Lenox's Benistand Wins Berkshire Classic
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. -- The winner of last year's Berkshire County Classic high school golf tournament returned to congratulate this year's winner.
If the 2014 champion wants to the same, it's going to take a little more effort -- and a lot more money.
Francois Benistand, an exchange student from the south of France, carded a 5-over-par round of 76 at Stockbridge Golf Club to win the sixth annual tournament.
Benistand, who is spending the year attending Lenox High School, finished two strokes better than Mount Everett alumnus Devin Farnum, who was on hand to congratulate his successor, and one stroke better than Mount Greylock junior Matt Wiseman.
Lenox coach Dick Salinetti said Benistand has been a pleasure to work with since he arrived at the school just about five weeks ago.
"He arrived here on a Tuesday, and I threw him into a match on Thursday -- at Forest Park, no less, that's a hard course -- with borrowed clubs," Salinetti said. "He didn't have a good round, and he felt bad about it, but ever since, he's gotten more comfortable with the school. He's got his friends. He's comfortable with the team. He's learning the American ways.
"I just have to admire the way he's reacted to everything."
Salinetti did not have a chance to talk to Benistand before he arrived in Lenox, and the coach was not sure what kind of player he would be getting.
"I talked to the school, and they said you have a French foreign exchange student coming, and in his letter, it said he's passionate about golf," Salinetti said. "I said, 'That's really good.' But then I started to think: Does passionate mean good?"
Turns out in this case it does.
Benistand bested the best high school golfers in the county on a picture perfect autumn Sunday.
Besides Benistand and Wiseman, two other golfers finished under 80 on the 6,204-yard layout. Taconic's Mitch Omelenchuck and Monument Mountain's Owen Hunter each carded a 79.
Wiseman said he was happy with his day.
"I never really was out of position," he said. "I just missed a couple of iron shots. I hit most of the fairways. I was pretty accurate off the tee.
"I just made a couple of silly mistakes, but overall, it was a good round."
Now Wiseman and his Mount Greylock teammates have a week to get ready for next Monday's Western Massachusetts Division 2 Championships at Taconic Golf Club.
"It'll be interesting," he said. "If we all play well, we'll have a chance. I hope I continue to play well so that we have a good chance as a team."
The team golf experience has been good for Benistand, Salinetti said.
"I think golf has been a real steadying influence for him," the coach said. "And he's a real gentleman. The kids like him."
And Salinetti, for one, hopes that Benistand, a junior, does have a chance to defend his Berkshire County Classic crown.
"I'm trying to get him to come back for another year," Salinetti said.
Scores:
76 - Francois Benistand, Lenox
77 - Matt Wiseman, Mount Greylock
79 - Owen Hunter, Monument Mountain; Mitch Omelenchuck, Taconic
84 - Sebastien Babeu, Wahconah; Nick Bator, Drury
85 - Thomas Fraser, Lee; Justin Martin, Pittsfield; Devyn Olds, Lee
89 - Mike Lemanski, Hoosac Valley
90 - Eric Sneizek, Hoosac Valley; Kevin Quinto, Pittsfield
91 - Kyle Alvarez, Mount Greylock
92 - Aaron Coons, Monument Mountain; Ben Gilooly, Mount Greylock; Austin O'Neill, Pittsfield; Trevor Salvini, Wahconah
93 - John Keegan, Taconic
95 - Nick Cervone, Wahconah
96 - Dylan Buffoni, Monument Mountain; Bryce Whalen, Lee
97 - Nick Boulger, Drury
99 - Matt Ferris, Taconic; Doug Sigbsury, Drury
108 - Kevin Coakley, Lenox