Renner continues victory lap
Plainville golfer rolls to 4-shot win
STOCKBRIDGE - Jim Renner is getting too big for New England.
The 24-year-old golfer from Plainville, in his second season as a professional, won his first Massachusetts Golf Association State Open yesterday, shooting a near-perfect 5-under-par 65 at Stockbridge Golf Club. His three-day total of 6-under 204 was four strokes clear of runner-up John Elliott of Bristol, Conn.
A week ago, it was the Vermont Open, another 54-hole tourney, which Renner won by 11 strokes with a 17-under-par 193 at Lake Morey Country Club in Fairlee.
Three weeks ago, it was the Cape Cod Open, in which he beat Michael Welch on the first playoff hole with a birdie.
Next week, Renner returns to Maine for the Portland Open, site of his first pro victory a year ago and he expects to play in the Rhode Island Open in July. He's getting close to hitting for the cycle on New England's bucolic golf courses.
A former NAIA national player of the year at Johnson & Wales-Miami and the 2005 New England Amateur champ, Renner controlled a difficult Stockbridge layout, whose unruly rough snagged the rest of the field. Renner came to the final round tied for the lead with Shawn Warren at 1-under 139. The day was windless, leaving the lush, swampy course that is parsed by the Housatonic River soft and open, but only Renner was able to dig in.
"I was pretty patient," said Renner. "I didn't try to force too much. Obviously, there were a few opportunities I knew I had to take advantage of. I knew I was swinging well early, I figured that out. I was just kind of going along, making sure I didn't make mistakes."
Warren, a 23-year-old from Maine also beginning to make his way as a professional, was left at the gate. Renner opened his bogey-free round with a birdie. While Warren struggled to hit the fairway and took four bogeys on the front nine, Renner added birdies at Nos. 4 and 5.
Just like that, it was 4 under for Renner, 3 over for Warren.
In fact, Elliott, the 1991 Mass. Open champion, was the only one who made any kind of run, picking up three birdies before sputtering with a triple bogey at the par-4 12th. He finished 67 - 208.
"Jim did everything well today," said Warren. "He hit the ball well, and kept it in play. When he gave himself opportunities, he was able to capitalize by making the putts.
"I had a couple of balls I thought I hit good shots and ended up getting in some tough situations, and then when I did have opportunities, I wasn't able to make the putts."
The par-4 10th hole, a 388-yard dogleg left that both Renner and Warren parred, illustrated the divide between the two. Renner was short of the green by a few feet with his approach shot, and chipped to 4 feet, making the putt to save par. Warren dropped a beautiful approach 4 feet below the pin, and slid the putt past the hole on the right, missing a birdie opportunity.
"You put yourself in that situation for two days, and then to not play well in the final round is just disappointing," said Warren. "But you've just got to keep putting yourself in that situation."
Renner's syrupy swing, which he repeated again and again without hesitation, constantly left him in good position. His tee shot on No. 8 veered right and landed under a tree, but he punched out and saved par. He veered right again on No. 13, but lofted his second shot neatly onto the green to claim another par. And all the rest was nothing but net.
"If I get ahead early, I make people chase me," said Renner. "I don't want to fall back. I knew I had to keep it going and keep getting birdies when I had the chances."
Renner signed off on the victory with a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-3 11th and a 5-foot birdie on the par-4 12th. His preciseness was making it look easy.
Renner graduated from Johnson & Wales last March (2007), so last winter was his first full season practicing in Florida. "The first time I got to do my job," he said.
Now he is following through on that work, collecting titles as quickly as he can cover the ground in New England.
"The ultimate goal is obviously to play on the PGA Tour," Renner said. "That's where I want to be and what I'm working towards right now. I'm trying to get ready for [Q School] this fall, doing everything I can. I feel like I'm playing better than I was this time last year, but you never know: every week's different, every day's different.
"I'm just trying to push the limit more and more, see how much better I can get."
Mike Calef of Brockton CC (73-67-72 -212) took low amateur honors and tied Rodney Butcher for third overall . . . It was the third straight Mass. Open victory for caddie Jamie Ward, who carried Geoff Sisk's bag in 2006 and '07. Sisk, a six-time champion, is playing on the Nationwide Tour and was not in the field.
Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.
