Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds light and variable..
Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club follows through on a drive during his 3 and 2 victory over two-time defending champ James Pleat of Nashua Country Club in Thursday’s Round of 16 match at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye.
Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club hits one from the fairway during his match against James Pleat of Nashua Country Club at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on Thursday. Gillis won a pair of matches on Friday to advance to Saturday’s final against Jim Cilley.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a tee shot as his father, Phil, watches at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Craig Steckowych of Greenland lines up a putt during his match against Mat Gover of Atkinson at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a tee shot at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Ryan Kohler of Chesterfield follows through on a tee shot during his match against Harvin Groft at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye.
Evan Desjardins of Salem follows through on a drive during his match against Derek Dinwoodie at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Craig Steckowych of Greenland follows through on a shot during his match against Matthew Gover of Atkinson at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a wood in his match against Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Mat Gover of Atkinson hits a tee shot in his match against Craig Steckowych of Greenland at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Mat Gover of Atkinson hits a tee shot in his match against Craig Steckowych of Greenland at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Derek Dinwoodie of Rollinsford follows his tee shot during his match against Evan Desjardins at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club follows through on a drive during his 3 and 2 victory over two-time defending champ James Pleat of Nashua Country Club in Thursday’s Round of 16 match at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye.
Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club hits one from the fairway during his match against James Pleat of Nashua Country Club at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on Thursday. Gillis won a pair of matches on Friday to advance to Saturday’s final against Jim Cilley.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a tee shot as his father, Phil, watches at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Craig Steckowych of Greenland lines up a putt during his match against Mat Gover of Atkinson at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a tee shot at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Ryan Kohler of Chesterfield follows through on a tee shot during his match against Harvin Groft at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye.
Evan Desjardins of Salem follows through on a drive during his match against Derek Dinwoodie at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Craig Steckowych of Greenland follows through on a shot during his match against Matthew Gover of Atkinson at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
James Pleat of Nashua Country Club hits a wood in his match against Brandon Gillis of Sky Meadow Country Club at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Mat Gover of Atkinson hits a tee shot in his match against Craig Steckowych of Greenland at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Mat Gover of Atkinson hits a tee shot in his match against Craig Steckowych of Greenland at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
Derek Dinwoodie of Rollinsford follows his tee shot during his match against Evan Desjardins at the State Amateur Championship at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye on July 14, 2022.
RYE — A bit of deja vu took place Thursday during the 119th New Hampshire Amateur golf championship at Abenaqui Country Club, just not enough to please Nashua Country Club’s James Pleat.
Pleat and Sky Meadow Country Club’s Brandon Gillis, golfers who met in last year’s State Am final, squared off in Thursday’s afternoon matches. Pleat was attempting to win his third consecutive State Am, but a late birdie barrage by Gillis ended those hopes.
Pleat was 1-up through 13 holes, but Gillis won No. 14, No. 15 and No. 16 with birdies and advanced to today’s quarterfinals with a 3 and 2 victory. Pleat beat Gillis 5 and 4 in the championship match to win last year’s State Am.
“Before we started, he said it’s a shame we have to play each other so early,” Gillis said. “I told him I agree. When we do play. we bring out the best in each other.
“You can’t win holes with pars against James. You have to make birdies.”
Pleat won the 2020 State Am at Nashua CC, and prevailed at North Conway CC last year.
Gillis, a Nashua North graduate who has one season remaining with the University of Rhode Island golf team, will take on Mat Gover of the Atkinson Resort and Country Club in today’s Round of 8. Gover, who reached the semifinals of the 2019 State Am, extended his stay in the tournament by beating two-time State Am champion Craig Steckowych of Portsmouth CC in 19 holes. Steckowych won the State Am in 1990 and 1998.
Laconia CC’s Jim Cilley avoided elimination, but did so the hard way. Cilley trailed 2022 Exeter High School graduate Will Ducharme by four holes on the 11th tee, but pulled even by winning the next four holes. Ducharme regained the lead with a birdie on 15, but Cilley clinched the match by winning No. 17 and No. 18 with pars. Ducharme’s second shot on the par-4 18th went into the hazard.
Cilley, who won the 2011 State Am, lost to Pleat in last year’s semifinals.
“After an 81 on the first day of qualifying, who would have thought I’d be here?” Cilley said. “I think I’m finally starting to figure the greens out. Downhill they are slick.”
Cilley will face Beaver Meadow’s Mark Stevens in today’s first quarterfinal match, which is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Stevens, who won this event in 2008, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-up victory over Rochester CC’s Jamie Ferullo.
Bret Wilson of the Golf Club of New England was the first golfer to reach the Round of 8 by beating Laconia CC’s Patrick Hesseltine, 7 and 6. Wilson will face Joseph Bowker of Pembroke Pines, who ousted James Kinnunen of The Shattuck, 5 and 4.
Hooper Golf Course’s Ryan Kohler is also among the final eight. Kohler knocked off former Penn State golfer Harvin Groft of Candia Oaks, 4 and 3. Kohler, 38, finished third in last week’s Vermont Amateur after leading through the first two rounds of the 72-hole, stroke play tournament.
“I tend to get a little intimidated when I play a golfer like Harvin,” Kohler said. “I just tried to shoot a number. That’s a little less intimidating for me.”
Kohler had five birdies and no bogeys in his victory over Groft. He’ll face Atkinson Resort’s Evan Desjardin, who beat Farmington CC’s Derek Dinwoodie, 5 and 4.
“In the afternoon I played as good as I have all week,” Kohler said. “For this course, I’m putting well. If you ask anyone, that’s paramount here.”
Will Ducharme (Golf Club of NE) def. Rob Henley (Lake Sunapee), 19 holes; Jim Cilley (Laconia) def. Jon Dyer (Nashua), 5 and 4; Mark Stevens (Beaver Meadow) def. Tony Fournier (Portsmouth), 7 and 6; Jamie Ferullo (Rochester) def. Colin McCaigue (Amherst), 20 holes; Bret Wilson (Golf Club of New England) def. Bryce Zimmerman (Nashua), 6 and 4; Patrick Hesseltine (Laconia) def. Aiden Azevedo (Atkinson Resort), 5 and 4; Joseph Bowker (Pembroke Pines) def. Jon Devito (Passaconaway), 6 and 4; James Kinnunen (The Shattuck) def. Jack Kelley (Sky Meadow), 2 and 1; Ryan Kohler (Hooper) def. Michael Fiacco (Golf Club of NE), 2-up; Harvin Groft (Candia Oaks) def. Jake Nutter (Manchester), 2 and 1; Derek Dinwoodie (Farmington) def. Fletcher Sokul (Abenaqui), 1-up; Evan Desjardins (Atkinson Resort) def. Cameron Salo (The Shattuck), 1-up; Craig Steckowych (Portsmouth) def. Jack Meehan (Carter), 4 and 3; Mat Gover (Atkinson Resort) def. Nathaniel Kabogoh (Windham), 6 and 4; Brandon Gillis (Sky Meadow) def. Matthew Burroughs (Concord), 2 and 1; James Pleat (Nashua) def. Ryan Brown (Manchester), 3 and 2.
Cilley def. Ducharme, 1-up; Stevens def. Ferullo, 1-up; Wilson def. Hesseltine, 7 and 6; Bowker def. Kinnunen, 2 and 1; Kohler def. Groft 4 and 3; Desjardins def. Dinwoodie, 5 and 4; Gover def. Steckowych, 19 holes; Gillis def. Pleat, 3 and 2.
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