Keeping score around New England

June 28, 2007

PROS

Jim Renner of Attleboro shot a first-round 6-under-par 65 to join Justin Goodhue of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Brian O'Melia of Westley Chapel, Fla., atop the leaderboard of the NEPGA's TD Banknorth Portland (Maine) Open at Riverside GC. Former New England PGA standout Ron Philo Jr. (77-66) made the cut in the PGA Professional Championship at Sunriver Resort in Oregon last weekend. A number of New England-based club pros missed the cut, among them Troy Pare (74-73), Jeff Seavey (75-74), Tony Kelley (75-74), Al Vallante (72-79), Rick Durocher (76-75), Mark Costaregni (75-77), George Goich (76-77), Frank Dully (76-78), Jeff Martin (74-84), Chris Carter (76-83), and John Fields (81-79). The bad news for Philo? He closed with 72-77 and finished tied for 31st, which wasn't good enough to get him into the PGA Championship. The good news? He was named to Team USA for the PGA Cup, the club professionals' equivalent of the Ryder Cup, which is scheduled for Sept. 21-23 in Greensboro, Ga. Philo is now associated with Hudson National GC in Hudson, N.Y., and Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vt.

Jamie Neher of Weston has a victory and a tie for eighth through three events on the Gateway Tour's Beach Summer Series in southern Florida. He ranks second on the money list. Justin Peters of Pembroke is 12th.

Jeff Dantas of Aero Golf shot 58 and edged Rusty Gunnarson (Rochester GC) by two strokes to win a Cape Cod pro-am at The Club of Yarmouthport. Dantas and Jesse Schectman of Sandwich Hollows shot 55 for the pro-pro title.

Amateurs

Jeff Mucciarone of Westwood continued his run of stellar play on the Boston Amateur Golf Society by shooting 68 to win by four at Scottish Highlands in Salem, N.H.

Frank Vana Jr. of Marlborough CC and Jesse Spiers of Bangor finished at 9 over to tie for 22d and lead the parade of local golfers at the 46th annual Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett CC in Rumford, R.I. Jon Curran of Hopkinton (288) was T-37, while Jason Parajeckas of Woburn (292) and Brad Valois of Warwick, R.I., (294) were T-52 and T-58, respectively. Also competing were Rhode Islander Charlie Blanchard and Brendan Hester of Northbridge (297); Jason Pannone of Rhode Island (300); former US Mid-Amateur champion Austin Eaton of New Hampshire (301); Keegan Bradley, the former standout at Hopkinton High (301); and Garrett Medeiros of Rumford (301).

Juniors

Shooting 71 at Cyprian Keyes GC in Boylston, Craig Kublin of Needham rolled to medalist honors to advance into the NEPGA sectional qualifier for the 32d Westfield Junior PGA Championship. John Dean of Dedham and Andrew McGill of Needham each shot 75 to share second and join a total of 17 qualifiers in the 16-18 age group who'll tee it up Wednesday and Thursday at Brookline GC. Michael Levinson (77) of Andover led the list of qualifiers in the 14-15 group, Nicholas Pandelena (78) of Atkinson, N.H., did likewise in the 12-13 group, while Samantha Morrell (71) of North Kingstown, R.I., took medalist honors for girls 14-15. The leading scorers at Brookline will move into the national event, July 11-14 in Westfield, Ohio.