Lyman Orchards GC), 68-71-139; Christopher Gentle (Mass.), 73-67-140; Matthew Paradis (N.H.), 72-68-140; Monte Mullen (CT, TPC River Highlands), 72-68-140; Chet Hrostek (CT, GC at Oxford Greens), 71-69-140; Connor Daly (Vt.), 67-73-140; John Flaherty (CT,  TPC River Highlands), 75-66-141; James Turner (Mass.), 73-68-141; Brian Ahern (CT, Wampanoag CC), 72-69-141; Mackenzie Nelson (Mass.), 71-70-141; Eric Marchetti (R.I.), 71-70-141; Bobby Leopold (R.I.), 68-73-141

Other CT finishers

Nick Harrington (GC of Windham), 71-71-142; Corey Birch (Silver Spring CC), 71-71-142; Kyle Buschmann (Middlesex Eclub), 69-73-142; Zach Zaback (TPC River Highlands), 72-71-143; Clark Robinson (Ellington Ridge CC), 70-73-143; Brian Carlson (Clinton CC), 67-76-143; Eric Dietrich (The Farms CC), 75-69-144; Rasmey Kong (Eclub of New Haven), 74-70-144; Gabe Vanness (Clinton CC), 72-72-144

In Joe Connerton’s first year as head pro at The Hartford Golf Club, the club hosted the 2009 Connecticut Open, the state’s biggest golf tournament not named the Travelers Championship.


Now in his eighth year, Connerton and rest of the members at The Hartford GC are getting ready to host another big tournament: The New England Amateur. That 72-hole tournament begins July 19.


“(Course superintendent) John Burke and his team have done a great job getting the course into fantastic condition,” Connerton said. “It’s just an honor to have the best amateurs in New England coming here. We are looking forward to it.”



Hartford GC is celebrating its 120th anniversary. This ends a four-course run for the amateur in the New Haven area: Woodbridge CC in 1990, New Haven CC in 1998, Race Brook CC in 2004 and The Course at Yale in 2010.

CHECK OUT MORE ON THE NE AMATEUR AND SOME OTHER BIG STATE-WIDE TOURNAMENTS HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS